Ask Slashdot: What To Do Before College?

Open Source by mrtwice99 · 2012-06-21 05:45 · Score: 5, Informative

Pick an open source project that you find interesting and get involved in it. It will give you experience in coding, working with people, and look good to the type of employers you would probably want to get hired by.

Re:Open Source by cpu6502 · 2012-06-21 06:20 · Score: 3, Insightful

This. ----- And also there's more to learning than just your programming career. That's why colleges make you take "core" courses in history, language, et cetera. I'd spend the summer downloading some Teaching Company audios and educating yourself.
Also, for me, the most challenging course was Physics 101, 102, and 201. It might be worthwhile to get your college's textbook, or download one, and read through it one time. You don't have to understand everything... just give yourself a general overview of what you'll be learning over the next 2 years.
Oh and since you'll be meeting lots of girls, maybe a copy of "Mars and Venus on a Date" so you don't accidentally insult your potential future wife. ;-)

--
My AC stalker: " I personally agree with your posts most of the time, but that won't keep me from modding you troll"
Re:Open Source by wanax · 2012-06-22 05:16 · Score: 1

I'd add that just because you're convinced you'll be doing computer science coming into college doesn't mean that's what you'll be doing coming out of college. When I was a senior in high school, I too was totally convinced I wanted to major in computer science. I wound up majoring in math and history (I know, strange double major) and now I'm in neuroscience (which involves much of my day sitting in front of a computer, programming).
Plans often change during college, so don't sweat about trying to optimize your resume for a career you may never pursue.

If Poor Acquire Capital, If Not ... by eldavojohn · 2012-06-21 05:45 · Score: 5, Informative

Well, I can remember that summer and I spent it working in the fields, bailing hay, framing houses and working as a busboy/waiter/bartender at night. But that was just because that was the best way for me to earn extra cash before college. It was made clear to me that I was expected to pay for all of my schooling just like everyone else in my family and, growing up under the poverty line, that made sense. So if you have any legal way to acquire extra capital then that's what I would do. Bagging groceries isn't going to help your coding abilities but if it gives you enough breathing room to prevent a loan shark from taking advantage of you in college, I'd take that option.

Now had my family been able to pay my way through and acquiring capital was not an urgent necessity, there still wouldn't have been any internships or jobs available for a programmer at my location. In this situation and knowing what I know now, I would have opted for other paths:

1. Approach an entity that doesn't have a lot of money (e.g. school, library, city council, county park, church, whatever) and ask them if they need anything improved or fixed IT-wise. You can take an off-the-shelf route like just reskinning phpBB for a library forum or implement a server for voting on new books to acquire or an announcement system for school closings or even a static calendar page for events. Maybe you build it from the ground up like new reservation system for people who want to reserve a book at the library before they drive 40 minutes to pick it up. If the facility likes it, they'll use it. If they don't, well at least you learned something. The thing is, you'll build experience working with real-ish requirements and even if it amounts to nothing you'll learn why. Aim for something simple to ensure success and try not to reinvent the wheel. Now-a-days with Rails' scaffold system, you can stand up CRUD apps in no time. I remember a lot of broken processes as a kid that I saw at Boy Scouts, parks, libraries, etc where a simple registration form would have saved a couple people a lot of work.

2. Contribute to open source. I'd shy away from starting your own open source project. That is actually difficult to do unless you know someone demanding it and then you're kind of being held to get it done. Anyone can check in a project to sourceforge or github (and they often do) but without users it quickly withers and dies. I'd suggest looking into an active project and seeing if you can understand the source code. If you can contribute, that's great. That's experience and that's something you can put on your resume -- even if it goes defunct by the time you graduate.

3. Copy last year's course pages for the beginning CS and Math classes you intend to take and start working through them. Seriously, I wish I had thought of this way back then and if they're still up for your college, grab them and start looking at the problems so you don't get a wake up call. My college required me to take four semesters of calc as a CS major and that was a harsh reality indeed. If you start working on a project now and it's great by the time you get to the course, your professor might ask you to become a TA for some extra cash. Sure, it's brown nosing but it also feels really good to be prepared.

Those two suggestions are assuming you don't need capital and there's no paying gig. If you don't like them, hell, just enjoy your summer -- when you succeed you'll be working 9 to 5 and I sorta wish I had spent more time at the pool, hanging out with friends, playing music with crappy bands, playing baseball with pickup groups, etc. Don't forget to live a little.

--
My work here is dung.

Re:If Poor Acquire Capital, If Not ... by j-pimp · 2012-06-21 06:31 · Score: 4, Interesting

2. Contribute to open source. I'd shy away from starting your own open source project. That is actually difficult to do unless you know someone demanding it and then you're kind of being held to get it done.

Well it depends on what your intention is. As the author of an open source project I got little feedback on, I'm still glad I wrote the project because I needed it for my own purposes, and I was still able to treat it like a "real project." I wrote an installer for it. I had version numbers. I shipped it out on laptops I setup for my employer, because I might need to use it to diagnose problems. If the author has a real problem to solve for themselves, even if its for their weekly D&D game or for a fantasy sports league, they can still teach themselves about version control, installer software, unit testing, or other things.
I learned about version control when I was writing VB6 programs as a clerk in a security guard company. No one told me to. I decided on my own. Later when I was a programmer there I taught myself to make an MSI installer and how to use NUint. No market pressures from my boss or a client made me do this. Just a desire to be more professional and disciplined.

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--- Justin Dearing http://www.justaprogrammer.net/ We're just programmers.
Re:If Poor Acquire Capital, If Not ... by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-21 06:57 · Score: 2, Insightful

My current yearly income is 35 times larger than that crappy store job, and I wonder how much more -advanced in my career I would be if my GPA was closer to 4.0.
Not much. When's the last time an interview gave two shits about your college GPA? Your first job after college?
Employers stop caring about that shit about the time you've got 2 years of industry experience. Then "college GPA" stops being a measure of anything useful, and "having a college degree" simply shows you can focus on something over a couple years and succeed at it.
Re:If Poor Acquire Capital, If Not ... by spire3661 · 2012-06-21 06:58 · Score: 5, Insightful

My wife is an executive level recruiter. Shes looked up a GPA once in 10 years.

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Good-bye
Re:If Poor Acquire Capital, If Not ... by fijiaaron · 2012-06-21 07:01 · Score: 1

If you're making the equivalent of $245/hour ($7 * 35 or actually $392/hour before 39.5% taxes) you should have kept bagging groceries to ensure you could finish college and get that lucrative career. But I suspect you should have probably been perusing the remedial math manual.

--
Freelance QA & development http://one-shore.com
Re:If Poor Acquire Capital, If Not ... by ArundelCastle · 2012-06-21 07:22 · Score: 3, Insightful

Yep, I worked for 5 years after high school, mainly in a grocery store. Best decision I ever made, before going to college.
There just aren't a lot of employers who want to hire a high school grad for anything approaching a complex task. Ten years from now OP will probably understand why... nah, he's a smart kid.. probably 5 years. :-) Need to see your current self in the rear view mirror first.
Something to be said for knowing what you want to do with your life, there's also something to be said for letting yourself change minds. If you're still a programmer in 20 years, good on ya. Probably set for bigger and better things though.
Re:If Poor Acquire Capital, If Not ... by Slashdot+Parent · 2012-06-21 08:12 · Score: 1

My current yearly income is 35 times larger than that crappy store job, and I wonder how much more-advanced in my career I would be if my GPA was closer to 4.0, because I had more time to study and get better grades.
I haven't been asked for my college GPA since my first job out of college. And even then, in one of my interviews, I actually called attention to the fact that I failed one of my calculus courses. They didn't care. I already had experience.
For nerds*, the target audience of this website, experience trumps grades in all situations but one: if you intend to go to graduate school. Then, your grades matter.
*I say for nerds specifically, because if you're going to major in Arts & Crafts, you had better get a 4.0. My wife majored in some liberal arts something or other, but she had a 4.0 and got a job in banking just on the basis of her being smart.

--
They don't grade fathers, but if your daughter's a stripper, you fucked up. --Chris Rock
Re:If Poor Acquire Capital, If Not ... by kmoorman · 2012-06-21 08:13 · Score: 2

Very few employers think like this. Otherwise they would be asking for your GPA instead of your experience.
Re:If Poor Acquire Capital, If Not ... by Slashdot+Parent · 2012-06-21 08:17 · Score: 1

Huh? He worked $7/hr * 15 hrs/wk * 52 wks/yr = $5460/yr. Now he makes 35x that, or $191,000. Divide that by 2000 for hourly rate, and you get $95/hr.
That's still pretty high, but not unheard of, depending on his field.

--
They don't grade fathers, but if your daughter's a stripper, you fucked up. --Chris Rock
Re:If Poor Acquire Capital, If Not ... by jpstanle · 2012-06-21 08:22 · Score: 1

Do executive level recruiters fill entry-level positions? It seems that in more senior positions, nobody gives a shit about GPA because you have a experience and performance history that is more important. However, it was my experience looking for my first job out of college that GPA is VERY important when it comes to entry level engineering positions. Many places won't even touch your resume unless your GPA is over a 3.0. The big companies compete very hard for new graduates with GPAs of 3.7 or higher. This is all reflected in your starting salary. My evidence is merely anecdotal, but my peers with 3.7+ GPAs got offers with significantly higher starting salaries than those with the same degree, but lower GPAs.
Re:If Poor Acquire Capital, If Not ... by Mindcontrolled · 2012-06-21 08:24 · Score: 2

I'm not exactly sure how this translates to the GPA, but the guy who recruited me to my current job told me that he mostly looked at my German Abitur (last degree before going to university here). He said "Sure, you got a PhD magna cum laude, but that only tells me that you put energy into what actually interests you. To get a good Abitur, you had to put energy into a lot of stuff that probably didn't really interest you at all - and still you did it. Persistance when dealing with crap, that's what I want to see." Well, it's a patent law office I am working at, so...

--
Ubi solitudinem faciunt, pacem appellant.
Re:If Poor Acquire Capital, If Not ... by paxprobellum · 2012-06-21 08:47 · Score: 2

More likely he's at $7/hr * 15 hrs/wk * 13 wks/summer = $1365, so now he makes something in the $47k range. Or he just made something up off the top of his head. Kinda like we are doing now...
Re:If Poor Acquire Capital, If Not ... by Slashdot+Parent · 2012-06-21 08:51 · Score: 2

I read it as he worked 15 hours/wk during the school year. Not during the summer. Why would working during the summer affect his grades? That was the whole point of his comment was that he had wished he had studied more and bagged fewer groceries.

--
They don't grade fathers, but if your daughter's a stripper, you fucked up. --Chris Rock
Re:If Poor Acquire Capital, If Not ... by multimediavt · 2012-06-21 09:54 · Score: 1

My college required me to take four semesters of calc as a CS major and that was a harsh reality indeed.
HUH?!?!? I don't even have anything to liken that utterly mind boggling statement to. Computer Science *IS* applied mathematics. Did you expect to take basket weaving for four semesters? Why was it surprising that as a CS major you would have to take a lot of math classes?
The lad is going to college and probably be away from home for the first time. He needs to get to know people at the department where he will be for the next four to ten years depending on his career. He should be asking them what they might have to do with respect to your first suggestion, do the second one if he feels like it and has something to contribute at this stage of his career, and good luck with the third suggestion. It's either something he could get expelled for (depending on the institution) or just not have access to unless you're enrolled in the class. Most schools are NOT like MIT and give their stuff away for free. I worked for a major research university for almost 20 years and they didn't give a whole lot of homework and last year's info out for free let alone to anyone not enrolled in the class. Most of them cut the students off from access to Sakai (Course Management System) for all but grades when the course ends, actually.
He should talk to the school. Find out if there is something he can get involved with THERE this summer so he knows people when he gets there. Nothing is more valuable for an incoming student than knowing people in the administration or faculty day one of classes. I should know, I was a student, a faculty member and an administrator.
Re:If Poor Acquire Capital, If Not ... by bughunter · 2012-06-21 11:09 · Score: 1

When I graduated 24 years ago, my GPA was the equivalent of a C-plus, but on my Senior year the on-campus recruiters looked at my transcript and saw that every lab class, even Chemistry and Psych, was A-plus, A-plus, A-plus. I got every interview that I wanted and got as many job offers as the valedictorian (who accepted a job in Sales btw). Most of them never asked about my GPA, and the ones that did were aware of how I stood out from my classmates, few of whom knew what to do with an oscilloscope or a logic analyzer.
And my 2.5 GPA has never come up in any job interview since.

