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Wasted 2–3 Years of College: What to Do DSA or Dev?

First of all — stop panicking. Many students realize late that they’ve wasted their early college years, and that’s completely okay. The only thing that matters now is what you do next.

      Rule #1: Pick something and stick to it. Don’t waste another month “researching what to do.” You already know your interests better than anyone else.
    

If you’re confused between DSA (Data Structures & Algorithms) and Development, here’s a practical guide to help you make a decision and get placed fast.

Step 1: Start With Basic DSA (Non-Negotiable)

DSA is a must. Even if you plan to go into development, you can’t escape DSA completely. It builds your problem-solving foundation.

Start solving questions on LeetCode.
Target at least 300 problems — roughly 3 months of consistent effort.
If you’re short on time, follow InterviewBit’s problem set (~270 curated questions).

Focus on understanding patterns — arrays, strings, linked lists, stacks, queues, recursion, trees, and graphs. These are asked everywhere.

Step 2: Choose Based on Your College Placement Scenario

If your college offers good on-campus opportunities, double down on DSA. Most top companies (Amazon, Microsoft, etc.) will test your coding and logic more than projects.

      Goal: Be able to solve at least LeetCode Medium questions on your own without hints.
    

On the other hand, if your college doesn’t have strong placements, then pure DSA may not be enough. In that case, focus on Development + Freelance/Startup Experience.

Step 3: Pick Development if You Need Proof of Work

Development helps you show real skills and build things people can use. You can land jobs through projects, GitHub, or even LinkedIn visibility.

Start by picking one track and learning end-to-end:

Web Development: HTML, CSS, JS → React → Node.js → MongoDB
App Development: Flutter or React Native
Backend Focused: Java + Spring Boot or Python + Django/FastAPI

Build 3–4 solid projects that you can showcase in your resume. Make sure they are hosted (e.g., on Render, Vercel, or GitHub Pages).

Step 4: Combine DSA + Dev (Best Option if Time Allows)

Doing both gives you an edge — most recruiters love candidates who can think logically and also build products. Here’s how you can balance it:

Morning: 2 hours of DSA
Evening: 3–4 hours of project development
Weekend: Resume building, mock interviews, and revision

      Tip: Spend 80% of your time doing — building, solving, implementing. Don’t get trapped watching tutorials all day.
    

Step 5: Market Yourself Properly

Update your resume (1-page only). Highlight tech stack & projects.
Post your learnings and projects on LinkedIn.
Join coding groups, communities, and participate in hackathons.
Take referrals — don’t hesitate to message people politely.

Even if you’re late, a focused 6–9 months plan can turn things around completely. Many students who started from zero in the final year have cracked FAANG-level companies — just by staying consistent.

      Final Thought: Forget the past. You don’t need motivation — you need momentum. Start small, but start today.
    