How should I use the 6–7 months before starting a B.Tech in CSE?

Don’t try to choose a very specific specialization immediately. Cybersecurity includes areas like application security, networking, penetration testing, and many others, and your interests may change after you learn more. Spend the break building general fundamentals: programming basics, data structures at an introductory level, problem-solving, Linux usage, and basic networking. Small projects are better than collecting certificates or watching tutorials on ten different tools.

If you’re taking an entrance exam, make that and your Class 12 subjects the main priority. A strong rank and solid maths will help you much more than rushing through several technologies. Alongside that, learn one programming language—C or Python is enough—and practice basic problems regularly. You can explore cybersecurity more deeply after your exams.

Look at the curriculum of the colleges you’re considering and use it as a guide. Preparing a little for subjects such as programming, discrete mathematics, digital logic, and computer organization can make the first semester easier. Keep Linux and networking as secondary topics for now, especially since you already have some exposure to them.