⭐️ Open source is not just about the code, it's also about the community and the culture - By Bhawna Chauhan

Introduction

I am Bhawna. I'm currently pursuing my Bachelor's degree from Hansraj. and I also serve as the Founder and Lead Organizer of SheBuilds.Currently working as a DevRel Intern at Unsnarl. I am proficient with Android Development and exploring other fields as well. I have been granted the opportunity to participate in the MLH fellowship. With a total of 40+ hackathons attended, I have won over 20 of them. Engaging with various communities and events is something I greatly enjoy, having presented at approximately 5+ seminars and events discussing Hackathons and Open Source.

How I got to know about open source

Back in February 2022 when I just entered college, I found myself in a unique position. Despite coming from a non-coding background, I have always been passionate about programming. Even as a child, I remember dreaming of hacking software, not realizing that coding was an entirely different thing. As I got older, I began to realize that programming was a way to solve real-world problems and create amazing things from the comfort of my own home or sitting in front of my laptop.

When I started college, I was surprised to find that very few people around me were interested in coding because I am doing a Bachelor of Science. One day I was just scrolling my Twitter and then I stumbled upon a tweet by Someone in which he shares that I got selected for MLH Fellowship under Open source. At that time I don't know about MLH Fellowship and Open source. Then I google it and got some Articles as well as Videos around the same. And this is how my Open source journey Starts. For the first time, I realized that I could contribute to open-source projects and make a significant change to the code which is used by lots of people daily.

Unveiling the Mysteries of Open Source for Beginners

This highlights the importance of open-source programming for novices. As I had been programming for a year. I had been actively seeking ways to upskill myself and enhance my knowledge of programming concepts. One of the ways I have been doing this is by contributing to open-source projects that are publicly available on GitHub.

However, this journey has been filled with ups and downs. At times, I have encountered difficulties understanding the code, faced issues, and encountered other challenges. Despite these challenges, I have persisted in my efforts to expand my skills and knowledge by working on these open-source projects.

I am committed to stepping out of my comfort zone and challenging myself to take on new projects and tasks. I am determined not to give up and am doing my best to overcome any obstacles that come my way.

In my pursuit of open-source programming, One day I came across a video on YouTube that introduced me to different open-source programs from where I can earn by contributing to open-source projects.

This video has been a valuable resource in helping me introduce myself to the different open-source programs and has motivated me to continue my journey towards open-source programs.

Expanding my knowledge and abilities

My Google Summer of Code Journey

GSoC is the opportunity to work on open-source projects during the summer break. As a student, it allowed me to gain valuable experience in coding and development while contributing to the open-source community.

I learned about GSoC through a video and decided to participate in the program by contributing to the RadarBase Organization. This was my first time contributing to such a large project, but I was able to make around 5+ PRs that were merged into the main codebase. I proposed my project after reviewing it with my mentor and received positive feedback.

Although my proposal was accepted by the organization, I did not receive a slot from Google for my project during the result day. This was disappointing and heartbreaking, but I did not give up. Instead, I continued my open-source contribution with the same organization and completed the same project before the GSoC period and receive the stipend for the same from the RadarBase Organization itself.

The experience of participating in GSoC and contributing to the RadarBase Organization has been amazing. I connected with an awesome mentor who guided me throughout the process and provided valuable feedback on my work. Although RadarBase is not participating in GSoC'23, the learning I gained from this experience was invaluable and has helped me grow as a developer.☑️

Participating in Hackathons

As a non-computer science student, I have always been fascinated by the capabilities of technology to solve real-world problems. This passion led me to participate in various hackathons and coding competitions, where I had the opportunity to showcase my skills and learn from other talented individuals.

In early 2021, I discovered hackathons that excited me a lot, and then finally went for it. HackThisFall was her entry into hackathons, and the experience changed my entire outlook. At the hackathon, I and my friend created an app called DigiManager, reviewing Android tutorials and working diligently to complete their project before the deadline. They ended up placing in the top 10 projects out of more than 200 submissions and winning the top all-girls team prize as well. Now my confidence is back

From then on, I entered hackathon after hackathon, winning several along the way. As I progressed through the events, my focus shifted, and I wanted to provide mentorship to student in my college mates like me who is interested in the same. Being a mentor and a judge at multiple hackathons gave me a platform to help other hackers and provide constructive criticism to improve their ideas. Some of the many events I judged or mentored at included different MLH hackathons, and others.

This is one of the hackathon pictures where my team won the Second Overall Prize in the MLH Hackathon

One of my most notable achievements was being selected for the final round in the SIH Hackathon (State Level) and Winning the WeMakeDev hackathon.

Where I got the 1:1 Mentorship from Kunal Bhaiya. It was so unreal for me.

As of now, I participated in around 40+ hackathons in which I won 20+ looking to participate in more hackathons.

You can see my all hackathon Project here

MLH Fellowship

Graduation Day Photo :)

I started to research more about different open-source programs by watching YouTube videos and reading articles and blogs. That's when I came across the video on YouTube about MLH Fellowship. Then, I got to know about MLH Fellowship and the application process was simple enough. So I decided to apply for it. When I applied for the first time, I didn't clear the initial application round. Also, along with the rejection they mentioned the reason which gave me guidance on where to improve.

So after 4-5 months I again applied for the Prep program for November Batch. This time I reviewed my resume from past MLH fellows, i.e my friend Anam, Mughees and Dhiraj. These people help me a lot in my Application process. Then I cleared all the rounds this time and got into the program. It is quite competitive only 30 fellows got selected from around 3000+ applications. This means a lot, I remember that I was saying to myself, "Finally bro, you did it ".

An image with my pod mates :)

My fellowship experience is awesome. Got to learn lots of things and make some amazing friends from all over the world.

