General Principles

Read Time 12 min

Mental health, Impostor Syndrome, and Confidence

It’s common to enter college with a “grind” mindset, chasing one deadline after another, at the expense of your sleep and well-being. While this might feel productive in the short term, it often leads to burnout rather than long-term growth. To truly thrive, build a foundation that balances your academic and career ambitions with the rest and health required to sustain them. Mental health issues are rampant in college and if you’re struggling, check out Rutgers health services, build a relationship with your professors/deans, and take time for self care.

Also, know that you should not feel bad that you have less experience than others when you start college; in general, you shouldn’t feel bad about this when starting anything new. All of the older, more experienced people who seem to know what they’re doing were in your shoes at some point.

Most people in college experience impostor syndrome at some point, and it is a feeling that persists throughout life. It’s good to acknowledge it, but not worthwhile to give that voice in your head much credence. This takes time and effort, more so for some than others. If you struggle with impostor syndrome, here are some tips:

Developing these habits is a critical component to manage imposter syndrome and ensuring that temporary self-doubt does not severely obstruct long-term progression.

Mindset and Performance

There are many different types of intelligence. Based on your own experiences and upbringing, success or intelligence can look vastly different. Some people have “Logical-Mathematical Intelligence” where they are better with thinking conceptually, using deductive reasoning, and finding trends and patterns. Some people can also have “Linguistic Intelligence” where they’re able to use words effectively, and communicate well. There are many more beyond these, but the point is that everyone has a different intelligence type and it’s important to recognize your own biases about what intelligence means. Instead of putting people on pedestals no matter how “successful” they seem, instead look to celebrate the diverse sets of ways that your peers show their intelligence.

With this being said, establishing a distinction between tasks that are conceptually difficult and those that are simply effort-intensive is extremely important. It is easy to mistakenly label any activity that requires a significant amount of time and effort as “hard”, which can lead to prematurely avoiding challenging opportunities. ‘Hard” should be reserved for concepts that remain unclear even after a significant amount of time and effort has been dedicated to understanding it. Most challenges you come across are not “hard”, but are high-effort. By redefining “hard” as a measure of conceptual resistance rather than the amount of effort required, you can approach most tasks with the mindset of them not being “hard”.

Stretching Yourself

One of the most difficult questions we face is determining how much they can realistically handle. The reality is that you rarely know your true operational bandwidth until you push yourself past what you’re used to. Much like a physical muscle, your capacity for projects, course load, extracurriculars, etc. grows through cycles of strain followed by deliberate rest, exactly like training for a sport. College is the best time to leave your comfort zone and challenge your boundaries because the cost of “messing up” is relatively low. In doing so you’ll be able to develop a baseline for how much responsibility you can effectively manage and this will stay with you for the rest of your professional and personal life.

With some experimentation, find your balance between discomfort and comfort. If you feel you can do more, or want more from yourself, then lean towards discomfort. By doing this you’ll help set that baseline of how much you can stretch yourself.

Weaknesses

Improvement in any aspect of life comes from self-awareness and a pursuit of mitigating weaknesses. Recognizing personal weaknesses is less about self-criticism, but more about performing an analysis of your habits to identify any blind spots that you may not be aware of or notice. Because weaknesses exist in blind spots, they can be identified by:

Identifying your weaknesses is the first step. The next step is working towards growth and mitigating the effect of your weaknesses. One of the most effective ways to do this is to set targeted goals that tackle the specific root of the problem you’re working on. If you’re procrastinating on a task you find intimidating, set a goal to work on it for just 15 minutes to break the cycle of avoidance. If it’s a longstanding habit, like poor sleep, try setting a goal to make one small, specific change to your routine every week, such as putting down the phone 10 minutes before bed and reading instead. It’s important to set up a specific, actionable, manageable plan using small goals to address a given issue. As always, it can be helpful to research what you can do to address specific weaknesses, and allocating any amount of time each week or each day to work on something will always yield improvements. In sticking to a plan with manageable goals, you’ll see that with time and effort you’ll overcome that weakness and see improvements.

Figuring Out What You Want to Do

CCollege is a crucial part of your life for self-discovery. Beyond just learning about the content in your classes, this is where you figure out your unique interests and, more importantly, what you want your life to look like after graduation. Take this opportunity to take classes in subjects you’d never take normally to extend out of your comfort zone and to help you learn more about yourself and what you enjoy.

To find your direction, you need to be honest with yourself about your motivations. Ask yourself: Why am I at college? Am I looking to change the world, or the stability to support a family? Am I in it for the intellectual challenge, or the financial reward?