--
I can see the fnords!
Re:If Poor Acquire Capital, If Not ... by bughunter · 2012-06-21 11:12 · Score: 1

For me, the third and fourth semesters of Calc were easier. These were actually Differential Equations, which are really straightforward and easy to memorize.
It was the second semester, which was all Integral forms, which was completely inscrutable. I was lucky to pass that with a C.

--
I can see the fnords!
Re:If Poor Acquire Capital, If Not ... by InsertCleverUsername · 2012-06-21 12:56 · Score: 1

GPA doesn't matter much once you've got experience, but still... Cum Laude, Magna Cum Laude or Summa Cum Laude fit nicely on the education section of a resume, right next to degree and specialization.

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Ask me about my sig!
Re:If Poor Acquire Capital, If Not ... by zachie · 2012-06-21 18:05 · Score: 1

In my experience, broadly speaking, great things happen to outstanding students. It is tempting to fantasize that mediocre students can still get great jobs, but don't be fooled -- in practice straight A's will get you into any company of your choosing. For the rest, it will be an uphill battle.
Re:If Poor Acquire Capital, If Not ... by cpu6502 · 2012-06-22 03:47 · Score: 1

>>>Bagging groceries isn't going to help your coding abilities but if it gives you enough breathing room to prevent a loan shark from taking advantage of you in college, I'd take that option.
My college advisor steered me away from doing that. He said having a high GPA will net me FAR more money long-term, then the measly 7/hour at a store. At the time I didn't listen to him (I still worked 15 hours/week) but in retrospect he was right. My current yearly income is 35 times larger than that crappy store job, and I wonder how much more-advanced in my career I would be if my GPA was closer to 4.0, because I had more time to study and get better grades.

--
My AC stalker: " I personally agree with your posts most of the time, but that won't keep me from modding you troll"
Re:If Poor Acquire Capital, If Not ... by buser · 2012-06-22 08:33 · Score: 1

1. Approach an entity that doesn't have a lot of money (e.g. school, library, city council, county park, church, whatever) and ask them if they need anything improved or fixed IT-wise. You can take an off-the-shelf route like just reskinning phpBB for a library forum or implement a server for voting on new books to acquire or an announcement system for school closings or even a static calendar page for events. Maybe you build it from the ground up like new reservation system for people who want to reserve a book at the library before they drive 40 minutes to pick it up. If the facility likes it, they'll use it. If they don't, well at least you learned something. The thing is, you'll build experience working with real-ish requirements and even if it amounts to nothing you'll learn why. Aim for something simple to ensure success and try not to reinvent the wheel. Now-a-days with Rails' scaffold system, you can stand up CRUD apps in no time. I remember a lot of broken processes as a kid that I saw at Boy Scouts, parks, libraries, etc where a simple registration form would have saved a couple people a lot of work.
This. Not only will you learn something, you can make some good contacts, and above all you have the chance to help an organization that may not have the means to help themselves if they are funding constrained.

Take a break by buk110 · 2012-06-21 05:46 · Score: 5, Informative

I know you're looking for work stuff to do, but this is most likely the last real break you're going to have. Because it's classes & internships & part-time jobs & everything else. Take some down time to just relax...read a book...chase some girls/guys/whatever You're only young once

Re:Take a break by Hatta · 2012-06-21 05:49 · Score: 5, Funny

Indeed. There's plenty of time to polish up your resume during college. Spend your last free summer buying cigarettes for slutty high school girls. Remember, if she smokes, she pokes.

--
Give me Classic Slashdot or give me death!
Re:Take a break by localman57 · 2012-06-21 05:50 · Score: 4, Insightful

Yeah. And get outside. During college I hit the books all year long. Then, over a couple of summers I worked on the landscaping crew for a big company in my town. Those were the best summers I ever had, even though I got a couple of internships the next two summers. Driving a giant riding mower across acres of grass at 15mph, the smell of fresh cut lawn and sunshine. Those were the days...
Re:Take a break by yincrash · 2012-06-21 05:57 · Score: 1

Agreed. If you do need the money, just do something part time for the cash. Otherwise, enjoy yourself.
Re:Take a break by Bigby · 2012-06-21 06:08 · Score: 1

Make a mobile app that helps people relax
Re:Take a break by 0100010001010011 · 2012-06-21 06:14 · Score: 1

Yep. Have a life. From here on out it's going to be summer internships then a career.
Re:Take a break by houghi · 2012-06-21 06:25 · Score: 4, Insightful

I would say that you should visit other countries. And I am not talking about Canada or Mexico. I mean seriously travel.
My experience is that people who have traveled and seen other countries are better able to handle unexpected situations and stress. Things that will be helpful when you are in a working environment and other situations later in life.
And it is so much fun at the same time. If possible take a year and work in another country at any odd job for a few weeks before going on the road again.

--
Don't fight for your country, if your country does not fight for you.
Re:Take a break by jd · 2012-06-21 06:35 · Score: 1

I disagree on the relaxing. Never waste a good opportunity, never let your brain run on idle. Yes, you're only young once, but there's other options. If you don't go for a work solution, push your horizons. Explore, learn, develop. Learn a new language by going overseas and immersing in an alien culture. The more alien the better. The object wouldn't be to have something directly practical, the object would be to develop your mental faculties, to go from a problem-space to a solution-space efficiently, and to exploit the hell out of the neurological benefits of such experiences.

--
It's a small world and it smells funny; I'd buy another if it wasn't for the money; Take back what I paid (SoM)
Re:Take a break by slyrat · 2012-06-21 06:47 · Score: 3, Informative

I would say that you should visit other countries. And I am not talking about Canada or Mexico. I mean seriously travel.
My experience is that people who have traveled and seen other countries are better able to handle unexpected situations and stress. Things that will be helpful when you are in a working environment and other situations later in life.
And it is so much fun at the same time. If possible take a year and work in another country at any odd job for a few weeks before going on the road again.
Maybe not right before college but certainly try to study abroad while in college. Either for a foreign language or your major, it is certainly worth it. Those were some of the best experiences I had during college.
Re:Take a break by rachit · 2012-06-21 07:40 · Score: 4, Funny

Indeed. There's plenty of time to polish up your resume during college. Spend your last free summer buying cigarettes for slutty high school girls. Remember, if she smokes, she pokes.
I'm not sure I'd want to be with a girl that "pokes". I guess if that's your kind of thing, go for it.
Re:Take a break by mr.mctibbs · 2012-06-21 07:41 · Score: 1

This right here. GO OUTSIDE. If you have a car, go camping. Take somebody of the opposite sex. Make the life that you will probably end up throwing away in exchange for a lifestyle.
Re:Take a break by localman57 · 2012-06-21 08:01 · Score: 4, Insightful

I worked on the landscaping crew
By the way, I would also add that when you take a job like this, you sometimes end up working next to people who are doing it to scrape a living, rather than saving for college books or earning movie money. Act accordingly, and be respectful of other people. Don't act like your job is trivial, or a joke, or whatever. I enjoyed the novelty of doing it for 10 weeks over two summers, but I feel for people who end up, for whatever reason, do it for a living. Be humble, and keep this in mind, or face a lot of animosity.

Contribute by Sav1or · 2012-06-21 05:46 · Score: 1

Contribute to an open source project? It'll keep you sharp, let's you work with other people, and it won't look bad on a resume' if you contribute a lot and do good.

Find an open source project and contribute by adlib24 · 2012-06-21 05:46 · Score: 1

The great thing about coding is you can create your own experience. I would find an open source project and contribute, and start building ups portfolio of published code.

Re:Find an open source project and contribute by __aaltlg1547 · 2012-06-21 06:23 · Score: 1

The great thing about coding is you can create your own experience. I would find an open source project and contribute, and start building ups portfolio of published code.
But that experience mostly consists of staring at a computer screen for hours at a time, binging on chips and soda and getting fat.

Have some fun by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-21 05:46 · Score: 2, Informative

This is probably the only time in your life you can have some fun, guilt free. Don't forget to take advantage of this.

Re:Have some fun by spire3661 · 2012-06-21 07:00 · Score: 2

I feel sorry for you that you only experience guilty fun as an adult.

--
Good-bye

Start getting ahead by jdog90000 · 2012-06-21 05:46 · Score: 2

I'm doing the same thing as you, minus being able to get a job beforehand. What I'm going to do this summer is start learning. There's so much on the internet to learn that you can be way ahead of everyone and make college a lot easier. Of course since you said you have a job programming java, you're clearly ahead of me, but there's always more to learn and it's a great opportunity i you can get your hands on an internship.

Re:Start getting ahead by cpu6502 · 2012-06-21 06:49 · Score: 1

+1 insightful.

--
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WWOOF by travischristal · 2012-06-21 05:47 · Score: 1

It will indirectly help your programming career. wwoof.org

Re:WWOOF by Shoe+Puppet · 2012-06-21 05:51 · Score: 1

This. There will be more than enough programming in your life to come, so you should get other kinds of life experience.
Also, employers like to see these things on resumes.

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(+1, Disagree)
Re:WWOOF by __aaltlg1547 · 2012-06-21 06:24 · Score: 2

Girlfriend highly recommended. By the time you get out of college, most of the good ones will be taken and you'll have to wait for them to divorce the losers they married the first time.
Re:WWOOF by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-21 06:31 · Score: 1

Not true, you can always date younger girls, and don't worry about getting married IT'S A TRAP!!!
Re:WWOOF by 6ULDV8 · 2012-06-21 06:46 · Score: 3, Insightful

> you'll have to wait for them to divorce the losers they married the first time.
And by then, they're used and out of warranty.

--
Pull my finger for my public key.

I'll mentor for free by zidium · 2012-06-21 05:47 · Score: 1

I'll mentor you for free. Just skype me at (php.pro).

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Enjoy your summer... by mschiller · 2012-06-21 05:47 · Score: 2

If you don't need the money, enjoy your summer! Spend time doing hobbies, volunteer opportunities, working on open source projects [programming]. Worry about education and internships when you get to college.

It'll be A LOT easier to get employed after your sophomore year. You should try after Freshmen year, but no guarantee it'll happen.

Maybe take a general ed class that will transfer at your local community college if you must do "something productive"

Enjoy yourself, forget about school by GodfatherofSoul · 2012-06-21 05:47 · Score: 5, Insightful

This summer marks the end of your childhood.

--
I swear to God...I swear to God! That is NOT how you treat your human!

Re:Enjoy yourself, forget about school by WillAdams · 2012-06-21 05:50 · Score: 4, Insightful

Agreed.
I've always regretted that I spent that summer after graduating from high school working --- I'd considered hiking the Appalachian Trail --- which I've finally begun, but I'm reduced to doing it in sections, which is far more expensive and lacks the sense of achievement of doing it all at once.

--
Sphinx of black quartz, judge my vow.
Re:Enjoy yourself, forget about school by WillAdams · 2012-06-21 06:07 · Score: 2

Perfect reading material for this summer would be a copy of Dr. Donald Ervin Knuth's _The Art of Computer Programming_

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Sphinx of black quartz, judge my vow.
Re:Enjoy yourself, forget about school by justin.foell · 2012-06-21 06:08 · Score: 1

Also agreed... spend your summer enriching yourself with something that may not be related to your career. I marched in a Drum & Bugle Corps for 4 years when I was 18-21. My fellow classmates scolded me for not getting an internship, citing that I would not easily find a job without one. They were wrong. Enrichment in other areas will make you a well-rounded person. Plus you'll likely meet other people interested in your field that may offer you a new perspective.

Here's a tip: you have the rest of your life to work. Do something you may never have a chance to do again (or until you're retired).
Re:Enjoy yourself, forget about school by LordNimon · 2012-06-21 06:09 · Score: 1

Agree. I got about $700 for my graduation, and I spent it all on gas and food hanging out at our vacation house all summer long. Granted, not everyone has a vacation home, but the sentiment is still valid.

--
And the men who hold high places must be the ones who start
To mold a new reality... closer to the heart
Re:Enjoy yourself, forget about school by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-21 06:13 · Score: 1

Exactly. Hang out with friends. Go to the beach. Get laid. Slack off. Lounge around. Hit the local arcade. Go to the theater in the middle of the day. Go to some parties. Go for a road trip.
You have the next 50 years of your life to not do that stuff.
Re:Enjoy yourself, forget about school by Plastic+Pencil · 2012-06-21 06:36 · Score: 1

I kind of disagree with this being the last summer of your childhood.

