How to balance DSA, web dev, and core subjects for placements?

Real talk: as a mechanical engineer who landed a decent tech role, I focused 60% on DSA fundamentals (sorting, trees, graphs) rather than grinding 500 LC problems. The other 40% was ONE polished project (mine was a Django app for predictive maintenance) that I could talk about confidently in interviews. Core subjects? Just pass them decently—companies know engineering college weightage. Your GPA matters only if it's below 7.0.

I'm in a similar boat (Chemical Eng, 3rd year). What worked for me: I dedicate weekends to DSA (4 hours Saturday, 3 Sunday), weekdays to one development mini-project per month, and attend all core classes. I don't do homework unless exam is near. My CGPA is 7.8 and I've cleared 2 internship interviews. The trick is consistency over intensity—30 mins daily on DSA beats 8 hours once a month.

The key is to avoid the illusion of productivity. You don't need to be an expert in all three. Prioritize like this: (1) Core subjects until you're at 7+ CGPA, (2) DSA medium problems (150–200 solved), (3) ONE portfolio project. Internships in 2nd year care more about learning attitude than being a leetcode warrior. A 6-month internship in core/mechanical design teaches you more than a semester of grinding.

From my perspective as a faculty member: your core subjects are non-negotiable if you want internships in core domains (thermal, manufacturing, design). If you're aiming for IT/software roles only, then yes, DSA becomes primary. But many mechanical engineers regret not learning their core well—it limits your mid-career options. Have an honest conversation with yourself: core engineering role, or pure software? That decision drives your entire 2nd–4th year strategy.

OP, I'm also mech 2nd year at an NIT (different one). I started doing exactly what you said and burnt out by mid-semester. Now I'm focusing hard on 1–2 topics per month for DSA (like DP or graphs), doing assignments seriously, and I'll start a real project after semester ends. It feels slower but I'm actually retaining stuff. Also, joining a coding club helped because we solved problems together.

Mother here. My son is in a similar situation at a state engineering college. I tell him: focus on the course first, placements will come. Core subjects teach you to think like an engineer—that's the foundation. DSA and projects are supplements. Also, talk to your seniors who actually got placed; they'll give you real timelines and expectations, not hype.

Thanks everyone, this is super helpful. So if I understand right, I should drop the idea of being "master of all" and pick a lane by end of 2nd year? I think I'm more interested in software roles (honestly, core manufacturing bores me), so I should double down on DSA + 1 solid project and keep CGPA above 7.5?