GirlScript Summer of Code 2019 — # Gssoc19 — Impressions
1. Signing up
I came to know about GirlScript Summer of Code 2019 from friends and from the beginning it intrigued me. I had no idea what to really expect but that did not stop me from signing up for it.
2. Receiving Confirmation and choosing a project
I was ecstatic when I got the mail confirming my participation ! 😄 I went through the list of projects and it was not so easy to choose which one to participate in. There were so many wonderful projects !! All of them were very interesting !
Initially I thought I would contribute to multiple projects but quickly dropped this idea when the mentors suggested it would be better to contribute to one project. And that makes sense. I think a meaningful contribution would be better served by sticking to one project.
So based on the fact that I was learning Python, had no skills in git and github, was not very comfortable with data structures and wanted to learn Markdown too; I chose to go with ‘Algo Ds Notes’ at the following repo —
3. Community
I joined the Slack community for #gssoc19 and the channels of various projects. I used the channels to help me decide which project to participate in. I continued being part of the other communities even though I did not contribute to them. It was good to see the community interaction as well as learn how the other projects were faring.
The amount of support offered was amazing. By far the most used posts for me were regarding github. When I posted a question I got the answer so fast I was able to correct my mistake and create a PR request almost immediately. Thanks to Manbir and Abhinav !
Many participants jumped in, to become mentors themselves and this was great to see. So many opportunities to up one’s game.
4. Coding !!
The 3 month long coding journey began on 1st March.
I celebrated (jumped with joy 😂) when my first PR was merged ! I had made mistakes but luckily my mentor (Aman Jain) corrected them and merged the PR. I checked the changes he had made and ensured that my subsequent PRs did not have the same problems. He has been invaluable during this journey — He cleared many doubts, always responded and in general counselled my efforts in this time. THANK YOU !!
5. Impressions / Learnings
Personal Learnings from participating in #Gssoc19
- Opened up the world of Open Source — There are so many opportunities to contribute.
- One keeps learning through mistakes.
- An active helping community is a joy to be part of.
- Mentors who guide you patiently keep the spark alive when things are tough. (Especially for those days when the code just does not seem to work !)
6. Takeaway
GirlScript Summer of Code is an exciting, wonderful learning journey into the world of Open Source with excellent mentors and a very vibrant community.
Definitely an experience I rate highly and am very glad to have had the opportunity to participate in it !
Thank you GirlScript Summer of Code !
