Cooked Computer Science: The Raw Truth About Being a New Grad with No Internships in 2025

TL;DR: Based entirely on a candid, 24-minute personal reflection, we unpack every insight, emotion, mistake, and hard-earned realization to create a comprehensive guide for anyone in…

• 📹 Watch the Complete Video Tutorial
• What Does “Cooked Computer Science” Really Mean?
• My Background: From PC Builder to “Cooked” CS Grad
• The Critical Mistake: Skipping Internships
• Why Internships Are Now Non-Negotiable
• The Harsh Reality of Today’s Entry-Level Job Market
• The Identity Crisis After Graduation
• My Academic Strategy—And Why It Backfired
• Job Search Efforts and Rejection Patterns
• The Role of Family and Lack of Industry Connections
• Personal Projects: Are They Enough?
• Emotional and Mental Health Toll
• Survival Mode: Living at Home and Considering Backup Jobs
• The Only Glimmer of Hope: Referrals from Friends
• Content Creation as a Backup Plan
• Why the “Learn to Code” Promise Faded
• Key Takeaways for Current Students
• Final Thoughts: Is There Still Hope?
• Action Plan for “Cooked” CS Grads
• Conclusion: Redefining Success in a Broken System

If you’ve ever felt like your Computer Science degree didn’t prepare you for the brutal reality of today’s job market—especially without internships—you’re not alone. This article dives deep into the unfiltered experience of a real 2025 CS graduate who calls themselves “cooked,” not because they lack talent or passion, but because they walked out of college with nothing but a diploma and school projects. Based entirely on a candid, 24-minute personal reflection, we unpack every insight, emotion, mistake, and hard-earned realization to create a comprehensive guide for anyone in a similar position.

This isn’t just a sob story—it’s a raw, detailed account of systemic gaps in career preparation, the shifting expectations of entry-level roles, and the emotional toll of job hunting in a saturated market. Whether you’re a recent grad, a student planning ahead, or a mentor trying to understand the new landscape, this guide reveals what it truly means to be “cooked” in Computer Science today—and what you might still do about it.

What Does “Cooked Computer Science” Really Mean?

“Cooked Computer Science” isn’t a technical term—it’s a cultural expression born from the frustration of new graduates who followed the traditional path (earn a CS degree) but find themselves unemployable due to missing industry expectations. In this context, being “cooked” means:

• Graduating with no internships or professional experience
• Holding a degree but lacking the real-world validation employers demand
• Feeling trapped in a job market that labels entry-level roles as requiring 2–5 years of experience
• Experiencing identity loss after college, with no clear next step

The speaker emphasizes: “This video isn’t about how bad the job market is for everybody else… This is about me. I am cooked.” The phrase captures the personal, existential crisis—not just economic hardship—faced by those who played by the old rules in a game that’s since changed.

My Background: From PC Builder to “Cooked” CS Grad

The speaker’s journey into Computer Science began in high school, not through formal mentorship, but through hands-on curiosity:

• Built their own PC used for streaming
• Developed a genuine interest in how computers work
• Chose CS in college because it “felt cool” and seemed like a “reliable way to get a job”

Importantly, they had no family background in tech, IT, or CS. Their father’s side entered the investment world only in their 30s, meaning there was zero guidance on career strategy, internships, or industry norms. This lack of insider knowledge became a critical disadvantage.

The Critical Mistake: Skipping Internships

The core reason the speaker feels “cooked” is straightforward: they never completed a single internship during college. While they excelled academically and loved their coursework—data structures, computer architecture, programming languages—their resume lacks professional experience.

They clarify: “I had built my PC… I went to school because I thought it was interesting… I did my best in school. But now what?”

This “non-decision” (not actively seeking internships) wasn’t born of laziness, but of ignorance: “I didn’t know what I was supposed to be doing. All I knew how to do was go to class.”

Why Internships Are Now Non-Negotiable

According to the speaker, internships have become the de facto gateway into the industry:

• Companies use internships as a filtering mechanism to identify “verified” talent
• Without them, new grads appear untested and high-risk
• Even post-graduation internship opportunities are scarce—they’re mostly reserved for currently enrolled students

After graduation, the speaker tried applying for internships but found: “They are really only accepting people that are still going to school.” This creates a catch-22: you need experience to get experience, but you can’t get it once you’ve left academia.

The Harsh Reality of Today’s Entry-Level Job Market

The speaker’s daily job search reveals a disturbing trend:

“Every single [expletive] job requires three plus, five plus years of experience for an entry-level role.”

This isn’t hyperbole—it’s a systemic issue where “entry-level” listings demand 2–5 years of experience, effectively excluding true beginners. The speaker suspects this is tied to broader economic shifts:

• Companies are cutting new grad and intern hires
• Some firms are replacing junior roles with AI agents managed by senior developers
• High unemployment rates among new grads across all fields, not just CS

The result? A market that feels rigged against those without prior experience, no matter how strong their academic foundation.

The Identity Crisis After Graduation

Beyond financial stress, the speaker grapples with a profound loss of identity:

“When I was in school, I was studying to get good grades and I was in school to get a job. Now I’m not in school anymore. Like a big part of my identity as a person is gone.”

In college, purpose came from learning, late-night coding sessions, and shared passion with peers. Post-graduation, that community vanishes. At home, “nobody else around me is dealing with the same problems… nobody around me is a computer science major.” This isolation amplifies feelings of uselessness and confusion.

