Stop, You Are Making College So Hard

Explore different disciplines and take your time

Before you keep stressing about your college life, read this …

You have three assignments for this week, and an exam next week. On top of that, you are working on a part-time job, have an important activity of the student association you are in.

Thus, you can’t seem to catch a good nights sleep.

Can you relate?

No worries, I understand how you feel. When I was an undergraduate in college, I had a lot of things going on as well, a lot of commitments to fulfill.

Also, working with students as a tutor, I see that they have a lot of things on their plate as well. Moreover, I see that they are having a hard time because, on top of all the things to do, they are not sure if they are studying the right major. Alongside not being sure, they put too much pressure on themselves and overcomplicate this phase in their lives.

Again, no worries, I get where you are coming from, I used to feel that way as well. You are not alone. I have talked to people who felt that way too.

Now that I graduated, I have learned a lot of things that I want to pass on to you.

Explore

When I started my bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, I had this misconception that you had to follow a linear path to graduate. Moreover, you had to be strict about picking your classes and the pathway you chose to finish your major.

And oh, boy, I was wrong. Sure, you have to follow the curriculum of your desired major. However, there are electives you can take as part of the requirements to graduate, that is, in my college, it was like that.

The topics of these elective courses can be in different disciplines, and they don’t have to be on the same topics of your major. Thus, you can take different electives in subjects you are interested in.

When I took electives in college, it helped me a lot to explore different opportunities and fields. I started first on my path to pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Biology and study medicine. However, I took a course on “Introduction to Computer Science,” and the rest was history.

I learned about computer programming and other Computer Science related topics. I liked the class, as well as the courses in the Computer Science program. Thus, I decided to change majors to Computer Science.

Now that I look back at it, if I didn’t take the chance to explore other disciplines, I would not have found Computer Science.

So, if you are not sure if your chosen major is for you, take some time and explore other majors by taking electives. It may change your life.

Grades Are Important, But They Are Not Everything

Ever since I entered college, I was focused on getting the highest grades I could. I thought that grades were the end all be all. Furthermore, if you didn’t have a 4.0 GPA or failed a course that you couldn’t find an internship or a job after college.

I was wrong again; I saw people in my class landing jobs in top companies with less than a 4.0. Moreover, I saw people that failed a class or two and still got into internships at top companies.

I even learned this in my journey, I got accepted into a summer research program outside of my country as an undergrad, and I didn’t have the highest GPA in the group.

What I learned through this process is that sure, grades are important, but not the only factor in getting accepted to an internship or job position. Other things also play a part, such as being involved in student organizations and working in side projects.

Now, don’t get carried away and drop your grades, I am sharing this, so you are not too hard on yourself if you don’t have straight A’s, work on other parts of your application and try your best.

Nobody Is Rushing You To Finish

Another misconception I had was that you had to finish your bachelor’s degree in four years. Even if you changed majors, you had to finish in four years. Furthermore, if you take longer than four years, then you can’t get a job or internship.

That is not true, everyone’s journey is different, you may take longer, and that’s okay. You may fail a course, lose a family member, have kids; in other words, life happens.

In my experience, what I realized is that companies main concern is that you can deliver results and add value. Moreover, that you are passionate about your work, and you can work with others.

If you can showcase your skills and convince them that you can be a valuable asset to their team, then it doesn’t matter how long you took to finish your degree.

Focus on developing your skills, getting the best grades you can, and participate in extracurriculars. Be the best you can be.

Don’t pressure yourself, finish your degree at your own pace, and focus on acquiring and understand the knowledge you need to work as a great professional. Enjoy this phase in your life. It won’t last forever.

Everyone’s situation is different, so don’t feel like you failed if you didn’t finish in four years, do the best you can according to your life situation.

Final Thoughts

Don’t make college so hard; it’s a phase in your life. This is something I wish I could tell my past self when I was completing my bachelor’s degree. Explore, work on becoming the best you can be, and enjoy this phase of your life; it’s not going to last forever.

I hope this helps!

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Disclaimer: Results may vary. These tips and advice are based on my experience and opinion as a former undergraduate Computer Science student, tutor, teacher, and software developer. Everyone is different, so, the advice shared in this article may or may not work for you.

Originally published at https://yadielcabrera.com.