1) Questioner already said they already spent last summer working. The last summer of your childhood is the one where you weren't working, IMHO. Still this might the last time you see a lot of the people you went to high school with, for better or worse, it won't be the same come next year.

2) Summer between college semesters isn't exactly childhood, but isn't quite adulthood either. There's still a few years left to enjoy, even if you're working during the summer..

3) Adults get the shaft every summer (unless you're rich or retired). Adults have no two month escape to look forward too, and the escape from that, come fall. You're life is all goddamn routine with a real job.

4) Ironically, I'm typing this on the first full day of summer 2012. I wouldn't be caught dead in front of a PC on this day before "adulthood". So do enjoy it while you can, but just remember there's some still some good summers ahead, don't miss them.
Re:Enjoy yourself, forget about school by Darinbob · 2012-06-21 07:08 · Score: 4, Interesting

Also get a manual labor job. A job that you really hate and despise, which pays almost nothing, outdoors or in a warehouse w/o air conditioning or with a crew chief that screams at you for flipping burgers too slowly. That's real life. Then when you get the programming job you will appreciate it and not act like a prima donna.
Even if mom and dad are paying for everything and you don't need a job and just want something to do to get in touch with yourself, you need to do something down to earth instead of a stupid vacation. If you want to hike the trails, then do it as a volunteer who cleans up the trails and cuts brush. If you want to visit Europe then get a job volunteering at a charity there instead of partying and trying to get laid.
Re:Enjoy yourself, forget about school by jpstanle · 2012-06-21 08:29 · Score: 1

Even better than this, get a job working at a local bar or restaurant. You'll learn everything any other unskilled hourly job will teach you, with the added bonus that many of your coworkers will probably be attractive, slutty girls. And if you're shy/socially awkward, waiting tables is probably a good start to breaking through that barrier.
Re:Enjoy yourself, forget about school by captjc · 2012-06-21 19:35 · Score: 1

Better yet, if you want to really experience the real world, buy a one-way bus ticket to New York (or if you live in New York, than LA, Detroit, or any place with a really high crime rate) and live on the street as a vagrant. Take only the clothes on your back and nothing more (not even money). Panhandle and bum-fight for spare change to buy food. Live in a dumpster and eat trash. Join a gang. Do crystal meth. Fall asleep in a gutter with a bottle of cheap vodka as your only friend. Get arrested for public urination and go to jail and be put on a list for the rest of your life.
Then when you can afford to return home, assuming you survive, you will have experienced the real world and the truly horrible nature of humanity. You will be prepared to go to college, dead inside, ready to face the uncertainties of the current job market and the realities of office life.

--
Slow Down Cowboy! It's been 1 hour, 47 minutes since you last successfully posted a comment
Re:Enjoy yourself, forget about school by GodfatherofSoul · 2012-06-22 10:26 · Score: 1

Deserving of mod points!

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I swear to God...I swear to God! That is NOT how you treat your human!

Android SDK! by cplusplus · 2012-06-21 05:48 · Score: 4, Informative

Why not work on an Android App of some kind? Download the Android SDK! It's free, the Eclipse development environment is free, and the SDK even has a really nice emulator so you can run your Apps even if you don't have an Android phone.

--
"False hope is why we'll never run out of natural resources!" - Lewis Black

Re:Android SDK! by spacepimp · 2012-06-21 07:42 · Score: 1

I was going to say the same, thing, except adding in iOS. Perhaps an html5 app that can be wrapped and used cross platform. Build a name, build something you are proud of, and if it is actually useful then you can make money both now and during school.
App development skills are quite valuable.

What to do before college? by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-21 05:48 · Score: 5, Funny

two chicks at the same time, dude

Enjoy your time off by guises · 2012-06-21 05:48 · Score: 5, Insightful

I would suggest relaxing. You're not going to have many more summers like this and you might as well enjoy it. This is especially true since you just graduated - most of your high school friends are probably still around, you may not get the chance to see them again.

Re:Enjoy your time off by DoofusOfDeath · 2012-06-21 06:03 · Score: 1

I second this. If your life follows a common trajectory, you'll be very busy with school, and then with establishing your career, and then with kids, and then with paying for their college.
The next time you have a big break could very well be when you retire.
If you can afford to, enjoy your summer and build good memories.

OMG does this really need explaining? by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-21 05:48 · Score: 2, Insightful

Go out and get laid FFS.

Join the Military by EmagGeek · 2012-06-21 05:48 · Score: 1

Spend 4 years in the National Guard or one of the major branches. Learn some discipline and responsibility. Not only will you be a better student, but you'll be more likely to get a job.

Re:Join the Military by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-21 05:55 · Score: 1

Excellent! I was trying to think of a way to get a little over-achieving snot like that out of our profession so he wouldn't compete with the rest of us. Getting him killed in the military is perfect!
Re:Join the Military by bkmoore · 2012-06-21 06:00 · Score: 1

The military's not for everyone, but it definitely helped me in college later on. Talk to some vets and be realistic about your expectations. The recruiting posters are just to get you in the door. If you're looking for leadership, consider the Army or Marines. The Navy probably has the best technical opportunities for junior enlisted, especially in subsurface or in air traffic control. The Air Force, probably not so much, they seem to have more of a motherhood mentality towards their young ones. On a personal level- if the opportunity presented itself, I wouldn't reenlist. But I do not regret having served.
Re:Join the Military by jd · 2012-06-21 06:21 · Score: 1, Insightful

Worst possible path. Discipline is the enemy of creativity. Think of it in terms of engineering. If you want to build a bridge, reliably, with very specific parameters, according to a pre-existing template, then discipline is essential. The Romans were brilliant at discipline, which is why they could engineer structures of fixed design in no time flat. There's a surfeit of such engineers - India and Asia are packed with them. The world doesn't need any more regimented engineers.
If you want to build something new, something that never existed before, to solve a problem for which pre-existing templates are inadequate or useless, then you do NOT want discipline. You want childlike creativity, something that military training WILL kill.
This is especially true if you want to be in the scientific computing field, where all the Really Interesting Work takes place.

--
It's a small world and it smells funny; I'd buy another if it wasn't for the money; Take back what I paid (SoM)
Re:Join the Military by __aaltlg1547 · 2012-06-21 06:27 · Score: 1

Spend 4 years in the National Guard or one of the major branches. Learn some discipline and responsibility. Not only will you be a better student, but you'll be more likely to get a job.
And as a bonus, that job is likely to be in Afghanistan or some other war-torn hell-hole getting shot at or dodging roadside bombs. I was ddifferent in the good old days when the purpose of the National Guard was to guard the nation.
Re:Join the Military by bkmoore · 2012-06-21 06:31 · Score: 1

Four years and out probably won't kill anyone's creativity. There are a lot of creative people in the military. The problem is most of them feel stifled after a few years and they get out. Those who stay and rise in the middle ranks were never creative to begin with. Creativity without discipline is art. Creative achievement in research or industry takes a large degree of discipline.
Re:Join the Military by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-21 07:41 · Score: 1

This is stupid. Bureaucracy is the enemy of creativity. Conformity is the enemy of creativity. There are thousands of 'creative' types who will tell you that discipline is absolutely essential to what they do. That getting up, following their "daily routine" is important: whether it be sitting down and forcing yourself to put pen to paper, or finger to keys, or pick to string, or brush to canvas - it's easy to think up a billion dollar idea, a million dollar story, a multiplatinum record. It's incredibly hard to translate into an actual product, because execution - the discipline required to take an idea from thought all the way to selling product - is fucking hard.
Most creatives will tell you that there's very little "special magic" to creativity - that the way they're so creative is the discipline to keep trying, and the discipline to know when something's not working and to try something new. Stephen King didn't "magically create" a book: he sat down, and worked at it for months, putting pen to paper (or fingers to keys), as the case may be - revising, editing, outlining, and iterating on his story, until it was finished. And then revising and editing and outlining and iterating some more until it was *really* finished. The same holds true for numerous other writers, musicians, and the like.
There's also a host of data to suggest that constraints and focus (which also sound a lot like discipline) help foster creativity, as well. This isn't to say "take everything away and let people dream up things," - artificial scarcity isn't necessarily a help - but the paradox of choice / analysis paralysis is a very REAL problem, and one that can also be just as bad as that artificial scarcity. Being told, "Write me a 5,000 word story" is intimidating, and open-ended. Being told, "Write me a 5,000 word story about a boy and his pet," and I bet a couple thoughts just popped into your head about what you could write about.
It's also clear that you know nothing about military training, and believe that the military consists solely of goose stepping around in columns while shouting the day's mindless slogan - I'm afraid I have to tell you that your fever dreams of military life are completely wrong. Yes, the military has rules and regulations - and that bureaucracy *can* be a huge limit to creativity. But the military also expects soldiers to adapt, overcome, and improvise - three words you hear a LOT in military training, and three words which are absolutely tied to creativity. Completing your mission given constraints is a common theme: and one which is not antithetical to "creative" and independent thinking. The military starts you off with regimented, by-the-book training: as an infantryman, you learn FM 7-8 inside and out. And then, since nobody's going to set up a perfectly L-shaped ambush by the textbook in a "real" war, you're expected to practice, and train, and wargame responses to things, and improvise a response to anything they throw at your squad, using a few "cookbook recipes" and a lot of independent thought.
Sure, you were taught how to respond to an ambush from cover. How about an ambush from cover, while crossing an LDA, and in which you have close air or artillery support? There's no "right" answer - maybe you drop some artillery on the enemy position. Maybe you flank them using terrain to your advantage. Maybe you disengage and find a new way to carry on, since your ACTUAL mission has nothing to do with that ambush, and you need to secure an objective within an hour, and don't have time to dick around being pinned down by an enemy force. Maybe you respond by the book, or maybe you realize that they don't see half your platoon over the next hill, and direct your other 2 squads to fix bayonets and hammer them from behind. All of these scenarios require a thorough understanding of "textbook" responses, as WELL as the ability to assemble a response appropriate to your unit's capabilities, the terrain your on, and your knowledge of the enemy's capabilities. If you don't think that requires "creativity," then I think we can assume you don't know much about creativity.

Either take the summer off, or... by AnotherShep · 2012-06-21 05:49 · Score: 3, Insightful

if you have an itch, scratch it. Work on a personal project - something that bugs you or that you can improve. Personal accomplishments like that can make a huge difference come job interview time.

Re:Either take the summer off, or... by MightyYar · 2012-06-21 05:54 · Score: 1

Agreed. Work on something that you can show off in an interview (or to link to on a resume). It would be impressive to have a project with you on your smartphone that you could show off, or something you could pull up on the interviewer's computer.
It could do a lot to make up for the typical sparse resume you have when you are first starting out.
Even if it isn't something that you can show off, it will give you something interesting to talk about.

--
W..w..W - Willy Waterloo washes Warren Wiggins who is washing Waldo Woo.

New Zealand by terbeaux · 2012-06-21 05:49 · Score: 3, Interesting

Get a working holiday visa. http://www.immigration.govt.nz/migrant/stream/work/workingholiday/unitedstatesofamericaworkingholidayscheme.htm

Go to New Zealand.

Enjoy the best year of your life.

Go home.

Start your career.

Re:New Zealand by berashith · 2012-06-21 06:26 · Score: 1

working holiday indeed! serious cash to be made in that field, and then you will never feel like you are selling yourself out when you have to compromise your principles throughout your corporate career.
Re:New Zealand by terbeaux · 2012-06-21 06:30 · Score: 1

I tried. They expressly forbid it:

Please note: New Zealand law prohibits any person on a temporary visa including a Working Holiday Scheme work visa, from providing commercial sexual services, or operating or investing in a business which provides such services.

http://www.immigration.govt.nz/migrant/stream/work/workingholiday/unitedstatesofamericaworkingholidayscheme.htm

CNC SHOP by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-21 05:50 · Score: 1

Work as a Hand in a CNC machine shop. Lots of programming there. and you get to experiece an alternate reality of programming by turning or milling out large pieces of metal. and now a days especially in the midwest, a Well qualified CNC progammer that knows the fanuc"G"code has been few and far between.

Write a game by geekd · 2012-06-21 05:50 · Score: 2

Write something. Participate in the Liberated Pixel Cup http://lpc.opengameart.org/ or write a game on your own. I just wrote one and it was fun: http://magigames.org/runestone_defense.html

The best programmers learn on their own. They tinker at home. Don't rely on school to teach you everything, or even most things.