My Academic Strategy—And Why It Backfired

The speaker’s college plan seemed logical on the surface:

• Take maximum credits each semester, including summers
• Graduate in exactly four years (August 2025)
• Enter the workforce quickly to start earning

They believed this was “playing by the rules.” But in hindsight, it was “the worst plan” because it prioritized speed over experience-building. They reflect: “I should have just stayed another year at school just to try to get an internship.”

Unfortunately, cultural and familial expectations reinforced this mindset—doing an extra year might be seen as “doing bad in school,” not as a strategic career move.

Job Search Efforts and Rejection Patterns

Two months post-graduation, the speaker’s job hunt includes:

• Daily scrolling through LinkedIn and job sites
• Applying to “a lot of things,” including internships (with limited success)
• Attending college job fairs (resulted in only one interview)

That single interview was a disaster—not due to lack of knowledge, but because it was their first-ever CS-related interview. Without practice or mentorship, they were “ridiculously unprepared.”

Now, they fear their LinkedIn profile is instantly dismissed: “These companies will not look at me the moment they check my LinkedIn profile and notice I have no CS experience.”

The Role of Family and Lack of Industry Connections

A recurring theme is the absence of a support network:

“Nobody in my family does this [expletive]. I’m the first one that has ever done anything tech-related in my family. I don’t have connections to the market like that.”

Without relatives or close contacts in tech, the speaker lacks:

• Advice on career strategy
• Referrals or internal recommendations
• Understanding of unspoken industry norms (like the internship imperative)

This puts them at a severe disadvantage compared to peers who “had some outside guidance” and knew to secure internships early.

Personal Projects: Are They Enough?

The speaker did complete projects—but mostly as part of coursework:

• “A few that I done on my own” (personal projects)
• “Mostly they were school projects”

While they enjoy coding and building, they question the ROI: “Why am I just going to do all this stuff for nothing? Is there still a point to doing all this?”

Industry advice (“Go do it! You already made it!”) feels hollow when job descriptions ignore project-based portfolios in favor of professional experience. Without validation from a company, personal work lacks credibility in the eyes of hiring managers.

Emotional and Mental Health Toll

The psychological impact is severe and ongoing:

• Feeling like an “absolutely useless human”
• Experiencing “constant toiling and mental torture”
• Questioning the purpose of their four years of study: “What was it all for?”
• Falling into patterns of “insanity”—doing the same job search routine while expecting different results

Even though they loved CS in school, the post-grad reality has drained their sense of purpose. The daily ritual of job searching “ruins every bit of that day,” turning passion into pain.

Survival Mode: Living at Home and Considering Backup Jobs

Financially, the speaker is in survival mode:

• Living with parents (a temporary safety net)
• No income two months after graduation
• Seriously considering returning to a previous non-CS job just to earn money

They stress: “I need money. I got to eat. And there’s no other way around that.” This pragmatic fallback highlights the urgency—and the risk of abandoning their CS career before it even begins.

The Only Glimmer of Hope: Referrals from Friends

Amid the despair, one potential path forward emerges:

“Maybe one of my friends can put in a good word for me at a job that they’re working at and I can get something. Maybe that’s really the only way that I can see myself getting a job in the near future in computer science.”

This underscores the growing importance of networking and referrals in a competitive market. For those without family connections, peer networks may be the last lifeline.

Content Creation as a Backup Plan

Faced with few options, the speaker is exploring alternatives:

• Streaming more (building on their high school hobby)
• Starting a YouTube channel (“maybe I will start doing this [expletive] more”)
• Sharing their raw experience as content (“I’m just going to send this straight to YouTube if I upload it”)

While not a direct path to a software engineering role, content creation offers a way to stay engaged with technology, build a portfolio, and potentially monetize their knowledge—even if they can’t land a traditional job.

Why the “Learn to Code” Promise Faded

The speaker reflects on the cultural shift around CS:

“Everybody was hyping, ‘learn to code, learn to code.’ Now everybody’s [expletive] doing it and now nobody has a [expletive] job.”

What was once sold as a guaranteed ticket to prosperity has become oversaturated. The promise of easy employment ignored structural realities: the need for experience, networking, and timing. For the speaker, this feels like a “damn shame”—not because they regret studying CS, but because the system failed to prepare them for its own demands.

Key Takeaways for Current Students

Based on this painful experience, here’s what current CS students must prioritize:

Final Thoughts: Is There Still Hope?

Despite the despair, the speaker hasn’t given up:

“I’m still going to try… because I don’t think I have another [expletive] choice really.”

They acknowledge the love they have for CS—the friendships, the growth, the intellectual joy—and refuse to let that be erased by market conditions. Their message to others in the same boat is compassionate: “I hope that you win. I hope you get that yes from a company.”

Action Plan for “Cooked” CS Grads

If you’re in this position, here’s what the transcript suggests you do immediately:

1. Reach out to CS friends—ask for referrals or advice
2. Target smaller companies or startups that may be more flexible on experience
3. Contribute to open-source projects to build public, verifiable experience
4. Practice coding interviews daily using platforms like LeetCode or HackerRank
5. Consider freelance or contract work to get “professional experience” on your resume
6. Document your journey—blogging or video can showcase communication skills and passion

Conclusion: Redefining Success in a Broken System

The “Cooked Computer Science” experience is a wake-up call—not just for students, but for universities, employers, and the tech industry at large. A degree should not be a dead end. While the speaker feels trapped, their honesty provides invaluable lessons for those still in school and solidarity for those already in the trenches.

Remember: you studied CS because you loved it. That passion is your foundation. The job market may be brutal, but it’s not eternal. Keep building, keep reaching out, and keep believing that your four years weren’t for nothing—even if the payoff takes longer than expected.

Cooked Computer Science: The Raw Truth About Being a New Grad with No Internships in 2025

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