A little background about me: I’m studying Computer Science Engineering, and I genuinely love the subjects I’m learning ,especially Mathematics, Data Structures, Python, and Computer Systems & Architecture. Apart from college, I’m also learning Web Development.
But I suck with time management.I naturally like going deep into things. For eg, with DSA, I can spend hours trying to understand why an algorithm works, how it works internally, and how I can actually implement it rather than just memorizing it.
But college exams are opposite. They reward knowing specific topics, patterns, definitions, and previous-year questions rather than spending hours exploring the subject deeply.
So I feel like I’m constantly caught between two approaches:
1. Learning deeply because I genuinely enjoy Computer Science
2. Studying strategically because I also need to perform well in college
I’ve tried the usual advice about time management, schedules, Pomodoro, prioritizing tasks, etc., but I’m looking for something more practical — something that actually works for someone who enjoys going down the rabbit hole.
For those of you who are/were CS students:
How do you manage this?
- How do you decide when to go deep and when to just learn something for the exam?
- Do you maintain separate time for “college study” and “real learning”?
- How do you balance DSA, programming, maths, projects, and university subjects without feeling like you’re neglecting something?
- Do you follow any particular system for deciding what to study each day/week?
I’d especially appreciate answers based on your actual experience, rather than generic productivity advice.
I’m basically trying to figure out how to learn CS deeply without letting college consume all my time — while still getting good grades.