SIT102

Honest first year check-in for any CS mentors reading: SIT102 is harder than I expected and I would love advice. Coming from Python in high school, switching to C++ with SplashKit in trimester 1 threw me. The syntax is fine now, but I still freeze on the credit and distinction tasks because I do not know how to break a problem into functions and data structures. For example, the pong game task: I got the paddle moving, but the moment I added scoring and two players my main loop turned into 200 lines of if statements. I have been rewriting it from scratch three times instead of refactoring. I also want to start preparing for internships early and people keep saying algorithms and interviews, but I do not know whether that means LeetCode now or after SIT232. My plan right now is: finish the SplashKit tutorials again, watch a data structures series on YouTube, and try two easy LeetCode problems a week in Python. Is that a sensible plan for a first year, or am I spreading myself too thin? Any tips on structuring game code like pong would be amazing too.

For first years asking where to start with Python beyond SIT102: build a CLI tool you'll actually use. Mine was a script that renamed my lecture downloads. Ugly code, real problem, learned more than any tutorial.

As a SIT102 tutor: the students who pass comfortably are the ones who type out every lecture example themselves instead of just reading it. Muscle memory is real for syntax. 20 minutes a day beats a 6-hour panic session.

Week 4 of SIT102 and arrays finally clicked after I drew them as parking spots on paper. Sharing in case it helps another year 1, because sometimes the dumb analogy is the one that works.

theodinproject.comThe Odin ProjectFree full-stack curriculum used by a lot of our IT mentors.

PSA for SIT102 students: the practice exam on CloudDeakin is from an older curriculum. My tutor said focus on the lab tasks from weeks 8-11 instead. Would've wasted my whole study week on the wrong material.

theodinproject.comThe Odin ProjectFree full-stack curriculum used by a lot of our IT mentors.

Referral thread for Deakin CS students applying to software engineering internships at Google. I can refer a handful of people this round. How it works: apply through the official careers site first, then reply here with the role you applied for, one project you are proud of (GitHub link), and which units you did well in. I only refer people I have spoken to, so I will book a free 15 minute chat through a Sodu session request. Be honest about what a referral does: it gets your resume read by a human, it does not skip a single interview. Please do not DM me your phone number, reply here.

I got my Atlassian internship without a referral, so here is what a referral actually changes and what it does not. It changes: a recruiter reads your resume instead of a filter. It does not change: the online assessment, the technical interview, or the values interview. So ask for a referral only once your resume is ready, not as a shortcut. What worked for me: SIT232 project on GitHub with tests, two mock interviews from the SIT102 community, and a DeakinTALENT resume check. If you want a referral from anyone on here, send a finished resume and a specific role, not just 'can you refer me'.