BKU Student Guide

Practical guide for HCMUT Computer Science students

A practical, self-help guide for Computer Science & Engineering students at HCMUT (Bách Khoa). It complements the official curriculum — it does not replace it. Always confirm rules, credits and prerequisites with your own program and cohort.

1. Start Here

Who is this guide for?

• Computer Science / Computer Engineering students at HCMUT, especially first- and second-years who don't know where to begin.
• Students who want to choose a direction (AI, Software, Data, Security, Systems) and build a portfolio.
• Anyone who wants a clear path from "just pass the course" to "ship a real product".

How to use this website

• Read sections 1 → 10 in order, or jump to what you need via the sidebar.
• Each page has a clear goal and concrete things to do.
• Cross-links point to the Knowledge Base, Courses and Projects for deeper detail.

First-year checklist

• Create a GitHub account and a basic profile.
• Install VS Code and one programming environment (C/C++ or Python).
• Get comfortable with Linux / WSL (Windows Subsystem for Linux).
• Complete 2–3 mini-projects and push them to GitHub.
• Read the Student Survival Guide.

Systems and tools you should know

• GitHub — store code, collaborate, build a portfolio.
• VS Code — your main editor.
• Linux / WSL — the standard environment for programming and systems work.

Setup details: see Tools & Setup.

"I don't know where to start" → choose by goal

Goal	Start from
Software	Software Engineering
AI	Artificial Intelligence
Data	Data Engineering & Big Data
Security	System & Network Security
Research / Systems	Computer Science / Systems

Contents

1. Start Here (this page)
2. Understand the Program
3. Course Map
4. Choose Your Direction
5. Semester-by-Semester Guide
6. Project Library
7. Tools & Setup
8. Research, Lab & Competitions
9. Career Preparation
10. Career Paths: From Courses to Real Roles
11. Student Survival Guide
12. Starting Work — Pay, Tax & Labor Basics