Your answers to these questions will naturally point you towards different paths you can take after graduation. There is so much opportunity beyond standard Software Engineering roles, and your goals should dictate which path you choose.

If you’re driven by the desire to solve world-changing problems or push the boundaries of what’s possible, a PhD or a career in research might be your calling. If your priority is a predictable schedule and long-term security to focus on life outside of work, most industry roles offer a great balance. If you enjoy the “big picture” and working with people more than staring at code, you might find your fit in Product Management (PM) or a wide range of Developer Relation/Develop Advocate roles.

It’s also important to determine how much of your headspace you are willing to give to your career. If you value maximizing your income and are willing to make work a large priority in life, roles such as Quantitative Developers/Researchers or Software Engineering roles in Facebook Apple Amazon Netflix Google (FAANG) + companies offer massive rewards but often come with high-pressure, and long hours. These roles are also extremely competitive, so you will have to ask yourself honestly how much work you are willing to put in to attain your career goals. If you value a career that respects your boundaries more, looking for companies and roles with a culture of a strong work-life balance is a good option. Lesser known companies are also less competitive.

Overall, neither path is “better” than the other - the best path for you is the one that aligns most with who you are, what you’re looking for, and what you’re interested in. By asking these questions now, you can set goals that lead to a post-grad life that you can genuinely enjoy. See this resource to help you find your desired career created by a nonprofit. It specifically focuses on finding fulfilling careers that have the most impact.

Success is a Function of Time Management and Determination

As we’ve alluded to, succeeding in Rutgers CS is less a question of aptitude, and more a question of time management and determination. In other words, it’s not about how talented you are, it’s about what you choose to spend your time on, and how efficiently you spend it. There are only a handful of classes that require more talent than hard work. If you’re asking, “does this schedule look doable? I don’t know if I’m smart enough”, you should instead ask yourself, “do I want to commit significant amounts of my headspace this semester to learning and exploring this topic? It’ll take time, but I can do it.”

Be Intentional

Your time is the most valuable resource you have in college, and how you choose to spend it is a direct reflection of what you get out of it.

While it may be tempting to optimize a schedule for a higher GPA by selecting “easy A” courses, this often leads to not learning anything in the long run. It’s always worth taking the tougher professor, or the tougher course, if you believe that you’ll learn more from it.

It’s good to have lazy days from time to time, but it’s important to always do things intentionally. This means avoiding “accidental” downtime where hours are lost due to lack of planning and foresight. Rather, you should maintain a high level of engagement whenever you’re able, whether it’s academic, social, or fun. By using your time more efficiently and intentionally, you’ll feel more control over your life and reduce stress and anxiety.

Time Management

One method to help you prioritize your tasks is the Eisenhower Matrix. This framework helps you categorize tasks by Urgency and Importance. If a task is urgent and important, it should be your top priority, whereas tasks that are neither important nor urgent should be minimized. Keep in mind how much time and effort an assignment will take when placing tasks into each quadrant. You’ll want to start early on tougher assignments.

Once you’ve used the matrix to determine priorities, the best way to turn your tasks into actions is to move them to a calendar. Keeping a tight calendar is crucial to managing your time, and it can really help you manage your tasks in terms of priority. Use Time-Blocking to reserve specific chunks of your day for your most urgent assignments first. By seeing your day in blocks, you can physically protect the time needed for important goals, before they get pushed aside by the noise of the week. Planning your time on both a macro(weekly) and micro(hourly) scale is also extremely important. This not only keeps you accountable for your goals, but it also ensures you’re actually making progress by eliminating the time spent in limbo, wondering what to do next.

Get Exposure to Opportunities Outside of Class

While classes provide the theory, community often provides the growth. Getting involved in student organizations is one of the most effective ways to not only build your portfolio but also grow as a person.

Early in your college career, prioritize breadth. Explore everything that sparks even a remote interest and diversify your extracurriculars. To find clubs/orgs that fit your interests, check out GetInvolved. This is your time to explore different subfields and social circles. As you progress, you should look for balance. Pick a handful of communities you truly resonate with, or even consider starting your own, and focus on making an impact and building connections.

Rutgers CS has a vibrant ecosystem of student-run organizations. Don’t just attend club meetings but stay afterward to talk to the regulars and upperclassmen. They are often your best source of unwritten knowledge about the major and the industry. Some key computer science clubs/events to look into include:

More information on other, topic-based computer science clubs such as RUSEC if you’re into Cyber Security and RU Data Science if you’re into Data Science, can be found here. These are excellent organizations to join to explore your interests in different fields that all require different skillsets.