Or you could just party and drink and get laid. :)

Duplicate existing work. Intern for 'free'*. by DirkDaring · 2012-06-21 05:51 · Score: 1

Pick a project. Look at a website, find something cool. Now duplicate it in your own work. Try and make it better. You will gain a ton of knowledge, and you can show your code to the next employer.

If your parents did their finances well they will be paying you to internship for free somewhere. If not... take a job selling coffee / delivering pizzas in the evenings.

And you need to be spending 1 hour a day, every single day weekends included, filling out grant applications.

Just my $.02 and what my kids will be doing once they graduate high school.

open source by roc97007 · 2012-06-21 05:52 · Score: 1

Get involved with an open source project. Go for fame rather than money. When you're looking for a job or internship, it certainly can't hurt for you to have your name attached to a few successful projects.

The situations are not exactly parallel, but after dot com bust, I was out of work for two years. I spent that time writing a CMS and putting together an internet hosting service -- small potatoes, maxed out at ten clients -- got a backpack, stuffed it with a good selection of tools and did piecemeal small business system and network support. When the economy improved and companies started interviewing again, I could show that I hadn't spent two years on the couch watching the sci-fi channel -- I had actually accomplished something, because "I feel the need to be useful". It put me ahead of the pack.

Showing commitment to your vocation, even (especially?) when you're not getting paid to do so, may put you ahead of the pack at a crucial time.

--
Oliver's law of assumed responsibility: If you're seen fixing it, you will be blamed for breaking it.

Get Laid by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-21 05:54 · Score: 1

Get laid as much as humanly possible during your free time, because once you start your CS program you will never find enough time or worthy candidates (at least, hanging around the CS labs).

Enjoy your last summer ever? by Sebastopol · 2012-06-21 05:54 · Score: 1

If you can afford it, enjoy your last summer to yourself. Unless you become a teacher (or filthy rich), you won't have the same rhythm in your life anymore, so make the most of it.

Maybe I'm just being to nostalgic, I worked 6 days a week my Final Summer fixing bicycles to make extra money for school. And I ended up with way more spare cash than most of my college friends, but that summer my core highschool friends did a ton of fun once-in-a-lifetime stuff that I had to miss out on.

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https://www.accountkiller.com/removal-requested

Sit Down and Consider by rsmith84 · 2012-06-21 05:56 · Score: 1

is the ROI of college actually going to benefit you? If you've got a good skillset you could use those traditional years building something useful and putting experience on paper instead of throwing dollars at a piece of paper that says "Hey! I know things... in theory".

It's June... by bughunter · 2012-06-21 05:57 · Score: 4, Insightful

I have bad news and good news for you.

The bad: if you haven't already found an internship by June, you're not going to find one. Most internship programs start screening and interviewing applicants around January, or even earlier. I've been in aerospace and commercial engineering work for 30 years and I've never seen a summer internship program that didn't already have their candidates in for interviews by March or April at the latest. And by the time the term ends, lodging and all the other logistics are already worked out.

The good news is that most intern programs are looking for college students, not HS Grads, so you have four or five more chances to qualify. Join the ACM and IEEE chapters at your school and let them know you want to apply for summer internships.

At this point I recommend two things, not mutually exclusive, both of which have essentially been mentioned before:

1) Find a project to work on... either FOSS or just a homebrew thing. Something small enough that you can finish so as to demonstrate your development skills. But also push the envelope and pick a project that will force you to learn something new... one or two minor things. And then document what you learned by writing a report; 2 or 3 pages will suffice.

2) Have fun. You're an entering freshman. You have no idea how little free time you're going to have come fall. I recommend you blow off some steam and go do some fun things you've always wanted to do. It's going to be at least four years before you have a chance to do that again. You will not be criticized for doing that.

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I can see the fnords!

Re:It's June... by Hatta · 2012-06-21 08:08 · Score: 1

2) Have fun. You're an entering freshman. You have no idea how little free time you're going to have come fall.
You'll have more free time than you think. A full time student takes 12 credit hours per semester. That's only 12 hours a week, probably 2 hours MWF, and 3 hours Tu&Th. And most of those are going to be bullshit prereqs that don't require any actual work.
I had more free time in undergrad than in any other time of my life. High school demands your presence for 8 hours a day, and they check your homework so you have to spend some of your free time doing that. After college you're employed 8 hours a day, and you have to manage your household in your free time. In college as long as you can pass the exams, no one actually cares if you show up to class or do homework. And you don't even have to worry about cooking or cleaning, because you have a meal plan, and who cleans a dorm room anyway?

--
Give me Classic Slashdot or give me death!
Re:It's June... by bughunter · 2012-06-21 10:52 · Score: 1

2) Have fun. You're an entering freshman. You have no idea how little free time you're going to have come fall.
You'll have more free time than you think. A full time student takes 12 credit hours per semester. That's only 12 hours a week, probably 2 hours MWF, and 3 hours Tu&Th. And most of those are going to be bullshit prereqs that don't require any actual work.
That really depends on your school and your major. BSEE/CS programs like the one I finished at CU Boulder require a minimum of 126 Semester credit hours to graduate. If you want to graduate in four years, that's 15.75 credit hours per semester. The homework piles up quick, even as an undergrad. And it's usually not trivial HS level homework assignments. And if you're going to a top-tier school like MIT or CIT, the standards of quality and quantity are even higher.
Plus, most semesters include at least one laboratory class, if not two. As a BSCS major, one or both of those lab classes are going to be programming labs, which require a LOT of time outside of regular lecture/lab/recitation sessions in order to complete the assignments. I'm talking like 20 hours per week. But if you're planning on Software as a career, you need to be prepared for long hours.
I'm not trying to scare you off. It's work, but it's fun work. And it makes the time fly. If it doesn't, then switch majors/careers to something that does. Now's the time to find out.
Anyway, the original, on-topic point is: Right Now, All Your Time is Self-directed. Have fun, because it will be over soon. It will be a while before you can sleep in until 11am and hack code until 3am. Undergraduate study can be stressful, and Engineering schools tend to put weeder classes in the first two or three semesters to make the ones who aren't cut out for it switch to another major. You can probably handle it, but it's still stressful. I still wake up a few nights a year in a sweat thinking OMG, midterms are next week and I haven't finished my microprocessor lab project!!!
If you plan to do summer internships while in college, then I encourage you to do a thing YOU enjoy for your last summer off.

--
I can see the fnords!

A lot of people saying enjoy the summer... by garcia · 2012-06-21 05:58 · Score: 5, Insightful

I agree, I really do, but many aren't providing any reasons why:

1. No employer is going to care what you did the summer before you went to UG

2. The work leading up to the degree you learn at the end of your UG work may not challenge you at all. Working to "get ahead" may leave you frustrated and bewildered as to why you worked so hard.

3. School is just school. Just do it, enjoy it while you're there, get good grades, and get a job after you're done (or go on to advanced studies, whatever).

As for this summer, enjoy it. If that means writing code for fun or screwing around w/friends, do it. You'll be able to do that stuff in college too but in a much different way--especially if you want to do extremely well.

Good luck.

Re:A lot of people saying enjoy the summer... by dkleinsc · 2012-06-21 06:05 · Score: 4, Insightful

Another good answer: Something other than coding.
You're going to have many many summers to code. If all you've ever done is coding, you're going to find yourself to be an exceptionally boring person. You may also find that your first love isn't coding at all, but actually something completely different. It's far cheaper to make that discovery now than 3 years into your CS major.

--
I am officially gone from /. Long live http://www.soylentnews.com/
Re:A lot of people saying enjoy the summer... by jd · 2012-06-21 06:28 · Score: 1

School is just school.
Not if the school is any good. School should not be about grades, it should be about learning how to learn. It should be where you hone and develop your research skills, boost your mental flexibility and practice the application of these skills. The subject itself is almost secondary - if you've learned how to learn, any specific skill picked up at school becomes immaterial. It'll also largely be out-of-date. Research skills never date.
Working to "get ahead" is useful if you keep in mind that school is entirely foundational work. You can't build without a good foundation, but you also can't build if you don't have the raw building materials. School ONLY supplies the foundation, working to get ahead is where you get the materials to then actually build with.

--
It's a small world and it smells funny; I'd buy another if it wasn't for the money; Take back what I paid (SoM)
Re:A lot of people saying enjoy the summer... by icebrain · 2012-06-21 07:37 · Score: 1

I'm going to somewhat disagree with the "just have fun and don't worry about anything" sentiment. That's not to say don't have any fun, but you can't be completely carefree.

1. No employer is going to care what you did the summer before you went to UG
They might. I got a co-op position primarily due to my post-high school summer activities; I spent the summer finishing a pilot's license and finishing a homebuilt aircraft with my dad. That company then hired me after I graduated college. In OP's case, he/she should find some kind of project (open source or otherwise) so they have something to show for while working on the next item below.

3. School is just school. Just do it, enjoy it while you're there, get good grades, and get a job after you're done (or go on to advanced studies, whatever).
OP, this applies more to after you're in college, but get an internship/co-op/something field-related while you're still in school. It may delay your graduation a bit, but you'll earn money in the process (less debt after graduation), get more experience on living out on your own, make contacts in the field, and avoid the "I can do school really well, but have no practial experience" trap. Also, internships and co-ops are often guaranteed job placement opportunities.
As for this summer, my suggestions:
Learn to cook. I'm not talking "bake a frozen pizza", but actual cooking, from raw ingredients. This will help reduce your cost-of-living in college, and you will likely eat healthier, too. It will also impress future romantic interests.
Get a regular exercise routine going, and stick with it once you get to school. It'll be much easier to get into this habit while you have more free time than to try and do it later, when you've put on 60lb from crappy cafeteria food, late-night takeout, and beer, and you're 5-10 years older. Trust me on this.
Good health is hard to get, and easy to lose. You'll thank yourself in ten years when lots of your peers are fat and get winded just walking to their mailboxes.

--
The meek may inherit the earth, but the strong shall take the stars.

Get experience. by lattyware · 2012-06-21 06:00 · Score: 1

Get experience. Internships and jobs are not the only way. Open source software, personal projects (the two can overlap a lot), do whatever you want. Just write code if you want to get good at it. Get on StackOverflow and ask/answer questions (once you have the relevant knowledge).

If you can talk about programming well, show you truly understand it, then people will know you are capable. To be honest, you'll learn more doing that than doing your degree, if you do it right. The internet is a great resource.

I did this before I went to Uni, and - I don't want to brag, but to show I am not just saying it with nothing to back myself up - I am 2 years in, having gotten firsts both years, and have an internship at IBM for the summer. With no prior experience working for a company (not even non-relevant experience). If you can learn and show you are capable, it's not a barrier.

--
-- Lattyware (www.lattyware.co.uk)

Have fun, study fun things by betterunixthanunix · 2012-06-21 06:00 · Score: 1

Have some fun with your last summer before college. Spend time with your friends, especially those who you will not be seeing in college. You should also study fun things, things that schools do not teach you. Read books (not just programming books), study interesting approaches to programming (Forth comes to mind -- not commonly taught in schools, not strictly applicable to most careers, but definitely an interesting language that is worth studying, if you have time). College should be about having your mind opened; if you want a head start, spend some time opening your mind before you arrive.

--
Palm trees and 8

Volunteer by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-21 06:00 · Score: 1

If you can't find a paying gig, volunteer. Find a church group that needs a quick web-app to organize their fundraisers, find a local group of girl scouts that want a decent looking web page to advertise their cookies...

Point is, find a technology solution to solve some groups needs. This develops problem solving skills, not just in writing code, but in automating processes. When I interview applicants, those that have had some volunteer experience greatly out-weigh those that have no experience and, sometimes, even those that have had working experience.

Have a Life by Blackhawk5367 · 2012-06-21 06:01 · Score: 1

Hang out with your friends, especially if most of your friends are going to a different college. However do try to work some odd programming jobs here but don't forget about a social life and having fun. Unless you are having to pay for the entirety of school and you are going to an expensive out of state school you don't need to work a full time job. Especially as a computer science major, if you are in a city like Austin you will be next summer be able to find $20+ hour internship.

MIT by Lumpy · 2012-06-21 06:02 · Score: 4, Interesting

MIT open courseware. Take all the courses now. That way you can get ahead of the curve by leaning from the TOP professors instead of the second tier ones you will have elsewhere. IF you do good enough you could test out of many classes for course credit so you can be further ahead of the game.

