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Lele95

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I'm studying second year BSc computer science at unisa and maths is kicking my butt. It's not difficult, it's just a lot. My motivation over the years has been terrible but worse ever since covid came and the local library closed. Studying at home is impossible because I live with multiple people and look for reasons to be distracted. It's difficult to be motivated without a routine like I've had in the past. I've failed 6/8 of my exams and have to rewrite them later this month.

I'm trying to get my motivation back so I can improve but don't know where and how to start. I've been thinking that getting some work experience might help get that routine back and provide me some insight into what my future might look like. My marks aren't good enough for a paid internship and I'm not confident enough that I can make a contribution to any company but I still want to try even if I'm not paid. I learn really quickly when I'm taught in person hence I'm struggling with this distance learning. I'm entering my late 20s so I'm feeling a bit impatient.

I'm hoping that someone with some hiring knowledge, internship experience, just anyone really who can give me some advice (or an opportunity). I live in Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth) so opportunities feel less likely. I'm willing to go to other cities but that won't be possible if I'm not getting paid. I have zero experience whatsoever and no personal projects. If you see this please leave a response. Any advice is welcome.
 
Lele95 said:
I'm studying second year BSc computer science at unisa and maths is kicking my butt. It's not difficult, it's just a lot. My motivation over the years has been terrible but worse ever since covid came and the local library closed. Studying at home is impossible because I live with multiple people and look for reasons to be distracted. It's difficult to be motivated without a routine like I've had in the past. I've failed 6/8 of my exams and have to rewrite them later this month.

I'm trying to get my motivation back so I can improve but don't know where and how to start. I've been thinking that getting some work experience might help get that routine back and provide me some insight into what my future might look like. My marks aren't good enough for a paid internship and I'm not confident enough that I can make a contribution to any company but I still want to try even if I'm not paid. I learn really quickly when I'm taught in person hence I'm struggling with this distance learning. I'm entering my late 20s so I'm feeling a bit impatient.

I'm hoping that someone with some hiring knowledge, internship experience, just anyone really who can give me some advice (or an opportunity). I live in Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth) so opportunities feel less likely. I'm willing to go to other cities but that won't be possible if I'm not getting paid. I have zero experience whatsoever and no personal projects. If you see this please leave a response. Any advice is welcome.
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Interns at our company rarely make nett contribution in the first 6 months. They pretty much move between teams gaining different kinds of experience to see where their talents lie. Even if they could produce something, they usually require help and that will mean a senior developer has less time to do his work. That's how it is, and the good companies have made peace with it.
It's all remote anyway, so physical location doesn't matter. I believe many companies have similar setups.

Our applications opened in November and pretty much closed a week or two after. We look primarily for graduates, but will consider others if they have some demonstrable experience. I would say any kind of personal project is a must if you want to set yourself apart from the pack. Show that you have some idea about software development and are willing to learn.

Stuff happens and you have bad years. Create your own routine. My motivation to keep going after failing was looking at the alternative without contacts to land me a decent job. I would have had to compete with everyone else with only matric.
 
Personal Projects are everything.

I started out where you were, 0 experience.
But Personal Projects paved my way to meet people in the industry and gradually started opening doors.

Now I get requests from recruiters to the point where it almost annoy me.

Why not try join some online tech communities that focuses on Personal Projects for inspiration and perhaps meet some people in the industry?

WIP, Makerlog, Indie Hackers, Twitter to name a few.

Most tech jobs are remote anyway, so being in PE shouldn’t be an issue.

Drop me a DM if you have any questions.
 
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It seems like in most fields, you should not really focus on money in the first two or so years. Just focus on building a portfolio of solid work which you can use to attract good employers in the long-run.

I would suggest you try and look for some remote freelance gigs to earn cash here and there. You can find freelance work on portals like Upwork, Indeed, LinkedIn etc. It will help you get some experience while also earning some cash on the side. I worked via Upwork and some of the clients who I established long-term partnerships with turned into good referrals.

Also, network, network, network. You pretty much have to do this in all fields. Even with COVID, you can do it online. Craft a good LinkedIn profile and try to search for strategic decision makers in your field and message them for leads. Make sure your profile is good/professional and you send a good message to boost your chances of a response. Many if not most will not respond but some are bound to and will give you good advice/leads.
 
Will you even able to do an internship from home, given that there are too many distractions to study? Or are you hoping for something on site?

My recommendation is to knuckle down and study. Try to find some other space if possible (even a neighbor who will let you sit in their garage or something). Perhaps study at off hours (I used to study from midnight to 6am for exams, because afternoons and evenings were too hectic). Anything you do for this now, will pay off on spades down the line.
 
Skankhunt said:
Nothing a pair of noise cancelling headphones cannot fix.
Click to expand...
I doubt OP is someone that has access to money to spend on things such as this. Some of my close friends were literally brought up in 1 bedroom flat (with 3-4 in that family) and they are doing very well in life but their families were very cohesive and helpful to each other. Distraction due to staying with multiple people may not be really the only issue here.
 
Lele95 said:
I'm studying second year BSc computer science at unisa and maths is kicking my butt. It's not difficult, it's just a lot. My motivation over the years has been terrible but worse ever since covid came and the local library closed. Studying at home is impossible because I live with multiple people and look for reasons to be distracted. It's difficult to be motivated without a routine like I've had in the past. I've failed 6/8 of my exams and have to rewrite them later this month.

I'm trying to get my motivation back so I can improve but don't know where and how to start. I've been thinking that getting some work experience might help get that routine back and provide me some insight into what my future might look like. My marks aren't good enough for a paid internship and I'm not confident enough that I can make a contribution to any company but I still want to try even if I'm not paid. I learn really quickly when I'm taught in person hence I'm struggling with this distance learning. I'm entering my late 20s so I'm feeling a bit impatient.

I'm hoping that someone with some hiring knowledge, internship experience, just anyone really who can give me some advice (or an opportunity). I live in Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth) so opportunities feel less likely. I'm willing to go to other cities but that won't be possible if I'm not getting paid. I have zero experience whatsoever and no personal projects. If you see this please leave a response. Any advice is welcome.
Click to expand...
Hey bud,

I do not really have advice and cannot help, but just wanted to say that the fact that your are posting here and asking for advice and help, means already that 50% of the battle is won.

As long as you keep asking for help and stay motivated, somebody will sort you out.

Good luck!
 
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