Beginner Roadmap
Shreya Goel
The first two years of college can pass by quickly, especially if you’re unsure about what to study or how to start. While some students are already deep into LeetCode or hackathons, it’s easy to feel like the odd one out when you haven’t found your rhythm yet.
If you’re someone who genuinely enjoys competitive programming and thrives on solving problems for fun — you’re already on the right track. This plan isn’t for you. It’s designed for those who struggle to stay consistent, don’t particularly enjoy coding yet, or feel overwhelmed about where to begin.
Whether you’re from a CS/IT background or a non-CS branch, it’s absolutely possible to keep your options open for software engineering roles with the right balance and direction.
This guide provides an intensive, no-fluff roadmap for CS/IT students to kickstart and sustain their coding journey, and a minimal, realistic study plan for non-CS students who want to explore software roles while managing their core academics.
(Note: This plan is specifically for students aiming for software engineering positions, not data science or analytics roles.)