Computer Science: What's the Goalpost?

The Transition to College

Back in high school, the priority was to get the highest grades possible to get into the top universities.

Entering Ateneo, however, has made me realize that other than our GPA, we also had to work on our orgs, create our own resume, join hackathons, and apply to internships.

It also doesn't help that the amount of options that computer science gives is so overwhelming.

There is web development. But there is also cybersecurity, data science, and business.

There is a lot of pipelines in choosing this course, which is why I think navigating this career landscape can be quite the trek.

Understanding the Landscape

Attending tech events with some good friends of mine has not only been quite the side quest, but also has been the place of my biggest realizations about the field.

Seeing people in these events not even caring about what your GPA is has completely changed my perspective on what I should prioritize.

Instead, what they wanted to see was real impact.

They were looking for projects. Drive. Passion. The skills to be qualified for the job.

This really confused me at first. What should I do now, then? Pivot towards focusing 100% of my effort in creating projects? What about my grades?

Philippines in Tech vs Other Countries

Other countries view the Philippines as a cheap source of labor.

If you were to ask me, we Filipinos sometimes reinforce this mindset alot.

"Follow rules, get good grades, and you'll be successful."

"Be satisfied with what you're given."

These are probably what we've heard from the industry. That we have to settle with what is given.

I think otherwise.

By creating projects, taking initiative, I think that we can escape this mindset and ultimately break the mental limitation is instilled in us Filipinos.

There Might Be a Good Balance

I think we're all tied to our grades somehow because it's probably what has worked for our parents or in the past generations.

In the now, however, I don't necessarily think this will be the case.

Towards the future, I think I'll be approaching my career with this philosophy:

"Projects first, and don't let your grades be too low that it causes suspicion."

The Moving Goalpost

Knowing which goals to set is as a computer science student still proves to be quite the confusing task for me.

I see some of my classmates getting into cybersecurity, studying leetcode, which inspires me a lot.

Equally as much, it scares me.

Am I focusing on the right things? Should I also do what they're doing?

Perhaps, however, no one really knows what they're doing.

Right now, I keep myself updated by scrolling through tech twitter, attending tech events, and learning the skills people look for in job postings.

It's quite the gritty job, but that's what we do, right? :)