Upasana Singh

Code works. But your mind doesn’t. Being a software engineer isn’t always a dream job. Sometimes you're not just debugging code—but life too. And no one talks enough about this. Over the last 3 years working at Flipkart, I’ve had phases where everything seemed right on paper: 1. Good team 2. Great projects 3. Learning curve 4. Decent pay Yet mentally? Drained. Here are some things I’ve learned and started practicing to manage this better—sharing in case it helps even one person reading this: Mental and Emotional Health Take mental breaks seriously. Pomodoro + actual walks > burnout. Speak to a therapist or coach if it’s getting too much. I recommend YourDOST or MindPeers. Journaling isn’t overrated—apps like Daylio or even Notion can help track your moods. Physical Well-being (Impacts the Mind) A simple 30-min daily movement: yoga, walk, gym—anything works. Don’t underestimate sleep. I’ve seen productivity double just by sleeping 7–8 hours. Workplace Boundaries Say no. Block time. Avoid being “always online.” Use Slack’s status and calendar blocks. Small things, big impact. Tools That Helped Me Notion — for organizing both personal and work tasks. Serene or Forest App — for distraction-free work. Toggl — time tracking helped me realize when I’m pretending to work vs actually working. Community Support Join honest spaces like Dev Twitter, Blind, or Discord groups for your tech stack or role. Talking to peers, even anonymously, often reminds you: you’re not alone. If you’ve been struggling silently, know that: It's okay to not feel okay. It's not weakness—it’s human. And you’re not alone in this. Let’s build a culture that respects people, not just productivity. If you have more resources or practices that helped you, feel free to drop them here. Someone might just need it today. Follow Upasana Singh for more such reads.

Let’s be honest — most engineering colleges overload students with: Attendance pressure Never-ending assignments Frequent internals Minimal focus on actual skills that matter in the industry Still, thousands crack top tech placements every year. How? Here’s what they do differently: ✅ Prioritize Learning Over Grades Grades matter, but what gets you a job is your skillset. Focus on building real knowledge in DSA, core subjects, and real-world projects. ✅ Time-Box Your Efforts Use the Pomodoro method or weekly planning. Assign time for classes Set fixed hours for placement prep And yes, keep a little time to unwind — burnout helps no one. ✅ Build Projects That Speak For You Your GitHub > Your CGPA Build 2-3 good projects that show your practical understanding — recruiters love them. ✅ Leverage Communities Join coding clubs, LinkedIn circles, Discord servers — learning in a group keeps you motivated. ✅ Intern Early If You Can Even unpaid internships or open-source contributions add massive value. Real-world experience beats theoretical assignments. ✅ Mock Interviews & Resume Reviews Start early, practice with peers, and always ask for feedback. 🎯 College won’t change overnight, but your approach can. Your degree might give you a paper, but your effort gives you a career. Let’s make it count. 💪 Follow Upasana Singh for more such reads.

Freshers need experience to get a job. But they need a job to get experience. This paradox is silently crushing a generation of brilliant minds. They’re called freshers, but the expectations are anything but fresh: ✔️2+ internships ✔️3 major projects ✔️500+ DSA questions ✔️Contributions to open source ✔️Hands-on with 5+ tools and frameworks All this — before they get their first offer letter. And when they don’t match this checklist, they’re labelled “not good enough.” But here’s what rarely gets said: 📌 They aren’t underqualified. 📌 They aren’t lazy. 📌 They’re just never given a chance. Instead of asking “What have you already done?”, what if we asked 👉 “What can you do, if guided right?” The industry talks a lot about “potential.” It’s time we start believing in it. To all the freshers reading this — You’re not alone. Keep building, keep applying. The right door will open. And when it does — you’ll walk in ready. Follow Upasana Singh #freshers #softwareEngineering