CSE Fresher — Complete Learning Roadmap (3-4 Months)

2026-04-25

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CSE Fresher — Complete Learning Roadmap (3-4 Months)

For a 2026 BTech CSE Graduate aiming to be hireable at product companies & AI startups

How to Use This Guide

  • Time commitment: 4-5 hours/day consistently
  • Strategy: Don't finish courses. Build projects. Projects > Certificates.
  • Rule: For every 2 hours of learning, spend 1 hour coding something.
  • Track progress: Commit to GitHub daily — green squares matter to recruiters.

Month 1 — Core Engineering Foundation

Week 1-2: DSA (Data Structures & Algorithms)

Goal: Solve 80-100 problems across arrays, strings, hashmaps, and recursion

ResourceTypeLink
Striver's A2Z DSA SheetFree structured sheethttps://takeuforward.org/strivers-a2z-dsa-course
Neetcode 150Free curated problem listhttps://neetcode.io/practice
LeetCodePractice platformhttps://leetcode.com
Striver's YouTube (C++/Java)Free videohttps://youtube.com/@takeUforward
Neetcode YouTube (Python)Free videohttps://youtube.com/@NeetCode

Topics to cover:

  • Arrays, strings, two pointers, sliding window
  • Hashmaps, sets, frequency counting
  • Recursion, backtracking basics
  • Linked lists, stacks, queues

Week 3-4: Backend + Git

Goal: Build and deploy one small CRUD API by end of week 4

Git & GitHub

ResourceTypeLink
Pro Git BookFree bookhttps://git-scm.com/book/en/v2
Git & GitHub Crash Course — Traversy MediaFree YouTubehttps://youtube.com/watch?v=SWYqp7iY_Tc
Learn Git Branching (interactive)Free interactivehttps://learngitbranching.js.org

Backend — Pick ONE: Python (FastAPI) or Node.js (Express)

Python + FastAPI (recommended for AI roles):

ResourceTypeLink
FastAPI Official Docs (Tutorial section)Free docshttps://fastapi.tiangolo.com/tutorial
ArjanCodes FastAPI YouTube seriesFree YouTubehttps://youtube.com/@ArjanCodes
Python Crash Course — freeCodeCampFree YouTubehttps://youtube.com/watch?v=rfscVS0vtbw

Node.js + Express (recommended for product/startup roles):

ResourceTypeLink
The Odin Project — Node pathFreehttps://theodinproject.com/paths/full-stack-javascript
Node.js Crash Course — Traversy MediaFree YouTubehttps://youtube.com/watch?v=fBNz5xF-Kx4
Express.js DocsFree docshttps://expressjs.com

Databases: SQL + MongoDB

ResourceTypeLink
SQLZooFree interactive SQLhttps://sqlzoo.net
Mode SQL TutorialFreehttps://mode.com/sql-tutorial
MongoDB University (M001 course)Freehttps://university.mongodb.com
Mongoose DocsFree docshttps://mongoosejs.com/docs

Month 2 — AI / LLM Engineering (The Key Differentiator)

This is what separates 2026 freshers. Startups want engineers who can build with AI.

Week 5-6: LLM APIs + Prompt Engineering

Goal: Build a working chatbot or Q&A app using an LLM API

ResourceTypeLink
Anthropic Claude API DocsFree docshttps://docs.anthropic.com
OpenAI API QuickstartFree docshttps://platform.openai.com/docs/quickstart
Prompt Engineering Guide (DAIR.AI)Freehttps://promptingguide.ai
DeepLearning.AI — ChatGPT Prompt Engineering for DevsFree coursehttps://learn.deeplearning.ai/chatgpt-prompt-eng
Anthropic Prompt Engineering TutorialFreehttps://docs.anthropic.com/en/docs/build-with-claude/prompt-engineering/overview

