5 Things to Remember When Studying IT - How to Be a Successful Computer Science Student

1. It’s not like a lot of classes you took at high school
Most IT courses are not all theory like many courses will be. You won’t pass on essays written at 5am on the morning of the deadline. IT is often far more practical. If you prefer essays, you might struggle in IT courses. That doesn’t mean you won’t succeed, though! If you’re interested, by all means, go for it!

2. All nighters the day before a deadline will NOT work
Like I said in 1, many of your submissions will not be essays. They’ll be far more practical. That means staying up all night the day before won’t work. You’ll just get tired, your code won’t work, and you’ll fail the assignment. IT is one of those areas where it is absolutely necessary to keep working throughout the semester because sometimes you’ll need to take a break to get some clarity as to why something isn’t working. So do yourself a favour and work all the way through the semester. I’m not saying to give up your social life and spend every waking minute studying. That shouldn’t be necessary. Just keep the studying constant throughout the year. You’ll do far better.

3. Your course will not teach you everything
Don’t get me wrong, IT courses rock. But they won’t cover all the skills you might need in a job. For example, if you’re planning to go into software development, you might learn a considerable amount in a few languages, but you may need to go beyond that for work, learning more of a language, or learning a language from scratch! I would recommend learning whenever you can. If it’s a quiet time in the semester, with few assignments due in, hit Google, find out what the companies are wanting in employees and get learning, or make little websites or programs just for yourself, to test yourself and push yourself further.

4. Don’t be a lone wolf
Being able to work on your own and independently motivate yourself is great, and you’ll need that. But don’t forget that you’re not alone, and you’re very unlikely to be alone in the workplace. You’re likely to be in a team. And team working takes some skills. It’s difficult when you’ve been working on code you think is awesome to compromise with the ideas that other people have, but it’s necessary. Our ideas are not always right, and working in a team can prove much better. Either way, though, it’s essential to brush up your skills in team work constantly.

5. Remember: You still have a life
I know a lot of what I’ve said here is pretty daunting and demands you learn more, study more, do more. But don’t forget to live your life. Have fun, meet up with friends, go clubbing or travelling, get involved in some student activities. Your studies are critical, but they shouldn’t be the only thing in your life. If you think your studies are the only important thing in your life, you’ll burn out way too quick. Relax, have fun, and good luck!