u/Adian_wckd

I am about to start my 7th semester and honestly feeling pretty lost about placements. I really need to talk to someone about this because my head is all over the place and I do not have any seniors to reach out to for guidance.

Just to be clear upfront, I am not asking for referrals or anything like that. I am really just looking for someone to walk me through the reality of the market right now and tell me what I actually need to do.

For some background, I am from a tier 2 college and have a strong CGPA. My tech stack mostly involves Java, Spring Boot, and some machine learning projects. I have been actively applying off campus for summer internships but have had absolutely no luck so far. I am currently on the waitlist for an Amazon 6 month internship, but I know relying only on that is a huge risk.

Right now, some companies are coming to our campus, but the packages and roles are way below average. I am incredibly confused. Should I just apply to them to secure something, or should I wait until the 7th semester when better companies will come? My biggest fear is that if I wait, I will be sitting for those good 7th semester companies with zero internship experience, and I will be at a massive disadvantage.

Can anyone guide me on what my priority should be? Should I apply to these below average companies, grind Leetcode, build more advanced backend projects, or try cold emailing startups?

If any experienced developer is willing to chat with me for a few minutes or give me an honest reality check in the comments, I would really appreciate it. Thanks.

Grateful to be back

Entering 7th sem at a tier 2 college with no summer intern and waitlisted for Amazon. Need serious guidance