Thank You Letter: Fill & Download for Free

First year is very much similar to school academic year,You will have Maths, Physics, Chemistry, English. You will be even studying Mechanics and Graphics (now a practical carried on AutoCAD). I suggest give time to these subjects. The fact they do not weigh in brushing your computer science skills is true but to proceed to the next level, you need to clear them at a point.C will be taught in this year, HOLD THERE. You will be taught all the basic programming concepts (conditions, loops, functions) in C. If you think you want to learn python and neglect C, you’re making a mistake of losing time that would benefit you with these concepts that are general to many other languages.Do not spread your wings outside academic doors yet, you have good amount of academic pressure and you need to be patient. By the end of first year, You will be well aware of student bodies, hackathons and events that will drive your career traits. Dive into all student bodies immediately once second year starts.Second year is slightly narrow but in depth, You will have maths again here in both the semesters. You will also have two electronic subjects. You might think studying motors or diodes are not gonna add up to your productive Intellect to put in use later as a CS graduate but you will be amazed to know how they are interconnected with the hardware technology of Comp Architecture. Coming to the subjects that matter, You will be taught everything in detail, generally your learning curve depends upon your seriousness towards lectures. Talking about Labs, you will be taught OOPs concepts, searching techniques etc. Never make the mistake of memorizing these programs just because your friends are doing it or you think your lab external is the end of the subject. You will regret it later.This is the time you experiment with all student bodies to know which suits you the best, If you’re a technical person, maybe robotics or CSI is for you. If you’re a design guy, maybe you fit in to make posters for college. If you’re a management wizard, E-Cell is for you. You will decide to stick to one for the next year and upgrade yourself to work and give your 100% to just one student body.Third year, You will gradually feel the academic stress slowing down, the subjects you deal with in third year are mostly theoretical. Yes, you just have to be a wikipedia to study and score marks academically. Unfortunately, Our OU syllabus does not emphasize on current hot languages such as R, Python or Ruby on Rails. You will be studying Software Testing, Database Management and acquiring knowledge theoretically. Also, There are two subjects you will come across namely, Arithmetic Logic and circuits, Compiler Constructions. These subjects are root foundation to ML. Machine Learning is going to be the next big thing in the tech Industry. DO NOT Ignore them.Meanwhile due to lack of updated syllabus, you will stay an average student unless you do research on your own or explore CS courses on udemy/coursera. If you want to be a great programmer and you study CS in MJCET, then you have to explore courses online and study. CodeChef, Google Code-In are some great examples you can try.It’s time to choose the student body that best fits you. You shouldn’t be leaving or taking any student body for granted no matter how the environment prevails, this is the time you need to Upgrade at a higher position or a prominent team member. You will have interviews in the end competing for head positions. Never make the mistake to miss this experience.I also suggest by the time you’re in third year, you need to grab your specialization in programming. Some are Android developers, some are Web while some like to use Microsoft technologies. You need not be good at everything, grab one road, Race in like a Ferrari.You will have projects too, You can choose to take them seriously or you can just submit anything. You will be given marks. Remember, If you’re studying CS with a motive to score marks, you’re going wrong my friend. Chase it as a passion, not as a numerical academic percentage.I have just completed my third year and therefore I have no experience regarding the final year. I will get back to your question and re-edit a year later. For now, I hope this helps.If you’re supposedly in a good environment of friends, you will be at an age where you understand yourself, what you’re good at and what your strengths are.Personally speaking, I haven’t been a great programmer as a CS student, I haven’t evolved myself technically but I have figured out that I am good at management.This will not only help you to boost your self esteem but also clear your fog ahead of your career life. You have specializations in CS later, MIS, CS, SE, DataScience etc.Before you begin fourth year, gear up for the tests that require admissions in graduate universities and campus recruitment training to nail placements.This is not it, you can also open your options to off-campus placements, Startups etcFourth Year : GRE - TOEFL/IELTS - PLACEMENTS - TRIPS : This is what 90% of the college will be talking about in the final year. Students will try every opportunity on campus. Nobody will be clear about their goal, just hitting chances because there is always something better. Meanwhile, some will even have back up plans in case their primary goals are delayed or don’t meet. CS/IT/ECE will have slightly better opportunities than other streams. Your friends from other streams will rant about how unfortunate they are in an exaggerated way. Some Individuals will choose to expand their network in groups while some will be focusing on Individual resume build up by research publications and Internships. College fest, Farewell, Major project, last practical, last theory paper will all be an emotional moment for many. The last group trips (In the city or anywhere!) marked will be the most memorable moments of Engineering. All above, there is a fear of holding onto a backlog in the last year so studies will still remain a priority. I have found the university syllabus of last 2 years to be more easier compared to the first 2 years because most of the subjects are plain theory in the end with the electives mostly being a set of management subjects.Do not forget to start working on Offer letters, university applications, letter of appreciation/recommendation, Certificates and every other certificate that belongs to you as a credit of your hard work. Chances are, they are likely to help you at any point of your career in life.Post Engineering : The segregation of groups is unbelievable, it literally reminded me of Robert Frost’s “Road Not Taken”, this is the phase where best friends separate, groups break and nobody can pretty much do anything about the situation. It is all for their good in the end. Some choose to fly (USA, Canada, Australia are the most preferred destinations - USA is generally preferred for the best Education in the world. CS/IT Jobs are good in number, North America holds a higher advantage than the Australian Continent), some chose the Uni dorm life while some fly where there acquaintances are, some choose to gain experience, Some choose to settle down in a job, India or Middle East.PRO TIP : Network with your seniors, they’re a BIG BLESSING in your life you’d be thankful to God for. they know all curves of the road ahead and would be the best advisors to guide you. Before making a decision, discuss - assess and move Forward. What you learn in bachelor's in meerly nowhere equivalent (except the strong basics) to what is going on in the current tend of CS/IT Job Market.( NOTE : Do not restrict to just college placements. Try off campus and startups and make sure you’re in the relevant field of your study unless you’re confident about your career ahead in the future) - there are certainly good software companies coming, the best ones will be hard to crack as majority are not exposed to programming in their study tenure. the other software companies that recruit in bulks are good as well but beware about their rules and bond (this can literally control your early 20s and what you want to do ).Tech Startups are a smart way to start too as there is a lot to learn in them (the only con will be the pay scale).In the end, It’s all done and we get busy in our individual roads. Just bits of memories is what we carry to look back and rejoice. Months or Years later, Once in a while, If I get to come across my Seniors/Classmates/Juniors, that for me would be a very beautiful moment because I miss my college life.And believe it or not, It’s the sad truth, unless you’re really really lucky, Dating in college is a waste of time.

I’m not certain what should be considered a “fluff” degree. There are some degrees with limited earning potential. But they do have potential.The pitfall is that students are not receiving good career counseling going in, and colleges (especially the for-profit ones) keep spreading the myth that whatever amount you borrow for college will be worth it.A student who has a well defined career goal is more likely to complete the right degree and find a way into that profession. When I was out looking for a full-time college teaching job, I knew (thanks fo my own research) that there were openings for maybe 15 of those positions nationally. I also expected that for every opening there would be 100 applicants or so. Would you consider that a “fluff” degree and career choice? Well, I had planned properly and prepared myself with course work, credentials and references that were outrstanding, and after 4 interviews I’d received 3 offers, took one, and had to send letters to a dozen other colleges instructing that I would not be available.In similar ways, 90% of people who want to be professional actors wind up earning their money in jobs other than acting. However, many of my classmates went on to successful acting careers—no big stars among them, but people who’d show up on a single episode of Law and Order or CSI. They knew how to break in. So is acting a “fluff” major?As in all areas of life, some prepare and make good choices, others don’t.

