Hi everyone! I'm about to enter my fourth and final year of university, majoring in Software Engineering, but I'm struggling with some serious doubts about my skills and future. While my classmates are creating impressive projects, contributing to open source, and getting internships, I feel stuck. I want to start a project but often don't know where to begin, get overwhelmed quickly, or end up disliking my own code and giving up. My GitHub is empty, my resume feels pointless, and I haven't completed any internships that I can brag about. I'm terrified of graduating without any real experience or confidence to land a job. I've studied Java, OOP, and data structures, but I've never actually applied any of this knowledge practically.
To those who have faced similar challenges, how did you turn things around? What projects would you recommend for someone trying to build a portfolio from scratch? Is there still time to secure a job or internship before I graduate? And how can I regain my confidence and get on the right track? Any advice, resources, or personal stories would be greatly appreciated! I'm hoping to make a real comeback in my last year. Thank you for reading!
1 Answer
First off, do you actually enjoy programming? If so, don't let fear hold you back. Start building projects—no matter how basic they are. Each project, even if it feels 'bad', will teach you valuable lessons. It’s all part of the learning experience. Think about diving into programmer-adjacent roles like DevOps or QA if it's overwhelming to jump straight into coding.
I appreciate your insight! I do enjoy coding but have been stuck in this perfectionist mindset. I realize now that any project, even small, can help me grow. I'll definitely consider those other roles too!