A Note To IT/Computer Science Students

So, life is great in Zimbabwe right? Cool. And you managed to get a degree or diploma in IT/Computer Science, at whatever institution (whether you wanted it or not …), life is awesome. I hope you pardon me because I’m going to be frank and if this article offends you, then …

Firstly, congratulations for getting that spot at that institution for IT/Computer Science. So basically I’m sure that the reason most people go to college is because their financial situation might not be ideal, right? Your parents might be struggling to give you the life they want due to the economic situation, and a whole lot of other unfortunate circumstances. And they probably want a better life for you. So they sent you to college, and you decided to do IT/Computer science because it’s the big idea, the world is evolving and becoming computerized. Or maybe the institution gave it to you because they ran out of spots for you in whatever program you wanted!

Inasmuch as colleges tell people that after studying this program you can be the next Bill Gates or Mark Zuckerberg, it just doesn’t happen! At least not in the way you expect. You will realize that most people are just going to work eight or so hours a day, they get home and they will be too tired to do anything. And in this country where getting a job is a hassle, most institutions will tell you beforehand to try to forget about getting a job and invest in entrepreneurship. But not everyone is cut out for starting a business right?

Or maybe you like hacking people’s servers and computers. That’s okay too.  The important thing I’d like you to realize, from this article, is that studying and becoming the best computer science or IT student will not make you a millionaire. It won’t even help pay the bills! Sure if you have a first class degree you can get a job but you won’t be really good on the practical side of things either. And if you’re a programmer, you might be tempted to think just because you are a wizard at code you would make a lot of money, however, think again! Of course, you might pass all the tests a company requires and get employed, or maybe get regular contracts from clients developing software, but is it okay for you to stare at a computer for eight hours coding something only to get a predefined salary and bad eyesight?

If you are on attachment, congratulations, you finally managed to get it! Most students usually expect to be told what to do, what awesome software to code etc. but when they get the job, they’ll only be doing customer support. Basically, they’ll just complain about how they are not doing anything related to their  area of study.

If you think the above scenarios suck (I know they do), then I can give you some advice on how you can be awesome and probably enjoy doing what you do. What you need is to make whatever you do a HIGH-INCOME SKILL. What I mean is that if you are doing website development, make websites that cost $5K, instead of $50. A wise person once said, “the best investment you can ever do is investing in yourself.” In other words, if you want to hack Econet people’s servers, make sure you have a contract for that, and you are pretty damn good at it! Your skills need improving to world-class levels, and never settle for mediocrity. If someone does not have money but they want a $10 000 e-commerce website, either refuse the job altogether or settle for a payment plan. Do not let them dictate your price, otherwise, you might as well as do everything for free.

Imagine if you could work for whatever company, you come to work in your S-Class at whatever time (say maybe nine o’clock?), work for six or seven hours, going back at four or something. In other words, you would be working at your own time, at your own pace, but getting a lot of money. You could do that, and yes in Zimbabwe! Or you could leave, and go to South Africa, where you will just be doing the same old “trading time for money” all over again, just for a higher price. The end result would be the same, you would still get tired and you won’t really have the freedom to do whatever you want!

So, what have I been saying? Improve your skills, and if you have a job, upgrade yourself so that what you are getting paid for, you also do it elsewhere. If you are making software, make sure it’s world-class so you can charge more for it! I mean why should you get peanuts for doing what you love? (if you do!)

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