Right now is the best time to be a teen before college. You have world class undergrad and graduate level stuff available to you for free. Eat all of it and ask for more.

--
Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.

Re:MIT by EmagGeek · 2012-06-21 06:15 · Score: 1

I've been out of school for a looong time now, and I took their 6002x course recently, and was pretty amazed at how many of the basics I'd forgotten over the years.
Their courses are pretty handy for established professionals to go back and brush up on the long-forgotten basics of yore.

Start up your own company by Elgon · 2012-06-21 06:02 · Score: 1

Really, do it now. Do it tomorrow! You're young with no wife, no kids and no major debts (mortgage and college.)

You will almost certainly fail (~90%) but there is a small chance you might succeed modestly (~9%) or even succeed wildly and become pretty wealthy (1%) but in almost any of these cases, you will equip yourself more fully for life during and beyond college than any of your peers.

Best of luck.

Elgon

Re:Start up your own company by bman49er · 2012-06-21 06:09 · Score: 1

You're young with no wife, no kids
Take advantage of this very fact as much as you possibly can.
Re:Start up your own company by dav1dc · 2012-06-21 06:15 · Score: 1

+1 Now is the time to take risks... using your time, rather than your $$$. ^_^ I started as a web designer/web developer working out of my parent's basement at age 15 simply because that was better than a "McJob" at the time! I trolled message boards looking for people desperate to hire cheap scripting/development help - and my contracts slowly got bigger and more lucrative as time passed. These days there are entire websites dedicated to connecting contracts and contractors (see elance.com). By the time my "last summer" before University had come to an end, I actually had to delay moving into residence so that I could wrap up a sizeable contract (and get paid for it!)
Re:Start up your own company by james_van · 2012-06-21 06:21 · Score: 1

youll learn an incredible amount about business (and life), and the experience looks good on a resume. if you succeed- hey youve got a successful business! if you fail- oh well, youre young enough to bounce back and theres some great lessons you can learn even from failing a business
Re:Start up your own company by fijiaaron · 2012-06-21 07:29 · Score: 1

You're probably better off trolling message boards, doing spec work, cold calling, and promoting yourself than hanging around "gig" sites like elance competing with incompetent foreigners (the good ones have real jobs) for idiot clients (I want something exactly like Facebook for $250 in one month -- and it has to have 800 million users and make a profit.)

--
Freelance QA & development http://one-shore.com

Contribute to Open Source by balbus000 · 2012-06-21 06:02 · Score: 1

Find a project that you interests you, maybe even software you use already, and try to fix some bugs.

Looks great on résumés as well as being a good learning experience.

Don't expect a job-- work for free by nine-times · 2012-06-21 06:04 · Score: 1

It seems that others are saying similar things, but my general thought here is, don't expect a real programming job. People complain about CS graduates lacking experience, so a high school kid? Forget about it.

If you need the money, find the best-paying job you can get, even if it's working as a waiter. These jobs offer good experience too. There are many jobs that require some kind of customer-service and communication skills, and something like waiting tables provides experience for that.

If you want to gain experience as a programmer, then just come up with something that will help you learn, even if it's not a paying gig. Get involved in an open-source project. Or invent your own project for yourself. I don't know what your programming level is, but you could do something like writing your own blog software from scratch. There are tutorials to get you started, and then you can pick apart other open source projects to see how they do things. If you're more advanced, maybe think of a feature you'd like to see in Firefox and figure out if you can implement it.

Just experiment, try things, and play around. Even if you don't create anything very good, the attempt is a good experience.

Relax for the summer.... by bman49er · 2012-06-21 06:05 · Score: 1

Take this time for relaxing and adventures. Take this time while you don't have any obligations. Looks like you've already got some work experience before college and A LOT of college grads don't have that when the first get out. However, once you're in the school year and are still having trouble finding an internship or a part time job in your field, go to your instructors and seek research work. It probably won't pay well (or at all), but it looks good on a resume. Don't over work yourself while in school (24 hours a week max). I made the mistake working too much and not having much fun in college. Don't do the same. College can be the most fun in your adult life and can pave the way to more fun later if you do it right.

Other option by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-21 06:06 · Score: 5, Insightful

Enjoy your summer, it will be one of your last. Travel, go camping, toss back a few beers, anything but work.

Re:Other option by stanlyb · 2012-06-21 06:23 · Score: 1

I second that.
Re:Other option by cayenne8 · 2012-06-21 06:26 · Score: 5, Insightful

Enjoy your summer, it will be one of your last. Travel, go camping, toss back a few beers, anything but work.
Yep..go out, have fun with friends...get laid.
It won't be long before you won't be able to screw highschool girls anymore...get'em while they're still tight!
:)

--
Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.........
Re:Other option by cpu6502 · 2012-06-21 06:30 · Score: 5, Insightful

>>>Enjoy your summer, it will be one of your last.
Not likely. He can expect to be laid-off at least once in his career. I've experienced two summer (and three winter) vacations since I graduated college.

--
My AC stalker: " I personally agree with your posts most of the time, but that won't keep me from modding you troll"
Re:Other option by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-21 06:37 · Score: 1, Funny

You suck and you should feel bad. Anyone with decent skills can find work in a few weeks.
Re:Other option by cpu6502 · 2012-06-21 06:42 · Score: 4, Informative

>>>It won't be long before you won't be able to screw highschool girls anymore...get'em while they're still tight!
As my highschool friend says: "Wow..... creeper." Ooops I've said too much.

--
My AC stalker: " I personally agree with your posts most of the time, but that won't keep me from modding you troll"
Re:Other option by tverbeek · 2012-06-21 06:46 · Score: 5, Insightful

I've had those "vacations" too, but they aren't the same. A high school grad who's been accepted at a college knows how long he has for it, and what he'll be doing when it's over. He doesn't have to spend time every day looking for work, not knowing if he has a week or a year left, fearing what will become of him, etc.

--
http://alternatives.rzero.com/
Re:Other option by cpu6502 · 2012-06-21 06:56 · Score: 1, Troll

Anonymous Coward writes:
>>>You suck and you should feel bad. Anyone with decent skills can find work in a few weeks.
Or learn to register a UserID instead of posting anonymously day-after-day.

--
My AC stalker: " I personally agree with your posts most of the time, but that won't keep me from modding you troll"
Re:Other option by chrismcb · 2012-06-21 07:07 · Score: 5, Insightful

There is a difference between a summer vacation after high school with little or no responsibilities, and being laid off with a mortgage payment and possibly a wife and children.
Enjoy your summer. You will have more than enough time to further your education and career as you grow older. But you won't have too many carefree summers in your lifetime.
If you don't want to enjoy your summer, then open source, or your own project is your best bet. Get some experience coding.
Re:Other option by Gilmoure · 2012-06-21 07:32 · Score: 3, Funny

Work on a really cool Sailor Moon or Wonder Woman cosplay outfit. It could come in handy in college.

--
I drank what? -- Socrates
Re:Other option by ffflala · 2012-06-21 08:30 · Score: 4, Insightful

Yep..go out, have fun with friends...get laid.
Don't just think of this as advice to screw around, either. Socializing is an important skill, and as a skill it is something that will improve with practice. Being able to socialize successfully and with ease will serve you well in your future career; it might be the very thing that land you a job. It's a skill that is often lacking in CS students. So go out, have fun with people, and don't think of it as being irresponsible or lazy; think of it as spending your summer "working" on an important skill.

And enjoy it.
Re:Other option by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-21 08:43 · Score: 1

Agreed wholeheartedly. Being a wage slave will consume your existence once you graduate from university. In the meantime, enjoy life before it is sucked out of you by PHBes and those insipid TPS reports. And if you are smart you will choose a career other than IT upon graduation. Join the Navy. See the world. Get your education paid by the military. But this summer live life like it is December 21, 2012. ;)
Re:Other option by hawguy · 2012-06-21 09:01 · Score: 1

I have a UID. I still post anonymously at least 50% of the time. Why? Because I'm funny as hell (and moderated the same way *most* of the time) but lots of people can't (or understand) take a joke. Sometimes I have unpopular insights (which are moderated both troll and insightful). Sometimes I want to share personal information for YOUR benefit but don't want it linked back to me because of its personal nature. Sometimes I just enjoy playing devil's advocate.
Those are no reasons to post anonymously. I think I'm funny as hell too (not everyone shares that opinion, not even my wife). I often post unpopular insights or even ask somewhat trolling questions just to watch the conversation unfold - sometimes I get modded down, sometimes I don't. If I have personal information to share, I anonymize it enough that it doesn't identify me personally (I don't even live in the city (or state) that I've identified as my home city but I've lived there long enough to be able to post local insights) - I don't trust Slashdot to keep my anonymous identity private any more than I trust them to keep my UID identity secret.
Re:Other option by jsm18 · 2012-06-21 09:33 · Score: 1

My favorite Dazed and Confused quote: "That's what I like about high-school girls. I keep getting older, and they stay the same age." So creepy, yet so true.
Re:Other option by cayenne8 · 2012-06-21 10:06 · Score: 1

And when you were ordered to be registered as a sex offender because you found out that she is not yet 18.....
Back when I was 16-18yrs...it wasn't the deal it is now.....if you were 17-18 or maybe even 19yrs...no one batted an eye if you were dating HS girls, since you were either still in or just graduating HS yourself.
You never heard of anyone getting convicted of being a sex offender, not of a teen dating a teen. Even if her dad got pissed, you never hardly EVER heard of a guy getting busted for statutory...and you certainly weren't marked for life like they try for now.
So...my advice for the kid stands...while in HS...get all the HS 'strange' you can..before the penalties start setting in.

--
Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.........
Re:Other option by geezer+nerd · 2012-06-21 10:52 · Score: 1

Exactly right! You only have a couple of months, so why spend it all trying to find work? If you don't have something lined up already, then what are your chances?
Re:Other option by AuMatar · 2012-06-21 11:52 · Score: 1

Depends on how you do it. I'm on summer vacation right now. My startup got bought, I turned down the full time offer and negotiated a 3.5 moth bonus for staying 6 months to help transition, and I'm spending that bonus by traveling Europe. It's pretty damn carefree.

--
I still have more fans than freaks. WTF is wrong with you people?
Re:Other option by EdIII · 2012-06-21 12:34 · Score: 1, Redundant

Yeah, I am kind of a different approach now that I am finding myself later in life.
Get as absolutely much pussy as you can NOW. Don't listen to anyone else. This is the one time in your life that your penis is actually correct.
Listen to him. Nail as many high school chicks as you can.
Go boy! Get to it!
Re:Other option by Nursie · 2012-06-21 14:22 · Score: 1

THIS.
Get out into the countryside, sit round a campfire with friends, grab a few beers, enjoy a couple of months of freedom with your high-school friends. Make it a summer to remember.
Everything changes in a few months when you start college, and it all changes again at the other side. Take the time to enjoy your youth.
Re:Other option by cheekyjohnson · 2012-06-21 14:51 · Score: 1

Socializing is an important skill
Actually, it's useless to me. If someone is offended by my demeanor, then perhaps they're simply oversensitive. If they're hiring me based on my hobbies (not chatting with others about pointless things in real life), then I suspect their priorities lie somewhere foolish.
Good thing I'm not around people who consider such a pointless thing "important," though.

It's a skill that is often lacking in CS students.
They're doomed!

--
Filthy, filthy copyrapists!
Re:Other option by ffflala · 2012-06-21 15:06 · Score: 3, Insightful

How would you know that it's useless to you? If you think that socializing = "chatting about pointless things", it doesn't sound like it's a skill you've ever bothered to pick up.

At some point most people will need to work on teams -- that is, you need to be able to function with other people. Since team work often involves people on the same peer level interacting with one another, being able to socialize can mean the difference between an efficient, successful team, and an inefficient failing team.

Let me put it in a way you might understand... okay, here's one. Think of socializing --and the benefits skill in it brings-- as a combination of the Speechcraft/Mercantile/Speech skills found in Oblivion and Skyrim.
Re:Other option by ffflala · 2012-06-21 15:52 · Score: 1

How do you reconcile your low opinion of "chatting about pointless things" with your own actions, namely regularly commenting on /.? IOW, what necessity do you believe that you're serving by contributing to these discussions? It seems to me like these are discussions that interest you personally, and that you're interested in informing people about your own opinions. I don't see some sort of task-based or goal-oriented necessity there, just an interest in open-ended discussions of various topics. Here the discussion is (usually) based around a subset of specific topics.

