Okay so… I just entered my final year and ngl I’m lowkey panicking. I wasted my last 3 years doing basically nothing. I don’t know programming properly, never built a single real-world project, and now placements are around the corner.
Like fr, is there still any chance for me to pick up a skill, actually build stuff, and somehow get job-ready before it’s too late? Or should I just accept my fate lol.
Also random question (pls don’t roast me): is there even a platform where you can:
- buy projects (so I can at least see how things work)
- get mentorship/teaching from people who know their stuff
- and later maybe even sell my own projects when I get better
Basically like a one-stop place to learn + build + get guidance. Does that even exist or am I just daydreaming here?
Any advice would be a lifesaver 🙏—
I don’t know your industry, but you probably know more than you think. In my job I learned so much in my first two years out if school.
Yeah that’s actually reassuring to hear 🙏. I keep hearing people say the real learning happens once you’re on the job, but the scary part is getting that first break. That’s why I was thinking — if there was a space where you could practice by picking up real projects (even buying ready-made ones just to see how things are structured), get some guidance/mentorship, and then slowly start putting out your own work… it would make the jump way less intimidating. Feels like that kind of model could really help students like me who are starting late.
Assuming it’s programming because why else would OP randomly say they dont know it…
Which is terrible because that’s a practical skill you can’t really fake and you need the foundational knowledge from school.
OP is gonna need to look at something like HR or office drone where a general degree is “good enough”.
Not the end of the world, they just coasted thru a degree for a very competitive field. So now they need to pivot. Even people who paid attention and know their shit can’t get a job programming these days anyways
Yeah, true — programming isn’t really something you can fake, especially in a competitive market. If the fundamentals are weak, it shows during interviews. And you’re right, a lot of people with decent knowledge still struggle to land jobs these days, so for someone who coasted through college it feels extra overwhelming.
That said, I don’t think it always has to mean a hard pivot away from tech. I’ve seen people catch up when they start small: buying or downloading existing projects, breaking them apart to see how things actually work, then slowly tweaking/building their own. Pair that with mentorship or guidance from people in the industry, and it creates a shortcut compared to trying to figure out everything alone. Even if it doesn’t guarantee a job, it at least gives you a portfolio and confidence to back yourself.
For those who decide to pivot — HR, ops, etc. like you said — fair enough. But I feel like having an option in between (learn + build + guidance in one place) could really help students who don’t want to give up on tech completely.
That’s trying to teach yourself, when a college education didn’t work…
What you want is an internship.
Do not under any circumstances pay someone to “mentor” you, no employer will care. An internship looks so much better, it’s at least an institutional scam that people still respect.
This isn’t an either/or scenario…
You’re thinking you have a year, how many calendar months is it to graduation? You should be applying to jobs after this semester, the market fucking sucks.
You need a solid plan, a backup plan, an “oh shit” plan, and an absolutely last resort plan.
You’ll be an adult before you know it, and unless you have a personal safety net, you may not have one.