There is no doubt that the long slough to that fancy piece of paper at the end of your four years can be difficult, but the journey can be made much easier by taking advantage of some of institutional resources that Yale offers. There are a variety of university-supported and student-organized resources to help CS students with homework, networking, hacking, and more.
Contents
Academics[]
Office hours[]
The vast majority of CS classes have both student-led and professor-led office hours. Each class' office hours schedule is unique, so be sure to check the class site or Piazza page for the relevant information. Some professors are also open to meeting with students one-on-one outside of their scheduled hours, but this requires prior email organization, and the onus is on the student to reach out to set it up.
Office hours can be an incredible way to rehash lecture concepts, solve problem sets, get to know upperclassmen, and meet new people all in one span of three hours! Students should make a habit of going early in the week, as soon as possible after a new problem set is released. This is when peer tutors will have more time to allot to each student, the wait to speak with a peer tutor will be minimal, and everyone will be the least stressed.
Peer tutors[]
If students think they need extra help outside of office hours, they can apply for a peer tutor. Refer to the Center for Teaching and Learning's page on how to set this up.
Professional Opportunities[]
SEAS resume book[]
The School of Engineering and Applied Sciences compiles an online book of resumes from across Yale University--there are resumes from undergraduate and graduate students alike, and students can use it to get ideas for how to format their own resumes as well as get in touch with other students who have had work experience with particular companies.
Mailing lists[]
The cs-majors mailing list is a great way to stay updated on the latest club workshops, research opportunities, and speaker events relevant to CS students. Students can also email everyone on the list by directly emailing cs-majors@cs.yale.edu; there is no need to have DUS James Aspnes forward it to the list.
The cs-majors-jobs mailing list is another great resource to get internships, interviews, and other job opportunities.
Non-majors are allowed to join both of these mailing lists!
Office of Career Strategy[]
The Office of Career Strategy offers a variety of services to help students prepare for industry jobs--including but not limited to setting up Yale-coordinated internships, resume review, mock interviews, and career advice. Drop in at OCS on a day while classes are in session or visit their page for more information.
Career fairs[]
There are a variety of career fairs relevant to CS majors held at Yale throughout the year. In the past, a diverse set of companies involved in everything from online payments to financial security have had booths at these fairs; repeat attendees include Google, Facebook, Microsoft, MongoDB, Palantir, and lots more. News about career fairs usually spread via email, so students should definitely subscribe to the mailing lists described above.
There are career fairs both for standard software engineering internships as well as more specific, niche pursuits. In the past, there have been CS career fairs for social good, healthcare, public service, engineering, and more. There have also been virtual career fairs (in which students can "attend" online) held by public and private sector entities alike.
Student Technology Collaborative[]
The Student Technology Collaborative (STC) provides job opportunities to be student techs or student developers. These are paying jobs that students can hold for as many semesters as they wish while developing their programming and/or technology skills. Direct any questions about working for the STC to stc-hiring@yale.edu.
Side Projects[]
Hackathons[]
Hackathons are a fantastic way to learn or improve on new technology skills. Yale's biggest hackathon is YHack, usually held in the beginning of December every year. There are routinely more than 1000 attendees every year from schools all over the world, and any Yale student is guaranteed admission. In 2017, YHack featured over $57,200 in prizes. There are also a variety of other, smaller hackathons that clubs and organizations hold throughout the year, which students also hear of via mailing list.
DSAC funding[]
DSAC can provide funding for student projects provided the funding request meets certain guidelines. Email dsac@yale.edu for more information.
Student Clubs[]
Certain student clubs provide spaces for students to come together and collaborate on side projects. One current project is Yale Computer Society's Hack Nights.
Leadership and Community Service[]
There are many ways for students to give back to the Yale and New Haven communities using their CS skills, including but not limited to:
- Dwight Hall (Yale)
- CoderDojo
- Code4Good (Yale)
- SheCode (Yale)