What to build: A simple document Q&A bot using Claude or OpenAI API

Week 7: RAG Pipelines + Vector Databases

Goal: Build a RAG app that answers questions from your own documents

ResourceTypeLink
DeepLearning.AI — LangChain for LLM App DevFree coursehttps://learn.deeplearning.ai/langchain
DeepLearning.AI — Building Systems with ChatGPT APIFree coursehttps://learn.deeplearning.ai/building-systems-with-chatgpt
LangChain DocsFree docshttps://python.langchain.com/docs/get_started
Pinecone Learning CenterFreehttps://www.pinecone.io/learn
ChromaDB DocsFree docshttps://docs.trychroma.com
Weaviate DocsFree docshttps://weaviate.io/developers/weaviate

What to build: PDF chatbot — upload any PDF and ask questions about it

Week 8: Agents + LlamaIndex

Goal: Understand agentic workflows; build an agent that uses tools

ResourceTypeLink
DeepLearning.AI — LangChain: Chat with Your DataFree coursehttps://learn.deeplearning.ai/langchain-chat-with-your-data
DeepLearning.AI — AI Agents in LangGraphFree coursehttps://learn.deeplearning.ai/ai-agents-in-langgraph
LlamaIndex DocsFree docshttps://docs.llamaindex.ai
LangGraph DocsFree docshttps://langchain-ai.github.io/langgraph
Sam Witteveen YouTube (LLM engineering)Free YouTubehttps://youtube.com/@samwitteveenai

What to build: An agent that searches the web + answers from your notes

Month 3 — Cloud, DevOps & System Design

Week 9-10: Docker + Cloud Basics

Goal: Containerize your Month 2 project and deploy it to the cloud

Docker

ResourceTypeLink
Docker Official Get Started GuideFree docshttps://docs.docker.com/get-started
TechWorld with Nana — Docker TutorialFree YouTubehttps://youtube.com/@TechWorldwithNana
Play with Docker (browser-based labs)Free interactivehttps://labs.play-with-docker.com

AWS / GCP Basics

ResourceTypeLink
AWS Cloud Practitioner EssentialsFree (AWS Training)https://aws.amazon.com/training/digital/aws-cloud-practitioner-essentials
Google Cloud Skills Boost — FundamentalsFree with free creditshttps://cloudskillsboost.google
freeCodeCamp AWS Certified Cloud PractitionerFree YouTubehttps://youtube.com/watch?v=SOTamWNgDKc
AWS Free TierFree sandboxhttps://aws.amazon.com/free

What to deploy: Your RAG app — containerized with Docker, hosted on AWS EC2 or Railway.app

Week 11: CI/CD + System Design

CI/CD

ResourceTypeLink
GitHub Actions DocsFree docshttps://docs.github.com/en/actions
TechWorld with Nana — GitHub Actions TutorialFree YouTubehttps://youtube.com/watch?v=R8_veQiYBjI

System Design

ResourceTypeLink
System Design Primer (GitHub repo)Freehttps://github.com/donnemartin/system-design-primer
Gaurav Sen — System Design YouTubeFree YouTubehttps://youtube.com/@gkcs
ByteByteGo — System Design NewsletterFree tierhttps://bytebytego.com
Designing Data-Intensive Applications (book)Paid (~INR 800 used)https://dataintensive.net

Topics to cover: Load balancers, caching, databases at scale, message queues, CDN, API design

Week 12: Frontend Basics (Optional but valuable)

Skip if targeting pure backend/AI roles. Do this for full-stack or startup roles.

ResourceTypeLink
The Odin Project — FoundationsFreehttps://theodinproject.com/paths/foundations
React Official Docs (New)Free docshttps://react.dev/learn
Scrimba — Learn ReactFree interactivehttps://scrimba.com/learn/learnreact
Tailwind CSS DocsFree docshttps://tailwindcss.com/docs
Fireship — Next.js in 100 secondsFree YouTubehttps://youtube.com/@Fireship

Month 4 — Projects, Portfolio & Interview Prep

Week 13-14: Build Your Portfolio Projects

These 3 projects will get you interviews. Quality > quantity.

