

Ask HN: I recently dropped out of school. What should I do in the mean time? - freshcsgrad

Long story short, I had difficulty in school and recently dropped out. The good news is I already accepted a fulltime CS job. The bad news is that it doesn&#x27;t start until June.<p>I&#x27;ve been improving my Python and iOS skills in the past few months, but I feel like I&#x27;m not doing anything meaningful with my life?<p>What should I do in the next 6 months? I&#x27;m a bit short on cash, and just feel lost in general.<p>Thanks
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trcollinson
I'm not sure where you are from, but I would not trust a job offer that is 6
months out. I don't want to discourage you at all. Just show the reality that
job offers aren't worth the paper they are written on, so to speak.

Where are you from? In what area of your education did you have difficulty in
school? What would you like to do as an engineer? There are plenty of
junior/intern positions where you can go without a CS degree and get some
great experience and a solid chunk of pay and even benefits. Although this
isn't always easy to implement, you must seek out meaning in your life.
Meaning won't seek out you. But, there are a lot of us here to help!

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MalcolmDiggs
Agreed, I would heed this warning. It's not that companies (necessarily)
intend to make offers they can't keep... it's that unexpected things happen
and circumstances change. I always say that the job offer isn't firm until
you've received your first paycheck.

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freshcsgrad
Is this really a big issue? Im in the US and the offer is from a silicon
valley company thats doing ok.

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mcv
Why won't the job start for another 6 months? Get a good answer to that.

And things can move fast in Silicon Valley. Maybe they now think they honestly
need you in 6 months, but in 6 months, that could change. And they still have
6 months to find someone better or cheaper.

The same goes the other way aroundd of course. A job offer now is worth a lot
more than one in 6 months. You could find a better job and not be available in
6 months. If they really need you, I'd expect them to hire you sooner. Maybe
in one or two months. Some companies operate slower than others, but 6 months?
That's a lot.

If I were you, I'd try to fill those 6 months with another job or with
freelance work. That gets you money and experience. If the other offer is
still there in 6 months, you can still quit the temporary job.

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Warewolf-ESB
Open source! Find a project you are like and contribute. Your skills and
experience will increase, and it's great for your CV for future work. You
might even be able to get some freelancing work out of it via an Elance or
similar. Whatever you do, don't sit at home and get into a slump. Good luck

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_RPM
Learn about a new concept that has always interested you. I just finished
finals and am now on winter break. I will be learning about compilers.

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jessejhernandez
I have a pretty interesting project Im working on, if you interest in building
a super complex website, shoot me an email at owlvisuals@gmail.com

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smileysteve
Start Contracting, launch a blog, release an ios app. Build that personal
brand.

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panjaro
Enjoy life !!! You might not get a second chance !!