Being able to socialize, successfully, with people whose topics of discussion range outside of your immediate circle of interests --topics you seem to think of as pointless-- can lead to useful insights and relationships. Here's a generalized example of such an insight: by simply socializing, many successful entrepreneurs have been able to identify needs (or more often, wants) for which a product or service has yet to appear. This kind of interaction --socializing-- can thus be a key factor in a successful business model.
Re:Other option by Larryish · 2012-06-21 23:45 · Score: 1

Everything I know about socialization, I learned on Slashdot.
Re:Other option by Larryish · 2012-06-21 23:59 · Score: 1

If he logged in, he would not an jerk.
He would an hero.
Re:Other option by rhalstead · 2012-07-01 13:51 · Score: 1

Judgmental, Decision making, and social skills are something many if not most college students lack. Of course a good study ethic doesn't hurt either. If you CS curriculum is line the one I had you will have very little time left for socializing once the classes start. The good jobs to to the ones who take the right courses AND get good grades. The world and the government owe us nothing. We have to earn it. Attitude sets us apart from just being one of the bunch to being at the top of the heap. Many companies are looking for those who not only do an outstanding job, but who want to move up the ladder.
Re:Other option by rhalstead · 2012-07-01 14:26 · Score: 1

Better take a class on job interviewing. Most want well rounded people "with potential". Programmers who are good, but have few outside interests and are satisfied with just programming are a dime a dozen. Often we would have to explain in plain language what a program would do and how. I moved up to project manager, so I had to listen to engineers and management who thought they knew how to program. Getting them to explain what they wanted in terms that could be translated into a project charter was often a "BITCH!", because they didn't know what they didn't know. You have to learn how to tactfully tell some one who is higher up the food chain than you, that they are full of crap and still keep your job let alone get that next raise. That takes social skills. Staying in good physical shape is also important as you are going to be sitting in front of computers many hours of the day, which is not good for your body or eyesight. Those with stamina are much better at pulling all nighters too. The stereotyped programmer you see in the movies is rare! Most of the IT people I know and have worked with are not just programmers or "IT People". They have families, participate in sports. Remember that many sports let you burn off frustration and adrenalin to keep you in good shape while staving off that heart attack or diabetes. BTW I know a number of applicants who either talked they way out of a good job at the interview or soon after starting. Knowing how to program and write good code is one thing, but you do have to interface with team members and management at the least. There is a huge variation between employers, but those are common across the board. It's very unusual to be given a project and then left alone to do it. We had team meetings usually every other week, but they could be every week. It depends on the size of the project and the complexity of the coding as well as hardware. Of course who you get for a boss is a crap shoot. You may get a good one and you may get one who is a firm believer in CYA and using those who work for them as toilet paper. Do you wait it out or move on? Moving on carries a stigma with it and if done very often personnel departments only get that far in looking at the resume before they too move on. Don't forget you should know ahead of time what that company offers for salary and benefits. Your first day of work is none too soon to be planning for retirement and "other alternatives".
Re:Other option by cheekyjohnson · 2012-07-01 14:39 · Score: 1

Often we would have to explain in plain language what a program would do and how.
Everyone should be able to communicate, at the very least. Doesn't mean they have to like it or do it on their own time, though. Just when necessary.

That takes social skills.
Actually, it depends completely on the person. Some people are so oversensitive that merely implying that they're wrong will get you fired. Speaking to such people is a waste of time.
There is no 'correct' way to socialize.

They have families, participate in sports.
That's magnificently generic.

--
Filthy, filthy copyrapists!

Speaking of cats "getting your tongue..." by Impy+the+Impiuos+Imp · 2012-06-21 06:09 · Score: 1

What should a future programmer do over the summer before college?

Take a manual labor job, lose weight and get in shape. You'll be surprised how much easier it is to get pussy. You may not even have to work at it. And we didn't have cougar match up sites on top of it.

--
(-1: Post disagrees with my already-settled worldview) is not a valid mod option.

Take advice from those before you.... by HockeyPuck · 2012-06-21 06:10 · Score: 5, Insightful

My father told me once, "You've got 40 years of working ahead of you, enjoy your youth. It's the one thing that we always wish we had more of."

My favorite summer was between high school and college, before everyone went off in different directions. Have some fun, travel, chase girls, go camping... whatever floats your boat. Spending your summer writing code, is not something that you'll look back at and say,

"Man... I wish I had spent July and August writing code instead of that time at the lake with my best friends and that blonde girl from two cabins away..."

Re:Take advice from those before you.... by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-21 07:26 · Score: 1

This.
I spent my summer between HS and UG working on my uncle's farm. It was outdoors, I got paid well, got good exercise, and it taught me a lot about discipline, self-motivation, and the value of hard work. BUT... the rest of my friends stayed in town all summer and hung out doing whatever. They had the best summer of their lives, and I only remember working. I've regretted it ever since, especially since I got the same work experience the next three summers.
There is no benefit whatsoever to wasting the last summer of true freedom you'll ever have (assuming it truly is a free summer, and you don't need to work because you can't afford not to - in which case your last truly free summer is already behind you).
Re:Take advice from those before you.... by EricWright · 2012-06-22 01:21 · Score: 1

If ever a post should be modded above a 5, it's this. I stuck around town, worked (mostly) day shift in the kitchen of a pizza joint and hung out at the beach with the rest of the kids at night. Best. Summer. Ever.

Travel, Read, Have Fun by damm0 · 2012-06-21 06:11 · Score: 1

You're booked into college?

Go have fun, make friends, party it up, live your fantasy. You'll never get to do it again, and your summer internship will do nothing for you long term!

Work for startups! by Nexion · 2012-06-21 06:11 · Score: 1

Take terrible pay to get an opportunity at a startup. The startup will eventually fail (most likely), but you will have the start of a resume. Since you pay tax it can be confirmed that you work there. The fact they are no longer in business means there is no one for them to contact to confirm details. I'm not say'n to lie on your resume, but use of colorful wording can be contradicted by someone at the company who wont be as colorful describing your time there. Eventually try to find a job that pays somewhat decently and stay there for a few years. Once you have a few years there start looking for a higher paying job elsewhere. You'll have the work history to be marketable, but the security of an existing job while you hunt. Don't jump on the highest pay job offered, but instead research the company and make sure you want to work there. Essentially move through unstable low pay jobs to build your work history and target long term, stable and well compensating jobs as your end goal.

Good luck out there, and remember... have fun with it.

Nexion

Re:Join the Military - NOT by tlambert · 2012-06-21 06:14 · Score: 4, Insightful

The parent poster suggests you join the National Guard.

I have a friend with a masters in CS, was a highly respected engineer at Apple. He was a recreational helicopter pilot who always wanted to be a rescue pilot working for LifeFlight or a similar air ambulance organization. So he joined the National Guard to get flight hours and get rescue training for domestic disasters, which he felt was an OK trade for boot camp plus one weekend a month and two weeks a year.

He's in Afghanistan now.

-- Terry

Or if you really want to work by Sycraft-fu · 2012-06-21 06:14 · Score: 2

Take any job. You aren't going to get a job doing what you want probably and that's ok. So if you want money, and work experience, take it where you can get it.

I did work summer after high school as a surveyor's assistant. Actually was a good job and I'd consider going in to surveying if I ever get sick of IT. Minimum wage stuff but hey, the work wasn't bad, it was a job, it was outside, and since I was living with my parents minimum wage meant plenty of toys.

It can help too because it is work experience. Something I can say, as someone who hires university students, is we'd like someone who this isn't their first job. We don't require it, but if it is down to you and someone with similar skills but work experience, we'll probably take them. Reason is some people have difficulty adjusting to the idea of regular work. So if a student has already had a job, they've overcome that. We'll take someone with more computer skills with no work experience, of course, just saying that if it comes down to a deciding factor, that's the side it'll come down on.

Then, in terms of getting in to IT/programming work, well look around on campus. Most universities hire a lot of student workers. The jobs are generally very flexible with regards to class time and you can often find ones that will let you do a whole lot if you show you are competent. I'll give students as much as they want and can handle.

Only thing I'll warn you is don't think you know everything, and don't think you'll get a senior level position. You'll get a student position, which generally don't pay that much (that's why universities like them), you'll be the low man on the totem poll, and the people you work for probably will know more than you. Just don't think you are going to come in and be top of the heap (we had a grad student that asked for a job, wanted to be an IT manager for a year until he graduated).

At any rate I'd say the parent's advice of "enjoy the summer" is a good one. You won't screw yourself or anything. But if you want a job, just be ok with a regular minimum wage job. In terms of more relevant work experience, look at it in university.

Go for a hike by gatzke · 2012-06-21 06:14 · Score: 1

After HS a buddy and I went camping in the mountains for a couple of weeks. It was awesome.

The summer my brother graduated from HS and I graduated from undergrad (before grad school) we hiked on the Appalachian Trail for a month. It was a life changing experience for me.

Camping does not cost much and you get some fresh air. Backpacking pushes your body and gives you time to think / reflect.

And you can meet some interesting folks...

Re:Go for a hike by stewbee · 2012-06-21 08:26 · Score: 1

And you can meet some interesting folks...
Why put the ellipses there? All I can think of now is that something out of 'Deliverance' happened to you.
Re:Go for a hike by gatzke · 2012-06-21 08:39 · Score: 1

Funny, the AT goes through Deliverance country in North Georgia.
They have small huts along the AT. On the southern end they are spaced about every 5-10 miles along the trail. You can stop and camp there on a "cot" without having to make a fire pit or pitch a tent.
After a long day we came up to a hut that was occupied. An older dirty man was there and looked like he had been there for a while. He asked us for food and we sold him some stuff cheap that we were getting rid of, as we were near a town. (Cream of Wheat, who eats that stuff?)
The creepy part was that the man had a doll collection. Just doll heads, all arranged nicely in a row. With their hair cut off.
We decided to just keep on hiking that night and take our chanced a few miles down the trail.
This was the same time that Eric Rudolph was on the loose in the same area, living out in the wild. We never saw him, but we saw a few unoccupied camps off the beaten trail.
tldr: no deliverance but some nutty folks.

How much will college cost? by SuperKendall · 2012-06-21 06:15 · Score: 1

A serious thing to consider is, how much does college cost and is there anything you can do beforehand to get out in three years (or less) instead of four.

College is fun but life and freedom REALLY begin after college. If you set yourself up for a life with less debt you have a lot more options once you are out of college and really free.

So while taking the summer off might be fun, it's even more fun to position yourself for some serious freedom in your twenties.

--
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley

Don't take CS take a tech school / IT class load by Joe_Dragon · 2012-06-21 06:18 · Score: 1

Don't take CS take a tech school / IT class load it will give the skills needed for the job.

check out the college?? by RobertLTux · 2012-06-21 06:19 · Score: 3, Informative

If at all possible work out a map of your school with all the needed "waypoints" so that you do not waste time getting from class A to Class B. Bonus points if you can actually see some/all of your teachers.

oh and a bit of a tip as soon as you get your school email address start signing up for the various company school programs
DreamSpark is a keyword for the M$ stuff.

--
Any person using FTFY or editing my postings agrees to a US$50.00 charge

Re:check out the college?? by kaizokuace · 2012-06-21 06:55 · Score: 1

for fun you can write a program to find minimum spanning trees to get to class faster....or you could just party all summer bro! The thing is, if you don't party enough before you are old you won't be as well rounded as someone who just codes all day. Also, other experiences in life give you insights to problems that need solving. Enrich you life.

--
Balderdash!

Don't work for free by __aaltlg1547 · 2012-06-21 06:21 · Score: 1

I know I am going to catch a lot of mod-downs for this but, NEVER GIVE YOUR WORK AWAY FOR FREE.

Working for free establishes the value of the kind of labor you engage in at zero, which means you and others have a more difficult time finding (paying) employment doing that kind of work. It doesn't just hurt you, it also hurts every other person who does that kind of work by increasing supply at zero dollar cost. Not only does it do so for all your potential employers, it also does the same thing in your own mind. The more you work for free, the more convinced you will become that there is no monetary value in your work.

You can do development on your own time and money and then sell the product to anybody willing to pay for it. That puts you in a better position because you can show the prospective clients that it works, but only deliver it if they agree to your terms.

This is not to say that you shouldn't contribute to FOSS software. There are ways of getting paid to develop FOSS and if you want to do that, that's a great idea.

Re:Join the Military - NOT by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-21 06:21 · Score: 1

So he wanted to be trained and paid and give nothing in return? There's a group for people like that. It's called everyone, and we meet at the bar after work to discuss how life didn't work out like we wanted.

