Computer Science is having a moment. She’s hot, she’s fresh, she’s popular. It’s one of the most popular majors in the Ivy League and across the board, too. But bad news, computer science is extremely competitive. Some good news though, you can start giving yourself an edge now.

Now is the time to start finding your niche within Computer Science. You need to develop experience and skills before applying to colleges because they want to see students who are already dedicated to their passion. Keep reading to learn a few ways you can nurture your passion for 0s and 1s.

Reading

Books are the first step in helping you narrow down your niche. What you learn can help you answer the question “why do I even want to do this?” First thing you should do is head to your local bookstore and pick up a few books. You could go straight Computer Science textbook, but we don’t encourage that for your first round. Look for books like Algorithms to Live By: The Computer Science of Human Decisions by Brian Christian or Hello World: Being Human in the Age of Algorithms by Hannah Fry, especially if you’re interested in the more human side of design and programming.

Online or In-person Classes

You need to learn to code. Period. You’ve got tons of options to learn, though. You can do this through Coursera or coding bootcamps or you can find Intro to Computer Science classes at your local community college. Shocking, we know, but knowing how to code is a huge part of a Computer Science degree, and chances are your professors will expect you to know how to do it already. Probably in multiple languages too. Get crackin’, because other kids have been doing this since middle school.

Summer Programs

We love a summer program because it not only helps you develop your niche and expand your skills, but it also helps you learn what it’s like to be on a college campus for a few weeks. Now, it’s not the full experience, but being in that environment will also help you learn a little bit about what you’re looking for in a college and can help you with your college list. Take a look at some summer programs we like for Computer Science here.

Research

Go research with a professor. Easier said than done, obviously, but you should start seeking out professors who share the niche you’ve started to develop. Maybe you’re more interested in AI or machine learning, or maybe you want to develop software. Use the things you’ve gleaned from those books and classes to help inform where you want to go, then find professors in those areas and send out those cold emails.

Intern

Getting an internship can be hard, but it’s great to show your journey to develop your skills. Word to the wise: make sure you’re actually doing something worthwhile at your internship. If you’re at a software company and they’re just making you get coffee and make copies, that’s probably not going to reflect well on you

Get a Job

Even better than an internship? A paying gig. It’s okay to just do it part-time or over the summer, but being able to prove that your coding and programming experience is valuable enough to get you paid goes a long way. Even something like tutoring at a coding boot camp would be an awesome option.

Make Something

In our opinion, this is probably the most important thing you can do. We know you’re like, max 17 years old, but you need to think about your legacy when it comes to your extracurriculars. One way to do this is by creating something. You’re interested in computer science, so compute some science. Make an app that helps solve a problem in your community. Develop an AI that helps students pick their classes. Create a lasting solution to an issue, and do so through your skill set. Having your name on something that goes beyond a school project or AP Computer Science is one of the top ways you can make yourself stand out.

We think it’s crucial to explore your potential major as much as possible before college. You might fall even harder for Computer Science or realize it’s time to cut and run. You might be enamored with Computer Science now but do you really love her, or just the idea of her? Maybe you’ll dive in and realize this isn’t really your jam, and then you’ve saved yourself a bunch of anguish. You won’t know until you start, though.

If you need help developing your extracurriculars and strategizing for college admissions, reach out to us today.