After the exam
Last night, I received a student’s email : “I passed the high school examination and ready to go to college. Based on the articles in your blog, I select Computer Science and get accepted to a good university. What do I need to do now to prepare for college? Please advise.”
Answer: Congratulation on passing the examination. Since you have studied hard, this is the time to relax and enjoy a few weeks before preparing for college study. Since you asked, I have a few pieces of advice:
This is the time for you to show your gratitude to your teachers. If possible, please visit your teachers to let them know about the result of your exam and thanks them for teaching you. Most teachers may not expect that but it is a good gesture that students can do to their teachers. For many years of teaching , I always get emotional when my students come to thank me in my office or write to me after they graduated. It is the best gift for the teachers to know that their students are doing well.
This is also the time to spend more with your parents. Even you are living with them but when you go to college, you will be busy with other activities and spend less time at home. You need time to get to know them and show them your appreciation for taking care of you for the past 18 years or so. Now you are a college student and an adult, you should behave and be responsible as an adult. Having an open and honest communication to share with them your belief, your passion, and your future plan is the best thing that you can do now. When you behave like a responsible adult, your parents will treat you as an adult, knowing that they have done a good job of raising you.
This is also the time to develop a good reading habit. Summer reading is NOT about reading textbooks but keep your mind active. If you have not developed a career plan, this is the time to do it and work toward your future goals and what you want to do with a Computer Science degree. Do you want to work in the industry? Or do you want to start your own startup? There are many good possibilities but planning far into the future would help place you at an advantage over others. By exploring several careers in Computer Science, you could identify the skills that you need and you can plan to develop them early.
Many first-year students start to learn to code early but coding can be easily learned with time and practice. It is more important to understand the larger picture of the global trends and what is happening in the tech industry. This is why I always advise students to have a better understanding of the job market so they can prepare their career plan early.
Sources
- Blogs of Prof. John Vu, Carnegie Mellon University
