I am currently in 2nd year of Btech. I think this might be insightful for some of the beginners. I made some of these and regret wasting my time and energy.

Summary at the beginning.

1. Not Starting early.

2. Watching a lot of introductions or tutorials(about tech) but not starting the journey of learning.

3. Being Inconsistent

4. Just learning blindly and not building Projects

5. (Underrated)Not showing your Skills in Public or Learning in Public.

6. ---------Bonus tip at the end---------

Not starting early:

As students completed their 12 th which is the most important milestone in their life. Students often chill and ignore their studies at the beginning. It is most important to start as early as possible and get familiar with the IT field and different opportunities.

Also, if we kick in early we get plenty of time to explore all the varieties of carrier opportunities and jobs. In the end, you can decide what suits you the best and go with it.

Watching a lot of introductions or tutorials(about tech) but not starting the journey of learning:

So, this is something I dealt with and wasted a lot of time. I watched a lot of videos initially, as I wasn't sure where to begin and how. But caution ⚠️ there are a lot of YouTubers who just want views and do not give actual advice and you might go around.

Also watching lots of tutorials will make you feel as if You are progressing, but you don't go any forward. So take tutorials from the right source and start the Learning Process.

Being Inconsistent:

So, now that we have started the journey the most difficult part is being consistent. Being consistent is a key part of the coding journey. At the initial nothing feels relevant and doesn't make any sense, and eventually lose interest. Being inconsistent doesn't only make the journey slower but also when you resume your journey you have to begin from scratch.

Consistency is the hallmark of the unimaginative.

Just learning blindly and not building Projects:

So, why projects?? The learning process sometimes becomes boring and overwhelming. At times only learning isn't enough to understand the concepts we must use them to build then only the concepts get concreted.

Applying those concepts becomes the most important part. Furthermore, projects help to build resume and confidence.

Knowledge isn't power until applied.

(Underrated)Not showing your Skills in Public or Learning in Public:

Learning in public makes learning more exciting and useful not just for You but for others too. Sharing your knowledge makes your knowledge strong and others can learn from it. It's a WIN-WIN situation for both.

This also improves your communication skills and your reach. Joining communities, and contributing to open source are some best ways to begin. You'll be amazed to see how people are ready to help You in your journey. Also, these are platforms where you can get notified of opportunities for competitions and Hackathons and stuff.

Bonus tip

If you made this further hang on in there. The last one is a bit different that is Don't do stuffs or learn to get some rewards or big packages. Instead, love what you do and be enthusiastic. Welcome challenges and Keep Learning.