| What are your goals? Where do you want to work? General advise: - Join clubs, be as active as you can be, but don't let your grades suffer (well, unless you somehow get to most coveted positions) - Be social - seek out other people. They likely won't come for you. - Interact with professors or similar faculty members. Not necessarily all the time, for more trivial stuff you have TA's and similar, but showing enthusiasm and passion will make people remember you. - Leave your ego home. Ask people for help, help people, it's all part of the learning process - be humble. (Unfortunately lots of arrogant people in CS and Engineering studies) - Attend career fairs and similar events. Get your resume or information out there. Same goes for club events. - If you don't already do it, pick up some sport - most colleges and universities have TONS of options, not only the most mainstream sports. It's healthy, it's fun, and you meet all kinds of people. - Partying is fun, but don't make it a habit to get hammered multiple times a week. I've seen many students fall to that lifestyle. - Try to earn some money on the side. Most student start at rock bottom when they graduate, as far as their net worth goes. Working during summers and holidays can't help you a long way - because let me tell you this, financial stress during your education is not something you want - it can become all-consuming. Other than that: Show up to all your lectures, do your assignments and projects - start early. Can't stress that enough. |
> Try to earn some money on the side. Most student start at rock bottom when they graduate, as far as their net worth goes. Working during summers and holidays can't help you a long way - because let me tell you this, financial stress during your education is not something you want - it can become all-consuming.
I would actually disagree with this one. If you're studying an in-demand field like CS and you can get internships, you absolutely should so you can get some experience working in industry, a sense of how much you enjoy the work, and a decent amount of $$$ on the side. If you can find a job that complements your education, such as TAing, absolutely do that, even if the pay is garbage (it will be). But unless you're the type who can happily balance work, school, studying, and a social life, I would heavily suggest sacrificing $15 minimum wage work in favor of those other options while you're in college -- the opportunities, memories, and friendships will be well worth the tradeoff.
That being said, if you get an opportunity to do an internship alongside classwork that pays well, that's well worth your time and effort. But if your only option is dishwashing or working at a McDonalds or something I would skip it, not worth the money compared to your potential earnings in 4-5 years.