Table of contents
Hello, everyone!! hope you are doing good!! In this blog, I'll share my first hackathon experience what I've learned, what I've achieved & what challenges I faced. I'll answer some questions too, which we all have when starting. So, let's get into it.
What are Hackathons
Hackathons are usually 24 to 48 hour event where a single person or a team build a project based on the theme of the event or build a project which solves some real-life issues in around 24 to 48 hours. So, for example, I've participated in WildHack ll by MLH, and we have a theme around the wild, animals, or pets. Although it's not compulsory to build around the theme, we can build whatever we like to build.
What is MLH
So, now you may have a question, what is MLH btw?
hmm...so… MLH i.e. Major League Hacking is a global community of awesome folks around the world. Its motive is to help hackers like us by organizing some amazing events, hackathons, fellowship programs, fun events, etc. So that we all can collaborate together and learn some cool skills while not feeling alone and have fun while learning.
Check out their website to know more: mlh.io
Also, join the discord and feel free to say Hi!!: discord.mlh.io
My Experience
Talking about my experience, I registered for the event on 2nd August and looking for teams. I reached out to different folks on devpost & message them to team up. That is how I found out Akshita, Susmita, and Asel our team. So, we had our first introduction meeting, I was feeling nervous because of the anxiety but thought it is the best opportunity to get out of my comfort zone. For the first few minutes I was anxious, but then it all feel awesome, we introduced ourselves to each other and have a fun meeting.
Now the weekend has come, we planned our project & decided what we each are going to work on. I have helped the team with the idea and the frontend part. I lay out the design of the website and worked on making the cards. At the end of the day, we also had a meeting about what we have created till now, and what we are going to work on the next day.
So, throughout the weekend I not only worked on the project & learned technical skills, but I also get out of my comfort zone, learned how to collaborate, and worked together with a team. In short, I've worked on my social skills too.
So, talking about the winning, there were so many amazing projects and we were so glad & happy we came first overall. It was really fun.
Questions
I'm sure you are excited too, to participate in the next hackathon, and maybe you have some questions like I have. I'm sharing some questions which you may have too.
1. Who can join and take part?
--> Everyone can join whether you are in school, college, or professional. You can also check the particular hackathon page for requirements. Most have the same requirements, as below.
2. I'm a beginner, don't know much, can I join?
--> Yes, you can join. There are beginner-level workshops that will help you to learn how to work together and what software or tools to use like GitHub etc. Also, it is more about collaborating and working together with a team.
3. Should I participate alone or in a team?
--> Some hackathons allow both & some hackathons allow only a team. You can participate alone too, but it is better and more fun to work with a team. We learn how to work together and collaborate.
4. I don't have a team where I go to build a team.
--> There is a channel on discord where you can go once you take part in the hackathon and meet other folks and ask to work together as a team. You can also go to the devpost, where it shows all participants who are looking for a team. You can message & request for the team up. (That's how I did).
Conclusion
It was a fun and amazing event. I am happy that I registered and take part in it. I learned technical as well as soft skills too. If you have never participated in a hackathon or any online event, I highly recommend you take part and enjoy the event. If you have any doubts or questions, come and ask on the discord any MLHers will help you.