A career as a writer doesn’t have to mean an entirely solitary life. Instead of sitting alone at a desk, drinking mass amounts of coffee, and scraping your mind for material, you could choose to huddle in a conference room with other writers in an effort to burst the boundaries of one human brain. And also drink mass amounts of coffee.There’s never been a better time to write for TV. Ever since the DVD created the ability to watch and rewatch shows at will, and especially since the DVR created the opportunity to never miss an episode, the craft of television writing has evolved from its original ideologies and inherent limitations. Dramas like Lost, The Wire, and Mad Men and comedies like Arrested Development, 30 Rock, and The Office have ushered in new eras of storytelling, production scope, and attention to detail. An intelligent writer no longer has to leave literary pursuits at the studio door.But that doesn’t mean you can just waltz into L.A. with an idea for a great new series and leap onto the pages of TV Guide. Unless you’ve got great connections, breaking into television, like any industry, often requires taking on an entry-level job. In this case, it could be more practical to first aspire to be a staff writer who contributes ideas and material to someone else’s show.Landing your first staff writing job could turn out to be easier than you think, but it’ll take a lot more than reading this article to make it happen. Let’s begin with some essential steps to get you moving in the right direction.Learn the Craft.TV writing follows formulas. Time limits, commercial breaks, and budgets are just a few of the writer’s constrictions. But, fear not. Think of these “obstacles” more as jumping points for new creative solutions. You can change the shape of a mold, but you can’t rip down the walls.On a more practical level, know this: TV (and movie) scripts adhere to strict aesthetic formatting guidelines. You can’t just open a word document, type freely, and send it out. If you do, your work will be trashed. Forget the recycle bin.1. Take classes.Option 1: Enroll in a degree-granting program. If TV writing is your definite goal as a writer, be careful not to choose too broad a major that covers all the types of creative writing. You are not trying to write poetry, short fiction, creative non-fiction or otherwise. You want to write for TV. So, instead, research each Creative Writing program, and find institutions committed to teaching writing for the entertainment industry, a whole different bag of tricks, and see if one is right for you. Many can be completed online, from anywhere in the world.Option 2: Sign up for classes from a non-degree seeking program. If you can write for TV better than the next guy, no one’s looking for your degree. These, too, can be taken online. Often, these types of programs offer certificates of completion to flaunt around town, if you really desire that piece of paper.Taking classes means you’ll learn the craft and make connections along the way. You’ll work with people who have real life experience. Connections are the most useful tool in any career endeavor, especially entertainment.2. Invest in some reference books.Check out Alex Epstein’s Crafty TV Writing: Thinking Inside the Box for valuable tips. Pick up The Screenwriter’s Bible, now in it’s fifth edition, for all issues with formatting. Be on the lookout for recommendations and new publications. Heed their advice. They’ll tell you all about the way dialogue is formatted and the way stage directions should lack directorial suggestions and explanation.3. Read other scripts/Actively watch TV from a writer’s perspective.If you’re lucky or skilled enough to dig up an actual script of your favorite show on the Internet, dive in and study it. If not, when you’re watching your favorite shows, ask questions: What is happening? How is it being conveyed? Why is it working? How can you apply this to your work? Look at character development, plot, structure, dialogue, etc. throughout a single episode and an entire season. Find patterns, make associations, and write down discoveries.A helpful habit is to transcribe shows as you watch (especially if you can rewind with DVD or DVR). Exactly how long are the episodes? How many acts make up one show? At what times are the commercial breaks? It’s more-often-than-not uniform for each episode of each specific show. Consult your craft books to properly format your transcriptions.4. Get scriptwriting software.This makes it a lot easier and faster for you to learn formatting as you write. The software offers the tools that help you squeeze your creativity into the acceptable aesthetic for reading.Some software, like Celtx, is free. Script It! is another affordable, comprehensive program. Final Draft is more expensive, but it’s the industry standard.The key to learning any craft is total immersion. Search for interviews with TV writers, find out who’s who in the industry, and consider the roads they’ve taken. Be confident. Live it. Stay humble. Keep an open mind.Write (and Rewrite) Your Spec Script.Spec scripts are speculative screenplays. No one asks or pays you to write it. Spec scripts can be written for original shows or episodes of existing shows.When aiming for your first staff-writing job, your duty is to write an episode of an existing show, not an original series. Your goal is not to sell your script but to get a job writing for someone else’s show. Think of your spec script as a calling card, a résumé, and a writing sample all in one.1. Choose a show to spec.Are you a dramatist or a comedian? If you’re a dramatist, do you write stuff more like CSI or Breaking Bad or something else entirely? If you’re a comedian, do you specialize in dry humor, satire, slapstick, or what? Writing a spec script for Curb Your Enthusiasm may not get you a job on something like Modern Family, but perhaps it’ll get you something along the lines of Eastbound & Down. It certainly won’t get you on Desperate Housewives.Pick a spec script for a proven show, not something in its first season. That way, you have more to draw from, and your future employers will be more likely to have heard of it and be familiar with it. It helps if the show is buzzworthy. This creates an illusion of a fast turnaround, a virtue in the TV industry. The script could take you months and months and months to get right, but no one has to know that.Stay away from shows that have been around too long. Think of all the writers who have already spec’ed it. The last thing you want is an agent