In this video I break down how I actually code side projects while I’m in school—without pretending I’m putting in 20 hours a week. The big thing is realizing most students never ship a single project in four years because they’re busy, stressed about grades, or they just don’t know how to start. I’ve been there. What helped me was building three side projects in one semester and using that experience to land a Google internship and get interviews at a bunch of startups. I start with the foundation: define what you’re making. If you’re genuinely excited about the idea, it’s way easier to keep going (discipline helps, but I try not to rely on it). I also talk about picking a popular stack—Python/JavaScript/React/SQL—because there’s more support online and it pairs better with AI tools. Then I call out the biggest mistake: skipping the learning and letting AI write your entire app. You can use AI, but only after you build fundamentals, otherwise you’ll wreck your codebase and learn nothing. Finally, I show how I use AI “correctly” with a simple workflow: define one feature, ask for a detailed plan, keep it tiny/testable/total, checkpoint with Git, then implement. I end with bonus tips like setting a routine (Sunday lounge coding) and coding with friends so it stays fun and consistent.