Could grad school be worth it if you use it like a more specialized do-over? /u/jek_213 CSCQ protests reddit

I graduated with a BS in CS in 2023 and throughout it I spent my time pretty much just focusing on getting the best grades and graduating “on time”. Didn’t network, didn’t make any projects, foolishly thought my piece of paper that said Cum Laude on it would make me stand out. By the time I graduated, I was working in a marine bio lab (I loved marine bio at the time and thought it would take me further than it did), so I pretty much just focused on that and the imposter syndrome gradually took hold of me and I slowly felt more and more disconnected from CS.

Now, I feel relatively unskilled, absolutely don’t stand out whatsoever, and have 2 small projects to my name. I still want to get into a CS career eventually, maybe something working with OS, bioinformatics/computational sciences, architecture, or maybe embedded programming. I know this stuff will take a considerable amount of time given my skill level, so I was wondering if anyone could recommend a path for me. My current options are tough it out in some part-time job while working towards these skills at home or pursue a masters in CS and make better use of my time there to actively use the skills I learn/network/work in a lab/etc.

I know most people say an MS is worthless, but I wasn’t sure if this context would perhaps justify it if my goal is to do what I wish I did in undergrad while working towards a field that seems like it could warrant a master’s.

I graduated with a BS in CS in 2023 and throughout it I spent my time pretty much just focusing on getting the best grades and graduating “on time”. Didn’t network, didn’t make any projects, foolishly thought my piece of paper that said Cum Laude on it would make me stand out. By the time I graduated, I was working in a marine bio lab (I loved marine bio at the time and thought it would take me further than it did), so I pretty much just focused on that and the imposter syndrome gradually took hold of me and I slowly felt more and more disconnected from CS.

Now, I feel relatively unskilled, absolutely don’t stand out whatsoever, and have 2 small projects to my name. I still want to get into a CS career eventually, maybe something working with OS, bioinformatics/computational sciences, architecture, or maybe embedded programming. I know this stuff will take a considerable amount of time given my skill level, so I was wondering if anyone could recommend a path for me. My current options are tough it out in some part-time job while working towards these skills at home or pursue a masters in CS and make better use of my time there to actively use the skills I learn/network/work in a lab/etc.

I know most people say an MS is worthless, but I wasn’t sure if this context would perhaps justify it if my goal is to do what I wish I did in undergrad while working towards a field that seems like it could warrant a master’s.