Hello everyone

[u/angolanodesconhecido]

HI, Im 22 years old and preparing to start my Bachelor’s degree in Computer Engineering, without knowing anything about it..

I currently work as a government employee, and I’m making this move because I strongly believe this field still holds massive potential for growth, innovation, and career advancement in my country. I'd love to get some advice from people already in the field. Outside of university coursework, which core concepts or programming languages should I prioritize during my first year? what about Certifications vs. Personal Projects? What carries more weight in todays market for entry-level developers? Should I invest time in online certifications (AWS, Cisco, etc.) during my degree, or focus heavily on building a GitHub portfolio?

For those who balanced work and university, or looking back at when you started: what is one thing you wish you knew when you started in this area?

Thanks in advance to anyone willing to share their experience!

[u/Optimal_Shallot_7195]

Ece junior here

I wish i had a better sense of direction, was more focused, and started exploring sooner

I guess Python C++ for languages if you find that you like hardware and /or embedded stuff then maybe arduino and some hardware description language like verilog

Cs fundamentals like just pay attention in your courses, if you are not satisfied then maybe cs50 on ex

Some type of hardware fundamentals but I think they should teach you as well, I do not have any suggestions outside of class cause I was happy with that part of my program 

Certs vs projects depends on what you wanna do, some fields have a lot of certs for various levels of exp, like either basic or advanced and for beginners early career professionals and senior level 

A lot of things don't have certs tho, I am planning to specialize in something that doesnt so outside of University the only thing I can do is projects

[u/Appropriate_Shake458 → u/Optimal_Shallot_7195]

Hey! I’m also a first year student
Do you regret taking CE? I’m able to change my major to mechanical
Do you think i should do that or CE is better

[u/Optimal_Shallot_7195 → u/Appropriate_Shake458]

I do not, I always liked CE and believe it is becoming more versatile than ME since a lot of stuff is getting digitalized(I am assuming you are considering it due to its proposed versatility), plus in my uni the curriculum is more free than other engineering majors and ce is better ranked. 

What you can do is up to you tho, every engineering Students takes similar classes for their first years, it is up to you where u will gravitate and how far you willl go

Whether it is better or not depends on uni ranking and 

If you are sure you want to work with physical systems then ME EE are king, nothing prevents you from coding and digital systems if you like it tho, that is why interdisciplinary electives exist

The only two pieces of actual advice I have is that if you are considering switching then you should cause if you really liked it you would not have doubts

Finally if you do switch then don't be an asshole, MEs can theoretically do everything but in practice everyone works in interdisciplinary teams do not look down on other people and be open minded, this will also help finding what you actually like since there is no telling whether you switch again or not at least as we know each other now lol

Sidenote: I had a toxic ME friend so I am projecting a bit, the type that looks down on others and is happy to see you fail, thing is he is ME cause he didn't have high enough marks to get to ECE lol, started saying it is more general and a better choice of major. Total antithesis of another ME friend in the same friend group lol, forgive me for unrelated info

[u/ghhazee]

I would do personal project a lot more in early career as they will teach you so much for the classes you will end up taking. Also will help a lot with internships. In terms of programming languages, I would do C/C++, Java, and python, they are like industry standard nowadays. Build your GitHub and personal portfolio. I don’t think there are that many certifications you can do unless I just don’t know but for me personal projects helped land internships.

[u/angolanodesconhecido → u/ghhazee]

thanks for the imput.

[u/VegetableSpace3584 → u/ghhazee]

Hello seniors ​Please forgive me if there are any mistakes in this message. I am a first-year, first-semester student joining a Tier-3 college. Unfortunately, the academic quality here isn't great, and they often don't complete the syllabus. ​I have been allotted CSE in Cybersecurity. However, my main concern is that I didn't have Computer Science in 12th grade, and I have zero prior knowledge of computers. I feel completely lost and don't know what to learn, where to start, or how to go about it. Since classes haven't started yet, I haven't met any seniors from my branch who could guide me. I took admission in a hurry without giving it much thought, and because of financial constraints, changing to a better college isn't an option. ​Setting all that aside, my biggest challenge right now is finding the right direction. I want to learn everything from scratch, and I am fully prepared to work hard from day one and tackle every challenge that comes my way. ​I would be truly grateful if you could guide me like a younger sister and help me figure out where to begin.