I Thought I Was Doing Good in Uni. I'm Glad I Found Out Now I Wasn't

Jun 29, 2021 Self-Help

I Wish I had Done Better in my First 2.5 Years of College

Not because of any fault of my teachers, or even the university itself. I regret my first 2 years because of myself. Of course, we all have things that we regret. There are a lot of things I regret from that time, such as the fact that I was extremely obese and didn't exercise, and that I didn't socialize as much as I desired to, and that I wasn't as good of a person as I wanted to be.

But more importantly, what I regret the most, the reason as to why I am writing this post, was because of something I didn't even actively think about. I regret the fact that I did not take my education as seriously as I should have.

Sure, I got my 4.0. I studied for every exam and did well. I stayed awake in the computer lab until the morning working on my final projects, drinking every ounce of caffeine I could find. I did everything you would expect a typical college student would do. But it was not enough.

Realizing my Mistake

Fast forward 2.5 years later from my first day in university. It is currently the Spring semester, 2021. I have a busy schedule with 5 classes while working as an intern for my university's IT department. Things are going great, and I feel super productive.

Things changed when it became time for me to apply for internships for the summer. My next semester, my Fall semester, is going to be my last one, and I haven't had an internship lined up for the summer, which is crucial to get more experience.I had applied to a handful in the Fall of 2020, but I felt satisfied when I received the one at my university. Regardless, it was late, and I knew it. When I opened Indeed, LinkedIn, Handshake, and every other job-hunting website I could find, a terrible realization had loomed over me.

I Wasn't Good Enough

Here I am, a year from graduation, and my resume looked pitiful compared to what these internships wanted. Now, I knew from the beginning I was not going to work at Google or any other huge tech company, but I didn't expect to find that I didn't meet the expectations of any posting above a simple help-desk position.

And worse yet, for the positions that I did feel I could accomplish, there were tens of thousands of other applicants already tying to get in. I put mine in regardless, and I applied for as many as I could every day. For all of that effort, the only thing I received in return was one interview and an inbox full of rejection letters.

I had nothing on my resume that made me stand out among the masses.

What happened? I got the amazing grades! I did all of my work! Why did I feel so inferior? Well, that's because college, at least for a Computer Science related degree, does not and cannot prepare you enough for the real world.

That was not the Worst Part

I didn't even feel knowledgeable on what I had on my own resume.

Sure, I definitely could work with the stuff on my resume, I've made a few small projects with JavaScript, but could I really call myself a JavaScript developer? If I were to be interviewed on JavaScript, would I even do well? No, I wouldn't have, and that resonated through my resume.

I promptly took off all of the things I thought I "knew", and spent days researching how to improve my resume. At this point I knew there was an issue; I was not ready for the real-world.

What Happened

Upon reflection of my days in university, I have surmised the following:

I studied for the exams, and not for the long-term. I have trouble putting into practice what I learned years or even months ago when I got an A+ on my exam.
I did not apply myself outside of the classroom. Most of my projects on my resume come from within the class. Most of my experience up until this point also comes from the classroom. There are so many technologies to learn, so much more to understand about the topics in class that is needed for the real world, and I never had explored them.
I was lazy and unfocused. I studied enough to get an A, and by studying, that meant just reviewing material for the class. This summer, I am studying by learning new things and more about what I already know and then applying it. I did not study near as much as I should have, and I relied on bursts of energy to study instead of a strict regime which is necessary for growth.
I lied to myself. I always had the inclination that I was not doing as good as I should be. I just kept telling myself I would figure it out in the future, later in my college career, and that just getting good grades is evident that I am doing pretty well. I definitely regret this.

What I am doing now

I quit my job at Walmart, where I was on leave due to my education, and I also did not find an internship for the summer. I received a few interviews for help desk roles, but I decided not to take them for two reasons: for one, I would have to relocate, and two, I have decided to focus on myself this summer.

What I have changed in my life this summer thus far:

I study as much as I can every day. Life may get in the way sometimes, but every day I study for at least 2 hours, up to about 12.
Getting certifications to help my resume and future.
I have quit gaming, and I am trying to reduce anything else that provides Instant Gratification to help conquer my inability to focus properly.
I am reading more books, and I try to read at least one chapter a day.
I have got back, at least a little, into my hobby of trading stocks.
I have been improving my health by getting more sleep and doing more exercises (not as much as I should be though!)

As for what I am currently studying, I am studying both Information Technology and Information Systems. The time I dedicate towards IT is used for gaining the CompTIA Trifecta, meaning the A+, Network+, and Security+ certifications. As for IS, I am trying to get a good grasp on full-stack development for my capstone project next semester, beginning with web development.

My resume is mixed right now, and I don't have a clear path for where I want to go in this field which is why I am studying both things at once. I need to study programming primarily for my project, and I want to study IT so that I am more than qualified for a decent IT job upon graduation, even if it's not exactly what I want to do. I just haven't found out if I am cut out for development type jobs as of yet.

Do you Have the Same Thoughts?

Reflect on your educational life. Do you feel like you set yourself apart from every other applicant for the positions you apply to? Do you feel like you study and apply yourself well beyond the classroom? Do you feel productive? Do you feel like you made the best use of your time at college as you could?

If you have answered yes to all of these questions, then please reach out to me and give me some tips for furthering my education in these last few months.

If you have answered no to any of these questions, then you may be just like me. Based on all of my friends in college, I believe that many students do not realize the predicament they are in, the same one you and I are in. While you may not be able to quit your job and focus all of your time on studying and getting certifications or developing projects, it is not too late to just make simple adjustments to your educational journey. Even an hour a day of extra learning will help you tremendously.

Conclusion

I do not know if what I am doing is enough. I still feel like I am not trying enough and I definitely feel like I don't be up to par by the time I graduate. However, I am proud of myself for realizing there is a problem with my education and pursuit of knowledge and I am glad I am taking steps to fixing it.

I will now study as hard as I can every day. I will not allow myself to say I didn't try.

I wish you all the best, and remember, knowledge is power in this world.