First Hackathon
We all have our firsts: our first time walking (even if we can’t remember it), our first day at school, or that first unfortunate realization that pineapples just don’t belong on pizza. My recent “first” was my first hackathon;
We all have our firsts: our first time walking (even if we can’t remember it), our first day at school, or that first unfortunate realization that pineapples just don’t belong on pizza. My recent “first” was my first hackathon; an experience as exhilarating as it was unpredictable.
As part of my undergrad, we have some activities that break the regular study flow, and this hackathon was one of them. I’d only seen hackathons in the news or on posters, so I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. The day began at dawn. We had to be up by 5 a.m. to catch an early bus, as weekends in Germany move noticeably slower than the workweek. After arriving, we were greeted with pretzels, a good start, I’d say and then headed to our first task.
We kicked things off with a coding challenge, a series of questions with specific instructions and tests to pass. Though we could retake any question, I opted not to, curious to see how I’d fare on my first try. Finishing early, I joined a group playing board games, including my first-ever round of Uno. Maybe it was beginner’s luck, but I won my first game! Being surrounded by like-minded people, keyboards clicking, and everyone immersed in their code, it felt like I was exactly where I belonged.
Our second activity started around noon; it was a paired challenge with a five-hour deadline to complete a project. We had three options to choose from, each with a set of tasks. My partner and I opted to build a website. I thought it would be a breeze given my background, but I quickly realized it wasn’t going to be that simple. My partner was new to web development, so I walked him through my process, assigning simpler tasks while I tackled the trickier parts. Balancing the teaching, coding, and time pressure, I found myself juggling roles I wasn’t quite prepared for, but that was part of the thrill.
An hour into the project, we finalized our design and began coding, and translating wireframes into a visual experience. Vanilla JavaScript and CSS, tools I hadn’t touched in a while, felt daunting at first, but it didn’t take long for the muscle memory to kick back in. And, just one minute before the deadline, we uploaded our project. Mission accomplished.
To wrap up the day, we attended a talk by Shameendra Narayan Halder, a software developer at Optovision Moderne Brillenglastechnik GmbH. He shared his journey as an immigrant to Germany, his entry into the industry, and his path in AI and deep learning. It was inspiring, especially hearing from someone who had been through similar experiences. He also shared practical advice on navigating the job market and what it means to be a skilled programmer.
By the end of the day, my brain felt both exhausted and deeply inspired. From teaching my partner to building a functional website under pressure, I learned so much in just one day and gained a new appreciation for those who do this daily (note to future self). Next time a hackathon pops up, you can bet I’ll be there if only to learn something new.