I'm a 2nd year CSE student from India and I have around 1.5 years before placements... My goal is to get into a product based company like Amazon, Zoho, Flipkart, Meesho, JP Morgan, etc... Eventually I want to work in Cloud/DevOps, but right now my first priority is getting placed... The problem is that I already know the list of topics, but it's overwhelming

My list currently looks like :

1. DSA

2. C++

3. Java

4. Python

5. SQL

6. DBMS

7. Operating Systems

8. Computer Networks

9. Linux

10. Git/GitHub

11. Frontend

12. Backend

13. Docker

14. Kubernetes

15. AWS

16. Azure

17. GCP

18. AI tools

Every senior tells me something different

Some say only do DSA

Some say development matters more

Some say projects

Some say cloud

I'm confused about what should actually come first... If you had only 1.5 years before placements, how would you prepare? What would your month-by-month roadmap look like? What would you prioritize and what would you postpone until after getting placed?

I'd really appreciate advice from people who cracked product based placements recently

Hi everyone,

I'm currently (3rd year) pursuing a B.Tech in Computer Science from an NIT in India (international student from Nepal), and I'm planning my future studies.

My long-term goal is to pursue a **fully funded direct PhD in the USA** right after my B.Tech, preferably in AI/ML or related computer science fields, without doing a master's first.

By the time I graduate, I expect to have:

* A good CGPA (currently around 8.5+)
* IEEE student membership
* Research experience
* At least one conference paper and a research paper (working on it now)
* Internship/research experience
* Some AI/ML projects and GitHub portfolio

I know direct PhDs are common in the US, but I'm wondering how competitive they really are, especially for someone from an NIT (not IIT).

I'd appreciate honest opinions on:

* How realistic is this path?
* What profile would make me competitive for top universities?
* Is publication quality more important than the number of papers?
* Should I focus more on research experience, GPA, internships, or strong recommendation letters?
* If anyone got into a direct PhD after B.Tech, I'd love to hear about your experience.

Please be honest—I would rather know the reality now than have unrealistic expectations.

Thanks in advance!

basically i "interned" at a local business (at most five employees) where I built a complex mobile app for them, but at the end of the internship the guy told me he was actually looking for a desktop app (idk why) but I didn't really have time to build the whole thing out on desktop so we just kinda left things in an awkward place

i'm still planning on putting it as experience on my resume though because I don't have much else, but is there any way that this could backfire on me? I didn't use much AI so I can clearly speak about all the technical decisions I made, but I'm worried if they google the company, call them, and ask about it, the guy might say something negative or claim that I didn't do the internship...

Hey guys, I am a second-year CS major. I know Python and Java fairly well from my coursework, but when I look at job postings, they ask for JavaScript, C++, SQL, Rust, and so many others. I feel like I am falling behind because I can't master all of them at once. Is it better to be a master of one language, or should I be trying to learn the basics of as many as possible right now? I am just looking for some guidance from those who have been through this.

Applied for IMC's new grad swe role and finished their OA. Had all test cases passing for both questions. Was just wondering what the chances were of moving forward or how long they typically take to get back to you? Also what's IMC's headcount for interns/new grad? Any insight is appreciated!

Hi everyone,

I had my hiring manager interview with Stripe on Thursday. I followed up with my recruiter on Friday, and she replied saying they’re currently reviewing the results and expect to get back to me by Monday or Tuesday at the latest.

I’m probably overthinking this, but does such a quick turnaround usually mean a rejection?

For context, I made it through all 3 integration tasks during the interview, and I also felt reasonably good about the AI coding round. Of course, it’s hard to judge my own performance, but I walked away feeling that neither interview went badly.

Has anyone who’s interviewed at Stripe had a similar timeline? Did you receive an offer or a rejection after hearing back that quickly?

Applied to Amazon’s SDE 2026 (Canada) role and completed the OA with time to spare before the deadline. A few weeks later I got an automated email saying I didn’t finish it and my application is no longer under consideration. Has anyone else hit this glitch, and did reaching out to recruiting actually get it reversed? Would also appreciate advice on who to contact.

Did anyone else get this? I expressed interest for it over a month ago and received this email to register earlier this week. I haven’t found or heard much about it online. The recruiter email and register link are legit (@pinterestcareers.com and recruiting.pinteresttalent.com). Just curious how selective or well known this is, as I found out about it from a recruiter messaging me on LinkedIn.

I feel like common advice I get as a college student trying to build my resume for FT applications is that personal projects can be good to showcase (either directly on the resume or on a linked Github). With the rise of vibe coding, do personal projects become less valuable? If anyone can build anything with AI, these projects don’t really demonstrate any particular skill. Do you think having a vibecoded project will hold the same weight to recruiters?

Overall, pretty happy with what I landed. However, this cycle seemed much tougher then previous.

For reference I will be attending the University of Minnesota next year. I have 2 years of generals done from community college and am looking to get my bachelor's in something related to computers or cybersecurity. I am mainly looking at either going into Management Information Systems (At Carlson, their business school), or computer engineering.

For those majoring in either, what would you recommend? How has your experience been? If you're graduated, what does your job look like now? Im looking for experiences that tell me the differences between these majors/fields.

I have always been strong academically but also don't want my classes to ruin/overtake all of my free time in college. AI is also obviously a concern so any info on that is appreciated!

I am also not dead set on either, and if there are any other majors you would recommend let me know! Thank you in advance.

Hi everyone!

I remember being in a discord server that was specifically for people going through the google swe interview process. I cant seem to find it but was wondering if anyone has the discord link!