The CS Freshman Guide I Wish I Had

Here's what I wish someone had told me as a CS freshman.

I keep having the same conversation with computer science students. They show me their school projects, ask about getting their first internship, and are usually in panic mode about landing a job. They're missing the bigger picture – and making the same mistakes I see over and over.

Here's what I wish someone had told me as a CS freshman.

Find Your Drive First

Most students approach CS backwards. They focus on getting the job, securing their future, and checking boxes. That's fine, but it's not exciting. And it won't make you exceptional.

I discovered this by accident. As a mechanical engineering student, I wandered into a hackathon and saw students building incredible things – mobile apps that tracked nutrition, interactive dance machines, and programmable robots. What struck me wasn't just what they built, but how quickly they could bring ideas to life. In mechanical engineering, it took months to go from idea to physical product. That’s why I pivoted from Mechanical Engineering to Computer Engineering in my sophomore year. With software, you could build something useful in days.

This is what should drive you: the ability to take any idea and make it real.

Pick One Thing and Stick to It

Here's the plan I wish every CS freshman would follow:

1. Choose something you're genuinely interested in. Love tea? Build a tea review platform. Obsessed with fantasy football? Create a stats analyzer. Passionate about music? Build a playlist generator.

2. Commit to it for two years. Yes, two years. Here's how:

   • Work in six-week cycles

   • Plan what you'll build in each cycle

   • Stick to the plan during the cycle

   • Take a week to reflect and plan the next cycle

   • Repeat

This sounds simple. It isn't. Your project will evolve. You'll need to add pagination when your data grows. You'll want a mobile app. You'll realize you need better performance. You'll integrate machine learning as you learn it in class.

This is the point. Real software engineering isn't about writing neat, isolated projects. It's about building something that grows, evolves, and becomes more complex over time. Two years of consistent work on one project will teach you more than dozens of abandoned weekend projects.

The Numbers Game of Getting Hired

Now for the tactical stuff. Here are the brutal numbers I've seen work:

• 100 online applications → 2 interviews

• 10 interviews → 1 final round

• 3 final rounds → 1 offer

But here's the hack: In-person connections change everything. Three conversations at a career fair can get you an interview faster than 100 online applications.

From day one of freshman year:

1. Mark every career fair date on your calendar

2. Track which companies are coming to campus

3. Attend every tech talk and networking event

4. Go to hackathons – both on and off campus

5. Document your journey publicly on Twitter and LinkedIn

Don't worry if your early posts are rough. They will be. The point is building the habit.

The Ideal Internship Progression

If you execute this well, here's your optimal path:

1. Freshman Year: Any software internship. Local IT company? Perfect.

2. Sophomore Year: High-growth Series C+ startup.

3. Junior Year: Big Tech. They hire juniors in the hopes to convert them fulltime.

This progression lets you experience different environments and make an informed decision about your first full-time role. Big Tech offers great compensation. Startups offer accelerated learning. A late-stage startup can offer both.

A Final Note

This might seem like a lot. It is. But here's the secret: most students won't do this. They'll bounce between tutorial projects, cram leetcode before interviews, and hope for the best.

You don't have to do everything perfectly. But if you pick one thing you care about, build it consistently for two years, and approach the job search systematically, you'll be ahead of 95% of your peers.

And more importantly, you'll actually enjoy the journey.