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Ask HN: How to make the most out of time at university?

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Re: Ask HN: How to make the most out of time at university?

#41

Post by delusional »

snarkypixel wrote: post #21

People say go all-in when you're young because it gets harder when you're older. I just wanted to mention that this is true and it happened to me and many of my friends. I'm so glad I went all-in when I was younger to establish my career and get wealthy because nowadays with a family it's much harder.. this let me focus on my family rather than work. I think one of the most important thing you could do is get a great…

Counterpoint: I spent most of my early youth going "all-in", basically trying to push myself to be something I'm not. Now I lie in bed at night wishing someone would shoot me in the head so I don't have to wake up to another day.

Effort doesn't necessarily equal success, and success doesn't equal happiness. Remember to work towards something you actually want to live. It's all too easy to use "all-in" as an excuse to run away from your problems, and making time for a family is great, but that family has to be built too.

Re: Ask HN: How to make the most out of time at university?

#42

Post by ISL »

scottious wrote: post #39

> I'd like to ask you for advice on how to make the most out of the time during my studies Go to professor's office hours. I was always so shocked when I showed up to office hours and I was the only one there almost every time. You can literally have 1-on-1 time with an expert and nobody takes advantage of it. Another advantage of office hours is that you don't want to look like you're unprepared, so preparing some q…

In a similar spirit: figure out why the faculty gave you specific homework.

Most faculty think hard about which problems to assign. It isn't busy-work. There is a person on the other side of the problem-set/exam/essay, they only get a few assignments, and they are going to have to grade it (or some future work).

Re: Ask HN: How to make the most out of time at university?

#44

Post by lazypenguin »

flodcw wrote: post #5

I would say have as much fun as you can along side your studies. Really. On the career side, experiment as much as you can in all the different areas (web programming, data science, ML/AI, game dev, etc.) and see what fits you the most. I wouldn't worry too much about finding a job in this industry and I think focusing on your portfolio would make most sense only after you've found the niche that interests you most.

I would add, have fun with other people. Make friends, make meaningful connections. These are harder to do outside of the university setting and this is one of the rare times where you are surrounded by a group of people with similar availability.

Additionally, work on your health. Get fit, learn to eat well.

Don’t overachieve, focus on the few things you are interested in and do them well.

Re: Ask HN: How to make the most out of time at university?

#45

Post by dspillett »

pzo wrote: post #27

1) Highly, highly recommend going to Erasmus student exchange at one point (I did in Umea, Sweden). It's great for socializing, good way to feel confident speaking english and gain confidence of living abroad - it's not only about technical skill set. 2) Don't focus too much on grades - focus on subjects you like and other subjects that you don't like just do minimum to pass 3) Nobody ever asked me to show my diploma…

> focus on subjects you like and other subjects that you don't like just do minimum to pass

To add to that: unless you are already very focused on what you want to get into in the end, if you have some flexibility in the modules you can take try to test out some things you might not naturally go for. A well-rounded understanding can be more useful at early stages than a focused expertise. “Jack of all trades”¹ was not originally meant as a derogatory phrase, and IMO shouldn't be one today either. Unless you have a specific strong focused passion already, I suggest specialising later rather than sooner.

[1] the full phrase makes this obvious: A jack of all trades is a master of none, but oftentimes better than a master of one.

Re: Ask HN: How to make the most out of time at university?

#46

Post by quintex »

If you have the time to join groups that you find interesting, but are not directly related to your topic of study, do it. You will spend the rest of your career increasing your skill set in the domain you chose, but university can be a unique chance to get to learn from all the other domains. In my experience, and your milage may vary, nobody asked about my grads after I graduated. The skills I gained by joining groups outside of CS helped me go much farther than spending that extra time studying I think ever could.

Re: Ask HN: How to make the most out of time at university?

#47

Post by bradfa »

LeanderK wrote: post #8

> What ought to be my main focus? Develop your technical skills during the week, develop your social skill during the weekend. A lot are only doing the first, even on the weekend (or only the second, even during the week). While raw skill is cool, it's important that you can work in a team, that your boss likes you and your colleagues can work with you. Attend parties, talk to strangers, learn how to do some small-ta…

I second this, and also look into activity-based clubs (sports, crafts, hobby-interests, drama, music, etc) that your school (or the town/city) might offer. These can be a great way to meet new people outside of your line of study and to have an easy ice-breaker for conversation as it's much easier to make new friends if you have a common interest. They can also offer a great and easy path to leadership. In my experience no one wants to be the club leader so it's easy to step up and be that role which can look great for future employment or as a resume/CV builder.

Re: Ask HN: How to make the most out of time at university?

#48

Post by brian_spiering »

scottious wrote: post #39

> I'd like to ask you for advice on how to make the most out of the time during my studies Go to professor's office hours. I was always so shocked when I showed up to office hours and I was the only one there almost every time. You can literally have 1-on-1 time with an expert and nobody takes advantage of it. Another advantage of office hours is that you don't want to look like you're unprepared, so preparing some q…

As a former professor, I want to second this advice. Even asking the professor to re-explain some from class is often helpful. If you run out of things to ask, ask about their research. Building that relationship will help if you need an extension on assignment, a bump in a grade, or a letter of recommendation later.

Some professors won't care and it will be of little value. Do not get discouraged if it is not a positive experience. Find the professors that do care.

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