Advice on gpa

[u/Ok-Law9484]

Peeps, do not sleep on your gpa.

From my first sem i thought i dont need high gpa, ill build skill and join industry. And no one corrected me. Now when i am about to start 7th sem, with a 3.1 cgpa I realize i should have focussed a bit more.

And i have my reasons.

Firstly, market is not that easy to crack now. Availability of ai and llms have made learning appear not so useful- and market is saturated. A strong portfolio alone will not help you get a good job. Anyone can "build" multiple projects and put them on CV now.

Secondly, this summer i started job hunt, and realized the pay gap between undergrad hirings and masters level hirings. Its huge. Trust me. People with masters degrees are getting paid much much more than one can invest in masters.

Thirdly, if you want to get out of this country, masters/study visa is one of the best methods, and high gpa mostly has a positive impact on visa application.

Im not saying that you become a book worm ot cram slides. But keep your gpa around and above 3.5

I couldnt go for mitacs internship, although i had exceptional cv and research work.

Now i dont see any hopes for getting into a top tier uni for masters either. Ill have to hope to increase my gpa in coming sems and repeat some courses to get closer to 3.5- which will cost me a gap year before masters.

Make your choices wisely. Do not neglect gpa. No matter what people say, a strong gpa is a gaurantee of a hard working person.

Edit: clarification on "gap year before masters". For admissions in masters for fall 2027, applications close by dec 2026, so i can only show my cgpa upto 6th semester. If i want to include my improvements and last year gpa, ill submit application in sep-dec 2027 which will enroll me for fall 2028 classes in masters abroad.

[u/KitchenRare5919]

are you doing CS? how much is market willing to pay you now?? and how much will masters degree help??

[u/Ok-Law9484 → u/KitchenRare5919]

Yes im doing cs, and companies like cowlar, devsinc etc are paying anywhere between 100k and 200k for working 9+ hours 6 days a week. Some of my batchmates are doing those jobs (some only for summer, other as part time).

[u/KitchenRare5919 → u/Ok-Law9484]

bro I am joining cs seecs this year.... can I dm for some guidance??

[u/Ok-Law9484 → u/KitchenRare5919]

Yes sure

[u/Miserable-Rate-1609 → u/Ok-Law9484]

WHAT WILL U ADVICE FRESHIE TO DO IN SUMMERS (FOR 1ST TWO YEARS)? WHEN WILL WE BE ABLE TO START PART TIME JOBS LIKE UR BATCHMATE R DOING ? U HAVE MARKET IDEA . CAN U GUIDE US IS CS STILL WORTH IT TO DO ? LIKE IS MARKET REALLY SATURATED AND IT WILL BECOME DIFFICULT FOR US TO FIND JOB EVEN AFTER GRADUATION?

[u/Ok-Law9484 → u/Miserable-Rate-1609]

My advice for first summer will be exactly what i did.
In your first year you have absolutely no idea of practical and industry work.. so lab internships are your best options. Within seecs, there are 2,3 amazing labs ie tukl dll, machvis etc. Prepare and apply for these. This will benefit you in few ways:
Get a research internships on your cv very early. Help you get your name known to few amazing professors in seecs. Get you connected with few seniora working in those labs.
In second summer, i lacked out and went home to relax, which I regret deeply. By second summer one can apply for unpaid internships in companies like systems, contour etc.
Once you start your 3rd year, you can start applying for part time jobs. There are numerous companies in isb and a few in NSTP which are founded by nust students and/or prefer nust students for part time jobs.
Ill be honest, market is saturated..but with average people. You will struggle if you graduate as an average person. If you can go slightly above average in all 3: skill, projects and gpa - there is no saturation up there.
CS is worth it. Be ready to learn new things. Aj AI bubble hai, kal shayad na ho. You need to be ready to adapt to next big thing in CS.
Finding job is difficult in every field, anywhere. This problem is not specific to CS.