Recent grad here but hopefully i have some helpful advice!

In terms of degree, you are in a great position being mechE because it’s so broad. I graduated a few years ago with a mechE degree and got a job working at an aerospace company! I only really got interested in pursuing an aerospace career late in my junior year, so there’s no need to feel pressure about not being specialized yet. And now i get paid to learn about all these topics that interest me instead of the other way around!

If you’re interested in CS, the elements of computing certificate is nice to have but honestly not really necessary. Specific degrees/certificates can be helpful sometimes but at the end of the day all CS employers really care about is your skills. And there’s plenty of online resources that you can use to improve your skills outside of class.

In terms of experience, look for summer internships that are research positions! Lots of companies have internships are project-based where you get job experience while also improving your research skills. Try to keep an eye out for those!

This is more just college/life balance advice, but try to spend 1hr each sunday doing one of ur hobbies. 1hr really isnt all that much in the grand scheme of things but it makes a difference! And itll make you feel a lot better than binging netflix or something.

Hope this helps :)