Comment removed by account_deleted · 2012-06-21 06:23 · Score: 4, Funny

Comment removed based on user account deletion

Get a job by 0racle · 2012-06-21 06:24 · Score: 1

No, your part-time jobs will not all be in front of a computer. You might have to lower yourself and do something else.

--
"I use a Mac because I'm just better than you are."

Australia by MushMouth · 2012-06-21 06:29 · Score: 1

Defer your college year, head to Australia for 6 months working odd jobs, hitchhiking, surfing, sleeping with various other foreign backpackers.

Re:Australia by Reesy · 2012-06-21 13:03 · Score: 1

I did this after college instead. Got an easy going highly paid QA contract in Melbourne which allowed me to have a far better time in Australia than what I could from doing a min wage job.

take a free CS course in your spare time by gnikhog · 2012-06-21 06:30 · Score: 1

Whether or not you land a paying job, take a college level course (or two) at Udacity.com It's free, only runs for 7 weeks, and classes start next week. There are some foundation courses as well as some more advanced topics. I have already taken a couple myself and plan to take one each hexamester for the foreseeable future.

Decide against it by hawks5999 · 2012-06-21 06:38 · Score: 1

Unless you are paying for it in cash, the debt will hardly be worth it.

Seize the Summer by tverbeek · 2012-06-21 06:40 · Score: 4, Insightful

Don't "further your career or education". Go do something else!

The summer I graduated from high school my parents lined up a job for me, working with computers for a small business, giving me a great opportunity to start building professional credentials. I appreciated it, but I turned it down. Instead a friend and I got on a plane, and set off on a 6-week tour of England, Wales, and Scotland, camping at caravan parks in a 1.5-man tent, and getting from place to place by bicycle and by train. It was an extraordinary experience. Some bad, some good, but I wouldn't trade it for anything.

There will be another summer next year, which you can spend working on cool programming projects or whatever, and there will be year after year and decade after decade in which you can do that sort of thing as much as you please. You have a whole lifetime of formal education and career ahead of you. But you will never have another entire summer in which you have entirely closed the book on one phase of your life, but the next phase is patiently waiting for you unopened, a few months off in the future. You have the freedom to do damn near anything you are capable of doing. This is a once-in-a-lifetime window of opportunity. Do something worthy of that.

--
http://alternatives.rzero.com/

Do something else by plover · 2012-06-21 06:44 · Score: 1

I took a summer job in a metal shop, and learned a ton of suff I was never going to get from a formal education.

The real world is filled with messy, hard, interesting, demeaning, uncomfortable, fun, maddening jobs. You could learn how a mean boss makes you do shoddy work just to get out of his face; something that may be important to remember in the future. You will meet interesting and boring people. You will probably meet racists and homophobes and criminals. You may not appreciate or like them, but you might understand the world a little better.

You could learn the properties of A5 tool steel. You could learn how to mop a floor. You could learn how to use a micrometer, and statistical process control. You could learn how to drive a forklift. You could learn about hazardous chemical handling. You could learn the value of safety equipment.

And you'll get very little of that from behind a keyboard.

Now quit reading /. and go get a job.

--
John

Travel and Code Open Source by utkonos · 2012-06-21 06:45 · Score: 1

Take a year off. Make a travel plan to see the world. Stay in hostels that have wifi, and split your time coding for open source projects and exploring the world.

Don't be a fool by Lawrence_Bird · 2012-06-21 06:47 · Score: 1

you are 18. go out, get drunk get laid have some fun. get a meaningless job and just have some fun.. You'll thank me for this advice in about 15 to 20 years.

Pick something as far from programming as possible by tlambert · 2012-06-21 06:49 · Score: 2

Pick something as far from programming as possible, and do that.

I was convinced from a very early age that I wanted to be a nuclear physicist (this was back before it was politically corrected into "high energy physics"). I learned everything I could about it, learned all the math, derived neutron numbers from information gleaned from "The Curve of Binding Energy", and basically absorbed information like a sponge.

Then I went to my first year of college (entering as a sophomore due to my AP credits), did well in the first couple of quarters of physic classes (started in at the junior level, since I was pretty advanced in physics already), and things were going great. Then I was visiting a lab, and saw my first microcomputer with a graphics card (a Terak 8510, as it turned out).

Now I'm a software engineer for Google, having worked previously for Apple and IBM.

I tripled in physics, math, and CS, and physics taught me an incredible amount about how to think about problem solving that I couldn't have achieved without studying an actual hard science, but I'm not working in the field by building bombs for TRW to balance on top of pencils of fire.

The point of this little autobiographical journey is that, even if you know what you want, you might not know what you want /more/, until you encounter it.

So set yourself up in a situation where you'll encounter something outside your comfort zone, and which is far away from your experience to date. You might find you hate it; you might find you love it, but either way, in doing that, you'll find out more about yourself and the world. And if you find something you hate, remember that you can do something you hate while looking for something else; a summer is long enough to sample up to half a dozen things you find that you hate.

If I had my summer between high school and college to do over, I'd probably try for the news room at a newspaper, an art studio co-op, a cruise ship, a CPA firm, a law firm, an airline, or randomly opening the yellow pages.

-- Terry

If I could go back to the summer of '86 by neo-mkrey · 2012-06-21 06:50 · Score: 1

I would find myself, bitchslap myself, and tell myself to go have some fun, stop taking things so seriously, because life is too short. Most of my high school friends (who I haven't seen in decades), worked at a waterpark during the day and partied by night. I drove to the city and worked behind a desk doing Lotus 1-2-3 and dbase /// crap, then drove back and collapsed only to get up the next day and repeat. What a dumbass!!

What to do? by freeze128 · 2012-06-21 06:50 · Score: 1

So what is a high school graduate who wants to work as a programmer to do?

Learn botany.

Take up rock climbing by BaverBud · 2012-06-21 06:55 · Score: 1

Or do a team sport. Not that it will help you get a job on its own, but much of candidate evaluation also depends on the fit for the team you are applying to. Most of my learning how to be on a team came from hockey growing up. (BTW, I said rock climbing because it's a great trust building activity, and if you're use to working solo it forces you to depend on others/help others which is absolutely necessary).

--
Baver

Just program dude. by Nyder · 2012-06-21 07:00 · Score: 1

Whats a programmer to do?

Program.

There is a ton of open source projects on the internet.

But I feel sorry for you, since obviously you can't think for yourself. SoE (Sony online Entertainment) hires programmers who can't think for themselves, give them a call.

--
Be seeing you...

seek counselling by Shotgun · 2012-06-21 07:01 · Score: 2

"So what is a high school graduate who wants to work as a programmer to do?"

Seek professional counseling. You know not of that which you think you desire.

8*)

--
Aah, change is good. -- Rafiki
Yeah, but it ain't easy. -- Simba

"I graduated high school" - Brush Up on Writing by bill_mcgonigle · 2012-06-21 07:06 · Score: 1

You'll only get so far with just programming skills. Now's a good time to brush up on writing, so you come across as intelligent.

For instance, TFS leads off with "I graduated high school two days ago."

"I was graduated from high school two days ago" will make people think you're refined.

"I graduated from high school two days ago" most people will accept.

"I graduated high school" is actually wrong, and people will think less of you for it. It doesn't matter what you think, that's what other people will think.

Usage books are actually fun - an outline of the API exceptions that is English. A good programmer can handle these sorts of rules with ease.

There are some usage websites, but the best stuff is still locked up in books.

--
My God, it's Full of Source!
OUTSIDE_IP=$(dig +short my.ip @outsideip.net)

Re:Join the Military - NOT by tlambert · 2012-06-21 07:06 · Score: 4, Informative

So he wanted to be trained and paid and give nothing in return? There's a group for people like that. It's called everyone, and we meet at the bar after work to discuss how life didn't work out like we wanted.

He was already a trained helicopter pilot; he wanted to make himself available to fill in for things like Hurricane Katrina while the full time military was off playing whack-a-mole with Al Qaeda. He was offering them a lot more than what he expected in exchange.

Make no mistake, this was a bait-and-switch based on the MOS (Military Occupational Specialty) he was contracted for when he signed up.

-- Terry

I wish someone had told me... by rlwhite · 2012-06-21 07:06 · Score: 1

...to go out and get experience in another field that interested me. Relatively few jobs in software development are purely about computers. Most involve programming in knowledge of another field where the computer system will be applied.

You've had a summer of coding in the workforce already, and that puts you ahead of most incoming freshmen. Go out and learn about something else because you'll need it later. It'll help you to know what you actually want to do with your degree when you get out. You have the next several years to focus on the computer side.

Two chicks at once by Overzeetop · 2012-06-21 07:10 · Score: 1

Okay, so maybe that was if you had a million dollars.

Still...your chances are arguably better now than nearly any other time in your life.
(I didn't say they were good, just better than they will be when you're 40, statistically speaking)

--
Is it just my observation, or are there way too many stupid people in the world?

Re:Two chicks at once by XxtraLarGe · 2012-06-21 07:44 · Score: 1

(I didn't say they were good, just better than they will be when you're 40, statistically speaking)
Statistically speaking, you'll be more likely to have a million dollars when you're 40 than when you have just graduated high school.

--
Taking guns away from the 99% gives the 1% 100% of the power.

Party by jeff4747 · 2012-06-21 07:11 · Score: 1

You are reaching the end of the time when you can ignore the real world and let your parents worry on your behalf.

Have fun. Serious can wait.

Re:Join the Military - NOT by fijiaaron · 2012-06-21 07:11 · Score: 1

So he wanted to be trained and paid and give nothing in return? There's a group for people like that. It's called everyone, and we meet at the bar after work to discuss how life didn't work out like we wanted.

Best post ever

--
Freelance QA & development http://one-shore.com

Your fast food future (not) by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-21 07:12 · Score: 1

Flip burgers - by knowing how the liberal arts majors will be making a living, it'll give you motivation to stay in a STEM field.

Re:Don't take CS take a tech school / IT class loa by Darinbob · 2012-06-21 07:14 · Score: 2

And end up as yet another under educated tech school grad. Bad advice. These guys do not know how to adapt because they've been taught how to do things by rote instead of by thinking, and they're taught the current techniques and fads which do not help when the times change or the job does not exactly match what was in the classroom. These train you for the sorts of jobs that are most easily outsourced or given to the lowest bidders. These schools very often are oriented towards students who could not get into a university and thus can be dumbed down; you won't get rigorous mathematics for instance. These are the worst places to be for someone who wants to work with computers or computer science as you'll be railroaded towards an IT services job.

Be careful about earning money by SirGarlon · 2012-06-21 07:23 · Score: 3, Insightful

As difficult as it may be to believe this, if you're poor and expecting to finance your education through a combination of grants, scholarships, and loans, working a summer job may be the worst decision you can make.

Things may have changed since my college days, and they may differ from state to state, but here is how my financial aid worked out.

New York State calculated financial aid eligibility taking the minimum income of the past 3 years. My sophomore year in high school I only got a part-time job and made about $800 all summer. I managed to save about half of it. My junior and senior years I worked almost full time in the summer and part-time during the year, and made about $3000-$4000 (this was at a time when minimum wage was $3.50/hr).

Freshman year in college, my aid paid for everything except books and activity fees (yes aid was more generous and costs were lower back then).

Sophomore year, my aid was reduced by $800 because of the earnings I'd made 3 years previously years and I had to take a student loan for that amount.

Junior year, my aid was reduced by about another $2200. I caught on to the pattern at that point. I was faced with the choice of quitting my part-time job right away and taking out a loan to pay expenses, or having to take an even bigger loan the next year. Remember, if I had not earned any money at all and just leeched off my parents, I would have come out of college debt-free.

So, my advice is, understand what your financial aid picture is going to be and how your earnings will affect it, before you rush out and get a job.

--
[Sir Garlon] is the marvellest knight that is now living, for he destroyeth many good knights, for he goeth invisible.

Re:Be careful about earning money by Slashdot+Parent · 2012-06-21 08:19 · Score: 1

Most financial aid right now is work/study, as far as I'm aware. Admittedly, I'm way out of school, and I didn't take any financial aid (my tuition was only $5k/yr way back when, and I made between $15-20/hr waiting tables.), but anyway, that's my understanding.

