What Should I Do in My First Year of BTech?

Starting your BTech journey is exciting — new college, new friends, new opportunities. But for most students, the first year can feel confusing. What should you actually focus on? Is CGPA everything? Should you learn coding right away? What about internships?

Let’s break it down.

🎯 What is the Purpose of the First Year?

Your first year is foundation time. It’s not about being perfect — it’s about preparing yourself for the next three years. Use this time to:

Adjust to college life and independence
Explore your interests beyond just academics
Build healthy habits for studying, networking, and time management

📚 Focus on Core Subjects, but Don’t Stress About CGPA

Yes, your CGPA matters, especially for core companies and higher studies — but it’s not the only thing. In your first year:

Learn the basic subjects well (Physics, Chemistry, Maths, Programming)
Try to maintain a decent GPA (above 7.5 is safe)
Avoid chasing marks blindly — learn to understand concepts

💻 Start Exploring Basic Technical Skills

Even if you're not from CS, tech skills are super valuable today. You can begin with:

Basics of C or Python (easy to pick up)
Learn how to use GitHub and Google effectively
Watch beginner-friendly YouTube playlists (free, good quality)

👉 You're not expected to master coding in 1st year. Just start. Even 1 hour a week helps.

🤝 Build Your Network Early

This is the best time to:

Talk to seniors — learn from their experiences
Join tech clubs or societies
Attend college fests, hackathons, webinars

Most good internship or job opportunities later come through these connections.

🔎 Explore Your Interests (Non-Tech Too)

Not everyone wants to be a coder — and that’s okay!

Explore other areas:

Public speaking (join clubs like Toastmasters)
Designing, content writing, blogging
Photography, music, sports

These become your side skills — useful in resumes, internships, and even startups.

💰 Learn About Internships, Freelancing & Earning

You probably won’t get big internships in the 1st year — but you can:

Learn how internships work (check Internshala, LinkedIn)
Try small freelancing tasks (writing, editing, teaching juniors)
Understand personal finance (budget your pocket money, maybe start investing ₹100/month)

📱 Clean Up Your Digital Profile

Create or update your LinkedIn profile
Start writing on Hashnode or Medium (like this blog!)
Learn how to present yourself online — it matters a lot by 3rd year

🧠 Final Tips

Don’t compare your journey with others. Everyone moves at their own pace.
College is a 4-year marathon, not a race — consistency matters more than pressure.
Focus on becoming a better version of yourself every semester.

✨ What Next?

If you found this helpful, follow this blog for more real advice on:

How to get internships
Best certifications worth doing
How to earn money during college
Core vs IT job decision making

📩 Got questions? Comment below — I’ll answer in upcoming posts!

🌟 What Should I Do in My First Year of BTech?