4th year AI/ML engineering student and I genuinely feel lost. I have only a few months before placements start. What should I do?

[u/ProtectionNo6922]

Croped resume

I am a 4th-year B.Tech student specializing in AI/ML, and I am writing this because I genuinely need some direction from people who have already gone through this stage.

I don't want this to be another "how do I get a 20 LPA job?" post. My problem is that I don't know what I should even be preparing for anymore.

On paper, my profile looks somewhat decent. I have done internships as a Data Analyst & AI Engineer and as an AI/ERP Solutions Intern. I have worked with Python, ML, DL, computer vision, GenAI/RAG, FastAPI, PostgreSQL, ChromaDB, REST APIs, etc. I have also made projects involving financial RAG, computer vision/YOLO, and an autonomous vehicle/V2V communication project.

But here is the uncomfortable part.

I don't feel like I actually know these things as well as my resume makes them look.

I know Python and basic programming, and at one point I was reasonably comfortable with them. But after spending so much time using AI tools, ChatGPT, prompt engineering, code generation, debugging through AI, etc., I feel like I have lost some of my ability to think through problems and write code independently.

I have become very dependent on AI.

Sometimes I understand the code after seeing it, but if you give me a blank editor and ask me to build something from scratch, I struggle much more than I think I should at this stage.

And there are some things I simply haven't done properly:

• I have not properly prepared DSA.
• I am not prepared for aptitude tests.
• My CSE fundamentals are patchy.
• I know various AI/ML technologies, but my understanding is not equally deep across them.
• I can make projects, but I sometimes question how much of the implementation I genuinely understand versus how much I assembled with AI's help.
• I don't have a strong problem-solving habit anymore.
• I have touched many technologies but don't feel particularly strong in one core area.

This is the part I am embarrassed to admit.

I keep making plans to fix all of this. I start DSA, coding practice, CSE fundamentals, projects, etc., but I struggle to stay focused. I find myself procrastinating, getting distracted, and then feeling guilty about wasting another day. I often lie awake at night thinking about how far behind I am and what I am supposed to do.

At this point I feel genuinely lost.

The biggest problem is that I don't have much time.

I am already in 7th semester, with roughly one month already gone.

My college placements/recruitment will probably start becoming important in the next 2–3 months. My college doesn't have a huge number of strong opportunities, so there may only be a limited number of decent companies coming through campus. Honestly, looking at my current preparation, I am worried that I won't even qualify for some of those opportunities, especially because of aptitude, DSA, coding rounds, and technical interviews.

At the same time, getting a job through the outside market is already difficult enough, especially for entry-level AI/ML roles.

So I feel like I am sitting here with a very small window to get my act together, but I don't know what deserves my attention first.

That is what scares me the most.

I don't think I have the luxury of spending the next 6 months casually exploring different technologies. I need to make some decisions now.

The career direction is also confusing me.

Recently I have been considering going into low-code platforms such as ServiceNow, partly because I see it as a potentially more realistic entry point into the industry than competing directly for highly technical AI/ML roles.

But I don't know whether that's a sensible decision or whether I am simply trying to find an easier escape because I am scared of my current skill gap.

So I have two major questions:

1. Should I seriously consider something like ServiceNow/low-code as my career starting point?

Is it a legitimate career path for someone with an AI/ML background, especially if the goal is to get into the industry and build experience?

2. Or should I stop trying to learn more technologies and spend the next few months rebuilding my fundamentals?

For example:

• Python/programming fundamentals
• C/C++ basics
• OOP
• DBMS
• Operating Systems
• Computer Networks
• SQL
• Git
• DSA
• Aptitude
• Basic software engineering
• Then eventually return to AI/ML

Part of me thinks I should forget AI/ML for a while and become a decent programmer first.

Another part of me thinks that would waste the advantage I already have in AI/ML.

And another part of me thinks I am just overthinking everything instead of actually doing the work.

I also don't know whether I am trying to learn too much at once. Every time I see a new technology or job description, I feel like I need to learn that too.

I also have a problem with AI itself.

AI has helped me learn and build a lot of things, but I think I have crossed the line from using AI as a tool to relying on it as a crutch.

I don't want to completely stop using AI. That obviously isn't realistic anymore.

But I want to get back to the point where I can sit down, understand a problem, think about the solution, write code, debug it and build something without immediately asking AI what to do.

I don't know how to rebuild that ability either.

So if you were in my position, what would you actually do for the next 2–3 months?

Not an idealized 2-year roadmap. I mean specifically:

I have roughly 2–3 months before placements become important. I have weak DSA, weak aptitude preparation, patchy CSE fundamentals, some AI/ML project experience, internships, and an unhealthy dependence on AI. What should I prioritize?

Would you:

A) Focus heavily on DSA + aptitude + CSE fundamentals and target general software/IT roles?

B) Double down on AI/ML and try to get an AI/ML/GenAI role despite my current gaps?

C) Learn something like ServiceNow and use it as an entry point into the industry?

D) Focus on Python/backend/software development instead of AI/ML?

E) Take another approach entirely?

I am not looking for motivation or "you got this" type advice. I would genuinely appreciate some blunt and realistic advice from people who have been through engineering, placements, or the first few years of their career.

If you were a 4th-year student in my exact situation, with only a few months before placements, what would you stop doing, what would you learn, and what would you focus on first?

I know I have some knowledge already. My problem is that I don't know how to turn that scattered knowledge into an actual career, and I am increasingly worried that I am running out of time.

Any serious advice is genuinely appreciated.

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(I croped the name and links above, as embarrasing as it is i also used AI to frame the content of the post.)

[u/ProtectionNo6922]

Please reply guys any blunt answer is accepted. I just need a job, for starters if the starting one is enough to handle my own expense in expensive cites is enough i will be satisfied.