Project 1 (Must have): AI-powered app

Build a production-ready RAG chatbot with:

  • FastAPI or Node backend
  • LLM API (Claude / OpenAI)
  • Vector DB (ChromaDB / Pinecone)
  • Deployed on AWS/Railway with Docker
  • Clean README + demo video

Project 2 (Must have): Backend API

A well-structured REST API with:

  • Authentication (JWT)
  • SQL or MongoDB database
  • Unit tests
  • CI/CD via GitHub Actions

Project 3 (Nice to have): Something creative

An agent, a CLI tool, a browser extension, or a data pipeline — anything that shows you can ship.

Week 15-16: Interview Prep

DSA Interview Prep

ResourceTypeLink
Neetcode 150 (revisit)Freehttps://neetcode.io/practice
Blind 75Freehttps://leetcode.com/discuss/general-discussion/460599/blind-75-leetcode-questions
Striver's SDE SheetFreehttps://takeuforward.org/interviews/strivers-sde-sheet-top-coding-interview-problems
InterviewBitFreehttps://interviewbit.com

CS Fundamentals (OS, DBMS, Networks)

ResourceTypeLink
Gate Smashers YouTube (OS, DBMS, CN)Free YouTubehttps://youtube.com/@GateSmashers
GeeksForGeeks — CS SubjectsFreehttps://geeksforgeeks.org/gate-cs-notes-gq
Last Minute Notes — GeeksForGeeksFreehttps://geeksforgeeks.org/lmns-gq

Mock Interviews

ResourceTypeLink
PrampFree peer mock interviewshttps://pramp.com
Interviewing.ioPaid / some freehttps://interviewing.io
LeetCode Mock InterviewFreehttps://leetcode.com/interview

Supplementary Resources (Use Throughout)

YouTube Channels to Follow

ChannelBest For
FireshipQuick tech concepts, web dev
Traversy MediaBackend, full stack tutorials
TechWorld with NanaDocker, Kubernetes, DevOps
Sam WitteveenLLMs, LangChain, AI engineering
Gaurav SenSystem design
ArjanCodesClean Python, software design
NeetcodeDSA, coding interviews
takeUforward (Striver)DSA, placement prep
Andrej KarpathyDeep ML intuition (optional)

Newsletters & Communities

NameLink
TLDR Newsletter (daily tech news)https://tldr.tech
The Batch — DeepLearning.AIhttps://deeplearning.ai/the-batch
Hacker Newshttps://news.ycombinator.com
r/cscareerquestionshttps://reddit.com/r/cscareerquestions
r/MachineLearninghttps://reddit.com/r/MachineLearning

Books Worth Reading

BookWhy
Clean Code — Robert C. MartinWrite maintainable code
Designing Data-Intensive Applications — KleppmannSystem design bible
The Pragmatic ProgrammerCareer mindset for engineers

Weekly Schedule Template

DayFocus
MondayDSA (2 problems) + Theory
TuesdayDSA (2 problems) + Project work
WednesdayNew skill/course (2-3 hrs) + Project work
ThursdayDSA (2 problems) + Project work
FridayNew skill/course + Code review / refactor
SaturdayFull project day (4-5 hrs)
SundayLight review + plan next week + write 1 LinkedIn post

Milestone Checklist

  • 100+ LeetCode problems solved
  • One backend API live on the internet
  • One AI-powered project on GitHub with a good README
  • Docker basics working (containerize a project)
  • AWS Free Tier account with one deployment
  • 10+ GitHub repos with regular commits
  • Resume updated with projects and links
  • LinkedIn profile with a project post
  • 3 mock interviews completed
  • System design of 5 common problems studied

Last updated: April 2026 | Built for CSE Freshers entering the 2026 job market

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