thinking, Great—another Simpsons script or I’ll just stick this in that trash pile of other Law & Order renderings I’ve received the past 10 years.2. Study the structure, character, plot, and tone of the show.Now you know the importance of transcribing other shows while learning the craft. Locate the commercial breaks in the show, and make sure your spec script puts them in the right place. If the show has a classic A, B, C intersecting storyline, don’t add a D or remove the B. If it has a four-act structure, you better have four acts. If each script turns out to be 22 pages, don’t have more in yours. Do not reinvent the wheel.Know the main character. Prove you understand his or her voice, the types of choices he or she makes. Keep the side characters on the side. Your goal is not to develop character but to flaunt your consistency and your ability to do what is expected better than everyone else. But be careful: you do not want to recycle a plot that’s already been written. And you certainly don’t want to violate the show’s tone and do something like add moments of sentimentality in It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.3. Write the thing.There’s no way around it. Writer’s write. So, write. No shortcuts.4. Accept criticism. Thrive on it.Show your script to trusted friends and fans of the show. Do they believe in it? Can they see a flaw you can’t see because you’re not far enough removed? If it’s a comedy, do they think it’s funny? If it’s a drama, are they gripped? Can they sit there and read the whole thing?In writing rooms, shows are written by assembly. As a staff writer, you won’t get credit for your ideas or words, at first. Some people will like your ideas. Some won’t. Others will take what you say and twist it into something else. This is the nature. If you can’t accept criticism, no one will like you. You won’t survive by clawing your way into popularity.Find writing groups or workshops in your community or online. Don’t be bashful. People talk about the competitiveness of writers, but the truth is: unknown writers are all in it together. Never forget the importance of connections. You never know who will get you your first job.5. Write another.It can be a spec script for a similar show or another episode of the one you’ve already chosen. If an agent or executive likes what you’ve given them, they’ll want to see more of it. Do the work. Do you want to get a call request for another sample and have to make them wait?The key to writing your spec scripts is editing and rewriting. No first draft is a done deal. TV shows are written by more than one person for a reason. Everything can be improved. Dialogue can be tightened. Layers take time, thought, rethought, and more time. Fresh eyes breed fresh solutions. Fresh solutions mean better writing.Get an AgentUnless you have direct connections, most TV executives will not read unsolicited manuscripts. Agents, then, are your transportation from obscurity to employment. They make a living off the sales skills and connections you don’t have because you were too busy writing. They don’t get paid unless you do. If an agent is asking any fee from you other than something small, like copying costs or more than the standard 10-12 percent, be skeptical. Scams exist out there. Don’t be a desperate dummy.1. Find and research agencies. Target new individual agents.The Writer’s Guild of America has done you a favor by compiling a list of reputable agencies. Check it out. Research the ones that interest you. What type of stuff do they represent? How do they want to be contacted? Are they accepting new writers?Notice that the list covers full agencies, not individual agents. An individual will represent you, so research the one or two at the agencies who prefer writers like you. Agents are busy people. They don’t have time for, say, a dramatist emailing a specialist in sketch-comedy writers.Focus on newer agents at the firms. They’re more willing to fight for something they believe in. And that’s exactly what you want in an agent: someone who believes in you as much as you do. New agents want to represent the next big thing as much as you want to be it.2. Sculpt a provocative query letterQuery letters are your first form of communication with an agent. If your query intrigues an agent, he/she will ask to see your spec script. Don’t just open an email, write some stuff, and hit send. There’s an art to this. Entire books have been written about the process. Classes are offered. If you buy a book or take a class, make sure it’s geared toward query letters for the entertainment industry. Most classes out there cover querying non-fiction books. Those obviously aren’t for you.A quick Google search will show numerous articles dedicated solely to writing this letter effectively. In general, queries are no longer than one page. The briefer, the better. You simply introduce yourself and the work you want to send. You don’t need to tell your life story, and you don’t need to suggest which studios you like. Don’t do their job. Request to send them your spec script. If they’re interested in the show, currently accepting new clients, or awoken by your standout query, they’ll want to read it. If not, they won’t.Don’t be afraid to show a little personality. Stand out from the crowd. This is the entertainment industry. So, entertain.The best advice from ATX that screenwriters shared to help get your show idea from spec to production.3. Get used to rejection.Sometimes agents don’t respond. Many times, they respond negatively. It doesn’t mean you’re not cut out for TV writing. It means the agent/writer relationship isn’t a good fit or, more commonly, you’re a victim of bad timing.Keep logs of agencies and agents that you’ve queried and that have both requested and not requested for you to send your spec script. Nothing is more annoying to an agent than hearing from the same writer over and over again. It shows recklessness and impatience. Sometimes agents will respond after you think they’ve ignored you or when you think there’s no hope left. Sometimes they’ll refer you to someone who is a better fit.Be polite. Thank them for their time. Don’t burn bridges.The key to getting an agent is well-aimed persistence. Meet more people. Write more scripts. Try, try again. If you don’t like making connections and writing for free, chances are you won’t like writing for money either.Remember: the joy of being a writer is the process of writing, not in the rewards of having written. If you want it, if you’re committed, if you live it, no one will stop you.