I'm writing this to share my thoughts and experiences — especially with my juniors — so that you don't make the same mistakes we did.
Getting a job opportunity is very difficult if you only stick to the curriculum. We made our first mistake by waiting until the 3rd year to explore things outside academics. Looking back, we should have started much earlier.
Creating a Coding Club was one of the best decisions we made. It pushed us to think outside the box and step beyond our textbooks. I'm not saying don't follow the curriculum — but don't only follow it. There's an ocean of technologies out there, while our curriculum still feels stuck in the Stone Age. So do it for yourself. Build new skills.
We started with React by creating a simple clone website. That month was intense — we spent our entire vacation, day and night, debugging, discussing, and learning together. It was fun, engaging, and life-changing. From there, we dipped our feet into the vast ocean of technology. And trust me, it helped us inside and outside academics in ways we never imagined.
Lesson Two Hackathons.We only started thinking about hackathons in our last semester — and that was our second mistake. We attended our first hackathon this January, and it was an experience beyond words. The brainstorming, teamwork, expert guidance, sleepless nights, and finally presenting our solution — it was on another level.
Luckily, we won first prize in our very first hackathon, but the real prize wasn't the money — it was the knowledge, the connections, and the mentorship we gained. That day, we kept asking ourselves, why didn't we do this earlier? We regretted not starting in our first year. From then on, we got hooked and started attending every hackathon we could. And every single time, the experience and connections got better and better.
Before our first hackathon, we used to think, "We're from Sreepathy, who even knows us? What can we do against students from Tier 1 colleges?" But we realized it's not about where you come from — it's about what you have. If you have the interest and passion, nothing can stop you.
So get up and start looking for hackathons. No matter how small or big, grab your team and start registering.
I promise you — you won't regret it.
Before I end, I want to take this opportunity to thank all our mentors and teachers who have constantly supported us. Your support means a lot to us, and we wouldn't have come this far without you.
And to all my juniors — if you ever need any support from us, we are always here to help. Feel free to reach out anytime! 🚀
Now, go make the most of your time! 🤗