Hacktoberfest23 and MLH
Tags: hack23contributor, beginners, opensource, majorleaguehacking
Published: 2023-11-13 21:37:04

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### What is Hacktoberfest?
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In simple words, Hacktoberfest provides opportunities to the beginners who want to start contributing in Open Source.
Hacktoberfest is an annual event that takes place every October and is aimed at encouraging contributions to open-source projects. It was started by DigitalOcean in collaboration with GitHub to promote community participation in the open-source ecosystem. 
You experience new things with making open-source contributions through Hacktoberfest and participating in MLH Global Hack Week Open source was a testament to the enriching opportunities that such events offer. By actively engaging in these initiatives, you not only expand your technical skills but also gain exposure to a diverse and dynamic world of collaborative development.
I just had a little bit idea about things like giving back to the community, learning in public, but doing it yourself is just a very different feeling.

Up until now i was learning things only for the sake of learning, but you just don't code for yourself. It all ultimately boils down to whether it could be of some use to the society in some way or not, i call that testing phase for production use. Testing phase is something that exists at all levels whether it's your standard curriculum or some PHD level course.

###Ram's story
Consider an example of a student named Ram, who, during his academic pursuits, acquired knowledge primarily for the purpose of achieving academic excellence, with a focus on obtaining high marks. Ram's approach to learning centered on the immediate goal of academic success, with less emphasis on understanding how the acquired knowledge could be applied to benefit the broader community.

While Ram may excel in the context of elementary education by prioritizing grades, this singular focus on academic achievement may inadvertently foster a mindset that places less importance on the broader implications and practical applications of acquired knowledge. In the professional realm, particularly as one advances in their career, an exclusive emphasis on grades may prove to be a limitation. Society tends to value individuals who not only possess theoretical knowledge but also demonstrate the ability to apply that knowledge in practical, meaningful ways.

As Ram progresses in his career, he may encounter challenges related to adaptability and collaborative work. The professional landscape values individuals who not only excel in academic settings but also contribute to the collective progress of projects and initiatives. The ability to communicate one's thought process, collaborate effectively, and apply knowledge to real-world situations becomes increasingly crucial.

>In the long run, individuals who prioritize not just academic success but also the practical application of knowledge tend to thrive in professional environments.

Ram, realizing the evolving demands of the professional world, may need to adapt his work ethic to align more closely with the expectations of a collaborative and application-oriented work environment. Recognizing and addressing these aspects early in one's career can contribute significantly to long-term professional success and fulfillment.


### Highs and Lows
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Making Contributions first time is not easy, i accept it as the codebase looks so big, complex and people making PR on issues seem like people from another world on first go but actually it isn't that tough for a beginners.

Initially i was more focused on understanding how the things were working in the project, and came to conclusion that i need to learn more but this was not a solution. I needed to make a PR but didn't knew how to do it. **Believe me, thoughts like would maintainers be friendly, can I even solve an issue when there are so many contributors grabbing the issues that i could have solved, let's focus on something else etc are just barrier, focus on only what you can do and neglect what you cannot do for the time being, you can learn it later**(Don't make it a headache).
I was looking for projects from the start of October but due to college exams and pressure of starting something new, i couldn't find a good place to start. End date was coming close, and whatever issue i thought i could contribute to, had already been closed by maintainer as there were other contributors also. Thanks to [Good-first-issue-finder](https://finder.eddiehub.io/) , this site was created by Eddiehub organization(i found it during the MLH Global hack week Open source), and came to know about some projects that i could contribute to. First PR that i made under the tag of Hacktoberfest belonged to a Readme file but it came as a booster(I don't know why xD!) in confidence then i made 4 more PRs in just next 2 days including making a PR in code. It was just my thinking process that stopped me from contributing otherwise it was not very tough. Actually there are much more big things going on in Open source, beginners are like small kids playing in backyard of Open source but it is definitely eye opening as you have to start somewhere otherwise you won't be able to start!

### Growth
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1. Git/Github: You cannot just be a developer without Git and Github, it's mandatory(so contribute,learn more and more about Git and Github)
2. Learn in Public: Don't just learn for the sake of learning only, learn so that you can help the society in some way or other
3. Keep Contributing, Don't stop: Don't just stop at hacktoberfest, just keep looking for new projects and keep contributing
4. Collaboration while building: Ultimately each project that would be used by people will be build with developers when they collaborate, so learning about how to collaborate is more important than most of the people think!