IN THE LIFE OF A COMPUTER SCIENCE STUDENT: SURVIVAL DIARIES

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Everyone loves to discuss the perks of studying Computer Science — six-figure salaries, travel opportunities, free food, and endless networking events. But behind the scenes, it’s a different story. Those rewards come at the cost of hard work, sleepless nights, and a complete overhaul of your daily routine. Over time, it can take a serious toll, leading to mental health struggles, chronic stress, and even major health problems.

This is the Survival Diary of a Computer Science student — a glimpse into the real journey behind the glamorous surface.

HOW TO SURVIVE CS

"What do you mean, surviving CS? I don't care — as long as I get that six-figure salary, that's all that matters."

This mindset is more common than you think. Many students prioritize landing the "six-figure job" over caring for their mental and physical health. As a result, they sacrifice sleep, skip regular health check-ups, and abandon any sense of a balanced, healthy lifestyle.

But here’s the reality: these toxic habits will eventually catch up with you. If you keep running on empty, it won’t be long before you face serious health problems, sometimes bad enough to require hospitalization, leaving you unable to work, study, or enjoy the rewards you were chasing in the first place.

As someone who has always prioritized school over her health, let me tell you this: Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise — you know your body best. If you feel like you need a day off from school, take it.

Since the beginning of my sophomore year, I’ve been sick pretty regularly, and I’ve missed more classes than I ever expected. I used to feel guilty about it — guilty for not showing up, guilty for falling behind — but sometimes the pain was so unbearable that even getting out of bed felt impossible.

All I’m saying is this: Prioritize your well-being first. Without your health, none of the grades, internships, or job offers will matter.

Here are 4 main survival tips for surviving this rigorous degree

1. Pray 

First and foremost, you should commit all your heavy burdens to your father, God, and he will help you. Being a CS major has major ups and downs but with faith in God you will have strength, and the peace that comes with his presence is peaceful. you will rely on him and HE will never let you down- ever. With God, all the heavy burdens will be lifted, all will go according to his plan, which is to give you a prosperous future.

2. Get enough sleep

No, I don't mean sleeping for 4 hours- that's not enough sleep. You need to set a manageable schedule that you can realistically follow. Make sure that you have a fixed sleeping time, no matter if you have a test the next day... make sure you finish all the necessary work throughout the day and get sufficient sleep, so that in case you were unable to complete any work you can wake up earlier and dedicate an hour to complete them.

3. Watch your diet

By watching your diet, I solely mean that you should eat breakfast, eat home-cooked meals, drink enough water, and reduce on the takeouts. I know that most people don't really like eating breakfast me included because they don't see the need for it, but here's the thing, breakfast is the first meal of your day and skipping it will have a very negative effect on you the whole day, it can cause morning sickness and nausea too. That's why you need to wake up at least 2-3 hours earlier to get time to get ready and make yourself breakfast- a proper breakfast, something healthy like oatmeal.

4. Go for regular check-ups

Paying the doctor a visit once in a while is necessary so that we can be on track with our health and make better health choices to keep our health in check. 

To Conclude...

If you put these four survival tips into practice, trusting God as the foundation, your CS journey will become a lot smoother.

You will not only survive, but you’ll thrive and achieve greater things than you ever imagined.