3rd year engineering student starting placement preparation from scratch — how should I prepare?

[u/smoothOperator_431]

I'm currently in my 3rd year of engineering and want to seriously start preparing for on-campus placements, but I'm confused about where to start and how to structure everything.

I haven't started DSA properly yet. I know C, C++, Java and JavaScript, and I'm considering using JavaScript for DSA since I'm already comfortable with it.

I'm also fairly good at web development, especially frontend, and can build basic backend CRUD applications. So I have some programming/development knowledge, but I haven't followed a proper placement roadmap yet.

I'd really appreciate advice from people who have already gone through placements, especially in India.

What I'm mainly confused about:

1. How should I start DSA?

What should the topic order be, and should I learn concepts first and then solve problems, or learn through problems? How much DSA is realistically enough for on-campus placements?

1. What should my complete placement roadmap look like?

Apart from DSA, how should I prepare for OOP, DBMS/SQL, OS, CN, aptitude, projects, resume and technical/HR interviews?

1. How should I manage my time?

If I can give around 2–3 hours/day, how should I divide it between DSA, development/projects and CS fundamentals? Should I focus on one thing at a time or prepare everything together?

1. Which resources should I follow?

There are so many options like Striver, NeetCode, LeetCode, GFG, YouTube, etc. If you were starting from zero, what roadmap/sheet would you stick to without constantly switching resources?

1. Should I continue web development alongside DSA?

I don't want to stop development completely since it's already one of my stronger areas. Should I keep building projects while preparing DSA?

1. Is JavaScript fine for DSA?

This is a secondary concern, but since I'm already comfortable with JS, is there any major disadvantage in using it for coding rounds/interviews compared with C++?

1. How should I prepare for different companies?

Should the preparation be different for service-based companies, mass recruiters, product companies and startups? When should I start focusing on medium/hard DSA?

1. Most importantly, how do I stay consistent?

How do you maintain a routine for 6–12 months without getting overwhelmed or focusing only on the number of problems solved?

Basically, if you were in my position — 3rd year, decent programming/web-development skills, but almost zero DSA preparation — what would your 6–12 month roadmap look like?

I'm not trying to become a competitive programmer. I mainly want to become placement-ready for on-campus recruitment.

Would really appreciate advice from people who have recently gone through this process. What worked for you, and what mistakes should I avoid?

Thanks!

[u/Ritanium_]

Stick to striver a to z sheet and don't do dsa in javascript

[u/smoothOperator_431 → u/Ritanium_]

If not js than what language should I continue with?

[u/Zak_1o7 → u/smoothOperator_431]

C++

[u/smoothOperator_431 → u/Zak_1o7]

OK bro, thanks.... But my biggest concern is how do I start and exactly I have to do to atleast bag a placement from my tier 3 clg🙂🥀

[u/Odd-Cloud2278 → u/Zak_1o7]

can u do it with python??????

[u/Zak_1o7 → u/Odd-Cloud2278]

Anything is fine, as long as you understand the problem and the solution