This book is for informational purposes only. Except when an external source is cited, everything in the book is the author’s opinion. The author makes no guarantee about the correctness or accuracy of any content in this book. Furthermore, you may disagree with and/or find certain content offensive.
Read at your own risk. Do not continue reading if you do not accept full responsibility for all actions you take as a result of reading this book. The author is not liable for any damages including, but not limited to, academic failures, career path mistakes, financial loss, feeling upset, and physical/mental injury.
Everyone is capable of writing software, just as everyone is capable of painting, playing soccer, and writing a story. In any activity, some people are inevitably better than others, but that’s no reason to be discouraged. In fact, studying computer science and pursuing a career in software engineering is the right, practical choice for many people.
Software engineering beats all other careers in the most important dimension of a job: money. Money is the foundation for your success everywhere else, whether it be wanting to make an impact on society, or being able to afford the activities and possessions that bring you enjoyment. Once you’re earning enough money, you can stop worrying about rent, bills, and expenses and redirect your effort towards whatever matters most to you. For most people, studying computer science to focus on money is a reasonable and practical decision early in their career.
Many people follow this thought process, but don’t get their computer science degree, or worse, they get their computer science degree but can’t find a decent job while every company left and right is looking for software engineers. The problem is they didn’t take the right courses at the right time, they didn’t learn the right concepts, they didn’t network and prepare for technical interviews properly, and they didn’t acquire the necessary internship experiences. Most important of all, they didn’t have the right mentorship to put them back on the right track.
My goal throughout this entire book has been to give you as much of the right mentorship as possible and maximize your potential. While the content in this book is neither exhaustive nor perfect for everyone, I hope it comes close. You are welcome to reject any parts you disagree with, but I hope that you benefit from at least some sliver of advice here.
Hindsight is 20/20, so consider this my hindsight looking back at my experiences as a computer science student, the experiences of my peers, and the experiences of students I’ve helped through their college computer science journey. This book contains the knowledge that I believe all of these people and myself should’ve had going into college. I hope that with these insights, you too are able to launch your career and succeed in one of the most rewarding industries today.