Beyond clubs, you should also consider applying to on-campus jobs or research. Here are a few examples of opportunities on campus for CS students:

Opportunities are also sent to your email frequently, so be sure to read your emails.

Build Your Support Network

Computer Science is often portrayed as a solitary activity, but in reality it’s the opposite. Attempting to navigate CS in isolation makes it a lot more difficult than it needs to be. It’s important to build a strong support network that is there for you throughout your college journey.

Early on in college, make a conscious effort to find groups of friends who challenge you. Surrounding yourself with peers who are highly motivated or more experienced in certain areas pushes you to naturally level up your skills. These shouldn’t just be people you study with. They should be people who expand your perspective and raise your baseline for what accomplishment looks like.

Support networks oftentimes don’t just happen but are rather built through making a conscious effort of being consistent and present. Spend time in community spaces and clubs, as mentioned. Be approachable and be the person who offers help, shares their resources, and isn’t afraid to admit when they’re stuck. Be intentional about the classes you take and the projects you join. These environments act as natural filters that help you find people with similar goals.

By making a conscious effort to invest in these relationships early, you ensure that you have a built-in safety net for the tougher semesters ahead. You’ll find the friends that you struggle with throughout your time at Rutgers will be the same people who will be your strongest friends or peers.

Actively Seek Out Mentors

We’ve shared a lot, and it can be overwhelming to think through so many different aspects of navigating computer science alone. To help you with all of this, actively seek out mentors. Finding a mentor is an extremely effective way to gain clarity when the path forward feels blurry. Mentorship doesn’t always have to be a formal arrangement but can form from just a simple introduction to an upperclassmen.

Most upperclassmen are very approachable and enjoy talking to students. Find a common space such as the CSL for example, where a lot of knowledgeable upperclassmen just hang out. Don’t be afraid to introduce yourself. Walk up, ask what they’re working on, and you’ll end up learning a lot. Club meetings are also a great place to do this.

This informal networking is how you discover the aspects of CS that aren't always covered in classes, such as cool concepts or fields that you never would’ve thought to delve into. Beyond the technical knowledge, this is how you build a real network of people you know that will always be willing to help you out at any stage in your career.

If you prefer a more organized path, there are several formal mentorship programs within Rutgers CS as well. These programs take the guesswork out of networking by pairing you with a mentor who has already volunteered their time to help you succeed. Some popular clubs/orgs that host mentorship programs that you can join are USACS (Undergraduate Students Alliance of Computer Science), WiCS (Women in Computer Science), the CSL (Coding & Social Lounge), and SEED2S if you’re interested in Data Science. In these programs, mentors are actively looking for mentees. They’ve been in your shoes and want to help you avoid the same mistakes they made.

Whether you find a mentor through a club or a random conversation, having someone to talk to for advice makes college and your career much easier to handle.

Consider Doing Research

Research isn’t for everyone, but if it’s something you think you’d be interested in, it’s worth looking into. Outside of formal research programs such as those offered through the Aresty Research Center, Rutgers Artificial Intelligence and Data Science Collaboratory RAD, and others, student organizations hold Research Fairs where you can talk to professors about what they research, or you can browse professors’ portfolios yourself. Cold-emailing professors is an effective way to express your interest in working with a Professor. Do some research on what a Professor works on, read some of their papers, and reach out to them in-person or via email showing your genuine interest. If emailing, attach a resume with relevant experience. Undergraduate research is competitive, so if you get ghosted, follow up and look for more opportunities elsewhere. As we’ve discussed, sticking to a plan and putting consistent time and effort into anything will yield successful outcomes.

If you’re taking a class with a Professor you may be interested in doing research with, get an A in their classes and ask to help out. They’ll give you a project to work on if they think you can handle it. It’s a good way to diversify your activities, especially if you’re considering graduate school.

Also, you don’t have to just consider CS research, since tech proficiency lends itself to help in so many interdisciplinary research efforts. Rutgers is an R1 research institution, so look for opportunities in engineering, biology, physics, etc.

Actively Seek to Help Others

There is a fundamental difference between knowing a concept and being able to explain it to someone else. By explaining a concept to others, you are forced to organize your thoughts and simplify technical jargon. This skill is invaluable for presentations, interviews, and when sharing your progress/ideas/thoughts to coworkers.

When you reach a position where you feel comfortable to take on mentees, it can enhance your growth if you do. Actively helping others is how you leave a legacy at Rutgers. By sharing your knowledge, you contribute to a culture where everyone levels up together, making the environment at Rutgers better for the next generation of students. This also serves as a powerful way to build your support network. The people you help today often become the peers who refer you for jobs, collaborate with you on side projects, or become your closest friends tomorrow.