u/Audaticreddit

I'm a 2028 graduate, tier 2 pvt college in Bengaluru, India, CGPA 8.76/10, but will hit 9+ by graduation. I have 2 papers planned to publish as the first author (one study based research paper draft is ready for TMLR journal and one project based paper is ongoing). Research internship experience at my college research lab. I'm planning to get 2 LoRs from my prof mentors of these, and the third one from my future job manager.

What should I aim for, or do right now before graduating? I want admission in t25 unis like CMU or equivalent. Is that realistically possible given my non IIT background? I also didn't do too well in 12th, if that matters

Amex shortlist came out, they took only 9+ cgpa who solved all questions perfectly. I solved every single problem, my cgpa was 8.76. I actually had hope in this one. It feels like every OA there is stupidly massive competition, and they take the creamiest layer only. I haven't even made it to the interviews yet. It feels so frustrating being so close in that creamy layer yet not being in it. They take the top 2%, while I hang around in the top 10%

It feels as if these top companies came out of nowhere. People having 700+ leetcode problems solved came outta nowhere. Was it wrong for me to explore open source, explore projects, explore lab internships, when all that matters to even begin to showcase that stuff, is an arbitrary skill which doesn't matter 99% of the time irl? It feels as if these tests exist only to take in those who grinded out leetcode this summer. I regret so bad not just sitting down and forcing myself to type out solutions.

I've lost hope. I'm not getting a summer internship. By the time I become skilled at leetcode now, placement season would arrive. Seniors, how much impact did summer internships have on the on campus opportunities? Does it have a significant impact on filtering of really high paying companies? (20+ lpa) I wanna know so I can be mentally prepared for more disappointment.

Context, I just finished my second year, I'll start my third year tomorrow. I probably have no business posting here. But this is getting ridiculous.

Companies (major, popular ones) are now asking system design to 3rd year SUMMER INTERNSHIP students. This term is something I used to hear being used for senior role interviews when I started college. This is supposed to be asked to those who have hands-on depth in the industry, to test their touch with the current tech standards, and the skill that actually matters for someone of their position. But why tf is it being asked to people who just finished studying CN and OS, those who started leetcode a month ago, those who are still just beginning to grasp what the industry even is, and are going to make their first actual contact with it?

I'd be understanding if you asked these for fresher roles, since then you'd be asking a potential legit developer and need to make sure they aren't just riding AI with no real substance of knowledge. But what is the point in asking that for INTERNSHIPS?? The time period where people are supposed to LEARN what you're asking?

Anyways, tomorrow I'll do my second OA which I'll probably fail since I'm not yet skilled enough to solve CF 1800 level problems. Mb, I was busy building projects that I enjoyed making and having hobbies like gym and writing when I should've been grinding DSA. I know many of my friends who actually did grind, but they're still going to fail because they'll be asked this stupid thing they have no idea about.

P.S, You guys don't need to pay mind to a kid's rambling, I'm not looking to pick arguments. I just wrote this because it very well might be people in here, reading this, who decided to continuously pull the ladder from even interns by adding this stupid thing. Just because you lack creativity to test candidates, doesn't mean you make it such that their only option to get into the industry is to suck their joy out of it by making the learning revolve around your flawed testing process.

2028 batch will have their first on campus OA very soon. Seniors, please give advice on the process, the invigilation, the experience, and whatever you think we should know before going in blindfolded. We have just been told to bring our laptops and ethernet adapters.

Same as title

21M second year here, I didn't get selected in GSoC. I was pretty confident in getting in, but alas idk what went through their head that they took someone who came late and contributed almost nothing in the organisation.

I got rejected from my research internship too, and what I have now is an offer from my uncle's friend of an unpaid internship which is not remote (aka hot weather travel daily). At least I could've claimed credits from my uni if it was a paid internship and boosted my gpa.

It feels so unfair. All the free time I could've done something else, I invested into this organisation. I could've applied for other internships too, but I wasn't confident since I'm not a third year and from a tier 1 college, so I stopped after 3 weeks of no responses. It was fine if this project wasn't selected by google, but it feels so damn fucking unfair that a new guy who barely put effort in got in. I see almost nothing better than me except a slightly better college, which doesn't fucking matter for gsoc. Yes I'm bitter and jealous and I can't help it, I'm human.

What do I do now? Do I slog away in this unpaid internship? Do I start applying on wellfound n shi? Do I sit during summer holidays and do leetcode? (I have done just 40 rn). Do I make some project? I'm genuinely feeling lost, I feel scared I'll waste these summer holidays. Please tell me fr.

Edit: My friend in same year got in, that mf deserves it happy for him, but mkc he alr has a really high paying job experience (50+lpa) coz he has been coding since 14yo in game dev field. LEAVE SOME FOR THE REST OF US 😭😭😭