Founding SheBuilds

Some glimpses of SheBuilds Events :)

Since starting, I feel community play a really important role in my journey. Because I got to know about coding through the community. Got to know about hackathons through the MLH community. So I feel this is the time to give back to the community. As I am not from a Btech background so I can feel the problem that students face to start anything in college.

So Shebuilds is a women-focused community, where we help more and more women to get into the tech ecosystem. We organized our first hackathon in future some big things as coming soon....

DevRel at Unsnarl

I got the intern offer through Unsnarl because of my Github Profile. Now I got the point why everyone says GITHUB is your first resume for recruiters. It is a quite learning experience for me.

Joining Communities

I got to know about a lot of open-source communities and organizations through my fellow friends in MLH Fellowship. I was mainly into Android development. So I joined lots of global Android-focused communities where people or GDE share their experiences and interact with students like me.

Here are some ways in which I got involved in the communities:

• Attend community events: Look for local events related to your interests or industry and attend them. This is a great way to meet like-minded individuals and learn about new opportunities.

• Volunteer: Many community organizations rely on volunteers to help with various tasks such as organizing events, managing social media, or providing mentorship. Look for volunteer opportunities that align with your interests and skills.

• Join online communities: Participate in online forums, groups, or social media communities related to your interests or industry. Engage with others, ask questions, and share your knowledge.

• Contribute to open source projects: If you have programming skills, consider contributing to open source projects. This is a great way to improve your skills, work on meaningful projects, and connect with other developers.

Start your community: If you can't find a community that aligns with your interests, consider starting your own. This can be as simple as creating a Facebook group or organizing a meet-up. Be sure to promote your community and be welcoming to all who join.

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Pro Tip for new Contributors: Start looking at the merged pull requests. It gave you an idea of the codebase structure and how to solve issues.

Contributing to different Open Source Projects

I want to specify this " You don't need to be a part of any program to contribute to open source "

I would say contributing to different open-source projects is a great way to develop your skills, gain practical experience, and make a positive impact on the world. Open source projects are developed collaboratively by communities of developers who work together to create and maintain software that is accessible and available to anyone. By contributing to these projects, you can help improve the software and make it more useful for others.

Contributing to open-source projects can take many forms. You could write code, fix bugs, improve documentation, design user interfaces, or provide support to other contributors. There are often many different roles to fill and opportunities to contribute regardless of your skill level or experience.

Overall, One of the best things I like is that Open-source is for everyone. Also contributing to open-source projects is a rewarding experience that can help you grow both professionally and personally. It allows you to make meaningful contributions to important projects while also connecting with a community of like-minded individuals who are passionate about technology and making a positive impact on the world.

RadarBase

The RADAR-base Passive Mobile App is the hub for collecting background sensor data and provides data streams from both on-phone sensors and can collect data from several wearable devices. For now, it supports only Android. New wearable devices can readily connect to the app as plugins using a vendor SDK. The main focus of RADAR-base is the seamless integration of data streams from various wearable devices to collect sensor data in real-time and store, manage and share the collected data with researchers for retrospective analysis.

You can read and contribute here

MojaGlobal

I contributed to one of the projects of Moja Global i.e, A FLINT client, written in Vue, to provide an awesome user interface for configuring simulations using the FLINT. Cloud APIs.

Some of my PR got merged.

OWASP

OWASP BLT is a bug-logging tool to report issues and get points, companies are held accountable.

Some of the PR that got merged into the code.

Some other Contributions:-

Other than the above repository I contributed to lots of open-source projects you can have a look at my GitHub for seeing my open-source Contributions.

Link: Github Bhawna

Some ways to Contribute to Open Source

In addition to contributing to open-source projects through coding and technical tasks, there are many other ways to contribute to the open-source community. Here are a few examples:

• Part of Good Campus Expert Program: Applying for good ambassador programs like GitHub Campus Expert, Google Developer Student Club lead, Microsoft Learn Student Ambassador, CNCF Ambassador, EddieHub Ambassador and many more. It should help you grow your skills and network. Avoid applying to random ones just for the certificate

• Volunteering: It can be very rewarding and meaningful as it allows giving back to the community and making a positive difference in the lives of others. It is a great way to grow skills through collaboration. It helps in growing your network, gaining valuable experience and also making good memories.

• Design and User Experience: Open-source projects often rely on volunteers to design logos, user interfaces, and other graphics. If you have design skills, consider contributing to open-source projects by creating artwork or improving user experience.

• Documentation: Writing and improving documentation is another important way to contribute to open-source projects. Clear and concise documentation can help users understand how to use software and contribute to the project themselves.

There are many ways to contribute to open-source projects, and no matter what your skills and interests are, there is likely a role for you to play in the open-source community. By contributing to open-source projects, you can make a positive impact on the world while also developing your skills and connecting with a community of like-minded individuals.

Conclusion

Drops of water may fill an ocean :)

If you are doing hard work in anything you will definitely pay off not now but in future for sure

There are various ways to contribute to a project, and it is not always necessary to solve complex issues to make a valuable contribution. Even leaving a comment on the project can add significant value. Open source contributions don't always require a large time commitment, as consistent small contributions can be highly beneficial for personal growth. Regularly contributing to open-source projects can aid in the development of new skills and enhance your overall experience. Donating just a small amount of your time to a project can make a meaningful difference in its success✨

I would like to express my gratitude to some of my friends for helping me throughout my journey. Without their support, I wouldn't have come this far. I extend my heartfelt thanks to Mughees, Rashi, Harsh, Swapnil, Ankush, and Prathamesh for their unwavering support and being there for me whenever I needed help with my doubts.

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Connect with me: Bhawna Social's