Ask HN: I'm an incoming freshman to college for a CS major, what should I know?

Let me start by sharing what I think is the most important advice. I would focus and really ensure you "learn" things. Don't worry about optimizing for exam scores. In my opinion, it's better to get a 75% on an exam and understand that 75% well as opposed to getting 95% on an exam but only because you "remembered" things without really understanding them.

When you study, spend time deeply thinking about the concepts. Yes you're going to learn CS, but it's not just about learning data structures, algorithms, compilers, etc. etc. College is an opportunity to think critically. It's okay to be wrong or to not understand things. Use the internet to reinforce concepts you don't understand well, or go speak with your professor or TA's in office hours.

Okay... with that out of the way, here are some other thoughts:

1. Don't index too heavily on advice folks give you on learning any specific programming language. Focus more on the concepts that translate from one language to another.

2. In the first year or two, do invest in understanding object oriented programming principles, as OOP is quite common today. You'll probably cover this in one of your introductory CS/programming courses anyway. Note: OOP is not the end all/be all.

3. If you've used Windows your whole life, great. I would encourage you to spend some time learning a Unix-based operating system. This isn't so much related to your CS degree/course work, but I will bet it comes in very handy later on.

4. Do take a compilers course if it's not required in your degree program. Many universities who have ABET accreditation require it but I recall at least one (several years ago) that didn't.

5. Do pay attention in your Operating Systems course. Take that course if it's not required. Threading, memory management, scheduling algorithms... you learn concepts here that will likely be very useful in your career.

I read through this waiting to get to the controversial part and never found it. This is good advice not only for CS but for any rigorous degree. One of my favorite classes in undergrad was Ultimate Frisbee because it ensured I got some aerobic exercise each week and I got to experience playing UF with some really good people.

There are lots of other critical points casually shoved in here that could probably be expanded to book chapters if you wanted. The point about making connections is huge. Arguably the biggest difference between a state school and Ivy League education is the network available to you. Regardless of where you’re at, establishing connections is a major part of undergrad.

1. Don't assume your CS classes will always be easy.

Having programmed a lot is a big advantage, but you're going to be learning a wide variety of things as a CS major that you may not have had to think about previously, and there is going to be a lot of it which isn't intuitive. Be prepared to study more than you have in the past and don't get cocky; sometimes it isn't until your junior or senior year that you get beyond what you already sort-of know and hit a wall.

2. Try to double major or minor in something completely unrelated to CS and math, unless you are really into CS or math.

Programming is a tool to make computers do stuff. A pure CS degree leaves you qualified to program compilers and IR systems and computer games. If you learn about something really hard, like chemistry or biology or whathaveyou, you'll also know what sort of programs chemists and biologists and whathaveyou need and have a domain to write programs in.

I'll plus one this and recommend you also try doing things outside of class. Uni is an amazing time to try a load of hobbies and new non-academic skills. I personally did a ton of theatre and event planning for fun at uni and learned a loads of useful skills such as:

- How to coordinate a team - How to write a good email - How to interview people (helps for being interviewed) - How to clearly communicate my ideas to others - Public Speaking - How to give feedback - Conflict resolution

Beyond the basics technical skills tend to vary by job. Soft skills are universal.

Start with a WordPress/Shopify job and then look for ways to expand your horizons.

Struggling startups, small consulting companies, they also have more ability to bring someone in straight out of high school so even if they say "bachelor's required" still apply.