I’m a 1st-year B.Tech CSE (AI & ML) student, and my first year has just ended. During this year, I mainly focused on learning Python because it’s important for AI/ML.

Now during my summer break, I’m feeling a bit confused about what direction I should take next. Should I continue focusing mainly on AI/ML, or should I also start preparing for SDE/software development roles alongside it?

I want guidance on:

- What skills I should focus on in 2nd year

- What I should avoid wasting time on

- Whether balancing AI/ML and SDE together is a good idea

- Important technologies or subjects I should start learning early

I’d really appreciate advice from seniors or people already working in tech.