My overall GSSoC'22 Experience as a Contributor
Hello everyone, in this post I'll be sharing my overall experience as a contributor at GSSoC'22.
The Story
Ever since I got to know about open source, It has always intrigued me. I've always been curious about how people from all over the world can collaborate on a single project and edit codebases. How it's just possible? Then, I got to know about Git and GitHub and I started learning it. Initially, I was a little scared of it, and there was a fear that what if I mess up something in the project I am contributing to. But, in any case, I wanted to give this a try. I wanted to contribute to open source projects, so I did. I did it through GSSoC'22 and learned a lot many things through this program.
But, wait...what exactly is GSSoC'22?
GirlScript Summer of Code(GSSoC) is a three-month open-source initiative run by the GirlScript Foundation over the summers, with the goal of helping beginners in getting started with open source development while also supporting diversity. Over the span of these months, participants can contribute to a range of projects with the support of experienced mentors. With such exposure, students learn to contribute to real-world projects from the comfort of their own homes.
How to apply?
GSSoC applications open in February on the website https://gssoc.girlscript.tech/, where you can apply for the roles of Participant, Mentor, and Project Admin. Because it was my first time participating in such a program, I applied to be a participant. Then you must fill up a Google form with basic information and answer two simple questions that show your enthusiasm for the program:
- Why do you want to participate?
- What do you expect from this program?
Most probably, In the last week of February, they will send an email to all of the selected participants.
How did I get to know about GSSoC'22?
It was brought to my attention by one of my friends. She took part in GSSoC'21, and after hearing about it, I decided to participate in it. Following that, I got to know about another open-source program run by the GirlScript Foundation called GirlScript Winter Of Code(GWoC), which is similar to GSSoC. But, unfortunately, I missed the registration deadline for GWoC'21. As a result, I had to wait a whole year for GSSoC to begin its registration process for 2022. After a long wait, I finally signed up, got accepted, and began my open-source journey.
The Journey
As per the schedule, the coding period started on the 1st of March. So, I started searching for projects that would be a good fit for my skills. I raised issues in different projects and after a wait of around 4 days, one issue was assigned to me. I started working on it and once done, I made a pull request(PR). I was a little nervous as this was the first pull request(PR) that I had ever made. After PR had been up, the mentors requested some changes which I implemented and then they merged my pull request(PR). Yes, my "First" PR was successfully merged in!. The sense of satisfaction you'll experience when your first PR is merged will make all of your efforts worthwhile. This is how I started my open source journey by contributing to awesome projects.
My takeaways from this program
- The communities you join and the connections you make along the way will be remarkable.
- Improved technical skills such as Git, GitHub, C/C++, Data Structures, and Web Development.
- Enhanced documentation skills.
- Developed the habit of helping others, growing in public, learning, and much more...
- Never be afraid to ask doubts; the project mentors are always willing to help you. All you need is a little patience and an eagerness to learn.
Conclusion
If you are considering participating in this program and you ask me for my opinion on whether you should participate or not, I would give a big "YES." This program will not only get you started with open source, but it will also boost your confidence. It will give you the experience of working on real-world projects. For me, it was an amazing three-month adventure of collaboration and networking with amazing people.
Thanks for reading it till the end! :)
