Need a reality check about CSE placements, internships, and skills that matter
I’m a 4th sem CSE student trying to understand the actual placement/internship scenario instead of the usual generic advice online.
A few questions for seniors/recent grads:
What are the recent CSE placement trends in our college?
Approx. no. of companies/offers?
Has the market improved or worsened recently?
Realistically, does everyone from CSE get placed on-campus? If not, what separates placed vs unplaced students?
****Coping with academics itself already feels difficult, so how are people simultaneously doing DSA, projects, internships, hackathons, clubs, etc.?
What actually matters for placements and what is overhyped?
How important is an internship after 4th sem? Is it almost mandatory now? How difficult is it for an average student to get one without strong connections/referrals?
What skills are recruiters genuinely expecting now, especially with AI agents in the scene? Does DSA still matter heavily?
Do projects still matter if many are vibe-coded? What makes a project actually stand out?
Most advice online is just:
“Upskill yourself” | “Do Leetcode”| “Build projects”
But nobody explains:
what to prioritize | how deep to go | how to balance academics + prep | what a realistic roadmap looks like for someone starting seriously only in 2nd year.
Current situation:
->No serious DSA prep yet
->A few projects but all are vibe-coded
Feeling stuck on what to prioritize because every domain feels endless. Would appreciate honest, practical advice rather than generic motivation.?