--
They don't grade fathers, but if your daughter's a stripper, you fucked up. --Chris Rock
Re:Be careful about earning money by bughunter · 2012-06-21 11:16 · Score: 3, Funny

So the moral is, if you work, work only for cash. Landscaping, Construction, prostitution, drug dealing, human smuggling, and extortion/kidnapping, those kinds of things. I don't recommend hit jobs. They can be messy and sometimes they stab back.

--
I can see the fnords!

Re:fuck that by fijiaaron · 2012-06-21 07:24 · Score: 1

Work hard, stay in shape, and you'll have at least 20 years on the tail end to enjoy yourself. You can decide if a couple months now is worth the trade off. All the spoiled brats and wistful cogs who say otherwise will be washed up and worthless as a grownup when you're reaping the rewards of a life well lived.

--
Freelance QA & development http://one-shore.com

Fail fast by fa2k · 2012-06-21 07:25 · Score: 1

Some people (though a minority) suggested to take on a problem you're passionate about and create a software project. If you're considering this, I suggest to start with small projects, and don't get stuck on a big one if there's no chance of finishing. It happened to me, and it's not the end of the world, but in the end you get some experience with failure (which you get if you fail fast too), and some programming skills, and nothing else to show for it. Myself, I looked at code analysis tools, and thought that I could create a better static analyser, with more heuristics and a better understanding of the code. I started to lay out the project in C++ and create classes and the part that reads a binary and produces an internal representation. I had a lot of interesting thoughts, and it was a quite pleasant period (so I'm not sure I actually regret it), but in the end it will not help my career one bit.

Re:Fail fast by ZonkerWilliam · 2012-06-21 07:49 · Score: 1

but in the end you get some experience with failure
That is probably the wisest thing I've heard in years, its importance cannot be overrated.

Enjoy your summer by SilverJets · 2012-06-21 07:51 · Score: 1

Unless you need to work to save up for college, I'd suggest enjoying your summer instead.

Why?

Because when you join the workforce after college you are never going to get an entire summer off again. And depending on how your college career goes you could find yourself spending your summers studying as well.

You're still young. Enjoy it while you can.

Job at the University by zerosomething · 2012-06-21 07:59 · Score: 1

Check the hourly job postings at the University. They usually are looking for someone with your developer skills but not willing to pay much for them. Or just check the Fine Arts department there. They probably have a web site that needs development when it's not being owned by Russian hackers.

--
It all starts at 0

Travel and explore by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-21 08:03 · Score: 1

Travel and learn about the world around you. If money is limited, try to hook up with a few friends and do a road trip. Alternatively, work abroad as an expat/work-study programme. It's something that you'll never forget and will help you to become a more well-rounded person in general. Whilst formal education is certainly beneficial, there are things that can't be taught in an academic setting. Time is needed to find and discover both yourself and your interests. I speak from experience - I travelled extensively and it turned out to be a real asset in both my life and career. There's plenty of time to work the grind - go explore and have fun. :-)

Phone companies ... by MacTO · 2012-06-21 08:05 · Score: 1

Get a summer job in your field. You will acquire attitudes that will be useful when you start your studies in the fall.

If you're having trouble finding work, phone companies up. Make it clear that you are looking for summer work in your field of study, and many employers will be much more sympathetic. A lot of them are willing to give students a hand up if the student is demonstrating initiative. (They were there too at one time, and often they need people who will do grunt work.) If companies don't work out, try calling up your future professors.

As for enjoying your last summer, that's something that I would suggest holding off on until you've completed your first year of studies. Simply put, if you don't go into first year with the right attitudes, you may not make it through first year. And even if you do make it through first year, you may not have the right attitudes to get and hold down a job after graduation.

Input/Output by JuiceWagon · 2012-06-21 08:09 · Score: 1

Without a summer job how do pay for all the booze, ammo, fireworks, drugs, and petroleum proper summer requires? If you can fund these things without a job you should reconsider your entire plan.

Fix Linux. by alexandre_ganso · 2012-06-21 08:27 · Score: 2

Find something wrong with it, and fix it. Or just enjoy the goddamn summer and go get some girls. Even if you fail, you will not regret in the future. But the "wasting my youth and summer" part... well.

Talk to the department where you were accepted by multimediavt · 2012-06-21 09:36 · Score: 1

Seriously. Talk to the CS department at the school where you were accepted. If they have summer sessions or camps, there might be something you can get involved in and get paid. It would be a tremendous opportunity for you to meet different professors, the administration you will be dealing with and get to know some people still in high school that might be in summer camps offered at the school. The only other thing I could add would have already been suggested. This might have too! But, the bottom line is you will have plenty of summers to get experience working ahead of you, and those opportunities might be better if you befriend the right people and do good work. Or, you might get inside, not like CS and save yourself a lot of hassle changing majors now rather than later.

Coach Swimming... by Dastardly · 2012-06-21 09:45 · Score: 1

That is what I did with my Summers and I was a CS major. I don't know how good it looked on my resume when I was looking for a job, this was late 90s, so there were plenty of jobs. But, dealing with children and parents of those children shows people skills.

So, my suggestion would be to "Be Creative" don't go looking for programming jobs, look for things that demonstrate your abilities outside of programming. Volunteer opportunities, but choose something that is interesting to you. Tutor summer school kids or something like that. Teaching demonstrates the ability to communicate. I am sure there are lots of other great ideas.

lie by Charliemopps · 2012-06-21 09:52 · Score: 1

As far as what to do before and in college:
1. Delete your facebook account immediately. Never go back.
2. Don't drink. Do not hang out with anyone that drinks. Spend all of your time alone, in your dorm room. Don't tempt yourself.
3. If you have a girlfriend, dump her immediately, do not date until your finished with school.
4. Do not participate in Summer/Winter/spring/fall breaks. Take classes all the way through.
5. Do not buy any of the books listed as needed for the classes you are taking. Wait until you're in class and they ask you to take it out... then dig through your bag and say "Oh man, that's the one I forgot!" pick it up at the student bookstore on the way back to your room. 75% of the books that were listed as "Required" for my classes were a. never used in the class and b. written by the professor teaching the class (i.e. it was a scam to get you to buy his shit)
6. Replace the video card in your computer with the oldest, most worthless once you can find. Make sure than even doom would have trouble rendering on your computer. Do not play any video games... ever.
7. Get rid of your smartphone.

You may think this all sounds extreme... but after you're out of school with your insane GPA, you'll be able to pick your job... your girl... what you want to drink... 70% of my classmates dropped out the first year. Think about that.

Don't go to college by pubwvj · 2012-06-21 09:56 · Score: 1

Skip the college. You can learn everything you need without paying the big bucks or the four years for college. Nobody has ever asked me if I went to college, what my degrees were, what my GPA was, etc. All my customers care is if I can solve their problems for them. I can.

From Little Miss Sunshine by Gothmolly · 2012-06-21 11:16 · Score: 1

Fuck a lot of women. I mean, a lot.

Dude, you just graduated high school - this summer is where you drink, party, and poon.

--
I want to delete my account but Slashdot doesn't allow it.

Work for a contractor by unitron · 2012-06-21 13:59 · Score: 1

Spend most of the summer toting 2x4s and shingles, mixing mortar for the brick masons, etc.

Good tan, good muscles.

--

I see even classic Slashdot is now pretty much unusable on dial up anymore.

Don't listen to the workaholics by nategasser · 2012-06-21 15:42 · Score: 2

Don't listen to all the stressed-out middle agers pining for a care-free high school summer. Save kicking around Europe for a time when your life is crazy and you need to decompress. You're young and fired up and ready to learn and grow. Seize that.

I had two jobs at my university the summer between high school and college. One was doing data analysis and writing software for the school's particle accelerator. The other was changing out rat cages in the medical labs. You can guess which one paid more. Both were valuable experience. I got to know my way around campus, I got to know some professors -- I even got an email address over the summer. NOBODY had email addresses back then! After changing the rat cages I'd sit in my boss's office and use his computer and connect to systems all over the world. I know it's hard to imagine, but that was a rare opportunity at one time.

Universities are gold mines of opportunities -- outside the classroom. Get a job - even if it's changing rat cages - and get to know people. If you keep quiet and do what you're told it'll be years before you're doing anything cutting edge. Seek out those opportunities now. Find the profs doing ground breaking work and change the batteries in their robots or something.

And yes, between working at the particle accelerator, another job at the med school, and learning my way around the fledgling internet, I still managed to go to the beach with my girlfriend a few times and go to a bunch of movies I can't remember now. So I had fun. You will too. But don't listen to the workaholics telling you this is the last glimmer of freedom you'll ever have so make the most of it. Take the opportunity to get a leg up on the rest of the incoming freshmen by catching the attention of some profs now. Even if it means cleaning rat cages.

Get a job programming in assembler... by rs79 · 2012-06-21 17:45 · Score: 1

...for a year. The you'll know how computers actually work.

"when hiring programmers, always choose the one that knows assembler" - Andrea Frankel., 1988

--
Need Mercedes parts ?

Computer Science by mkiwi · 2012-06-21 17:47 · Score: 1

Ask yourself if you really want to do computer science or if you want to program for a living. If you want to program get a Software Engineering degree instead. Too many people go into computer science thinking that's how they learn to program and made lots of money. If you want to solve scientific problems, be a computer scientist. If you want to be a developer, go for software engineering.

My advice to you––and I pray that you read it––is change your major and go for Software Engineering. You sound like you want to be a developer. None of my Engineering friends, especially SW Engineering, have had any trouble getting a job. The degree is fairly new, so you may have to switch to a different school, but it pays big after you graduate.

Don't fall into the trap where you think "Programming" == "Computer Science." So many people do, and I cringe every time I see it happen. Decide what you want to do and get the right specialization for the job. Call employers and ask them what they'd rather have, a CS or a Software Engineer.

Above all, follow your heart and be open to new ideas––remember, there is a place for everything, and it's called college.

Re:Computer Science by mkiwi · 2012-06-21 17:51 · Score: 1

P.S. I forgot to mention that there are more girls in software engineering, following the general tone of this thread.

Job offer by roman_mir · 2012-06-21 21:09 · Score: 1

Do you want to work on a distributed retail chain management system? If yes, drop me a line.

--
You can't handle the truth.

Sounds like you have worked hard by DarkOx · 2012-06-22 00:36 · Score: 1

It sounds like you have already done some work and have some references you can use in the future. That contract work you did already is the sorta thing you will be able to point at to land that (hopefully paid) internship next year when you are in college.

You might not be old anytime soon but you will never be young again. Nor are you likely to have a situation like you have right now where its so unclear what you 'ought' be doing that you need to pose the question on Slashdot. After you freshmen year your objects are going to be much more clearly defined. You will have sense how to work toward them and likely want to.

There opportunity cost of 'having some fun' for you is at an all time low, so go do it. Have a summer fling with some girl from your highschool, gather your buds and take a road trip to nowhere for a few weeks. Go hike what you can of the AT or PCT. Do things you won't have the time for later.

--
Repeal the 17th Amendment TODAY! Also Please Read http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/right-to-read.html

I suppose... by havana9 · 2012-06-22 00:57 · Score: 1

... drinking until passing out at parties.

TAoCP by WillAdams · 2012-06-22 03:03 · Score: 1

Yes, but I've never met an absolutely top-notch programmer who didn't have a well-thumbed set --- granted this is a small sample (I've known 3 ``real programmers''), but 100% correlation is a good indicator, no?

--
Sphinx of black quartz, judge my vow.

Yeh go backpacking for a year by DABANSHEE · 2012-06-22 04:06 · Score: 1

Europeans, Canadians & us Aussies don't have a problem backpacking arround the world, doing a gap year, why Americans don't do it is beyond me.

Re:Join the Military - NOT by tlambert · 2012-06-22 07:46 · Score: 1

You are, I think, missing the point.

The point is that if you join the National Guard, it's not a safe haven, you're getting deployed as if you had intentionally joined the full time military. There's no practical difference these days between the two. If George Bush had pulled his stint with the Texas National guard in this climate, his ass would have been in Vietnam. Even the Coast Guard is getting deployed overseas.

Add to this that when your contract is up, if you are able-bodied, then you are getting stop-lossed and you're not getting a discharge at the end of your contract period, unless, like my nephew, you are injured enough that you're no longer useful. And then after 6 months, they will then say you are fully recovered, even if you demonstrably aren't, and wash their hands of you to avoid paying ongoing medical.

-- Terry

Re:Pick something as far from programming as possi by tlambert · 2012-06-22 07:49 · Score: 1

At the time I took it, if you worked at SLAC, you were a nuclear physicist.

-- Terry

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