As a first-time participant in Hacktoberfest, I wasn’t sure what to expect. The idea of contributing to open source felt both exciting and overwhelming, but I knew this was an opportunity to grow as a developer. With one badge already under my belt, I can say this journey has been a blend of high moments, challenges, and invaluable learning experiences.

Why Hacktoberfest?

I decided to take part in Hacktoberfest to step outside my comfort zone and push myself to contribute to real-world projects. I’ve always admired open-source contributors, but I hadn’t really taken the plunge myself. Hacktoberfest felt like the perfect chance to finally start. The community’s welcoming atmosphere and the sense of being part of something bigger immediately drew me in.

The Highs and Lows

The process of contributing to projects has been both rewarding and humbling. My first pull request was an adrenaline rush—I was excited, yet nervous about whether my contributions would be good enough. But the feedback I received from maintainers was incredibly encouraging. The sense of accomplishment after that first merge is something I’ll never forget.

Of course, it hasn’t all been smooth sailing. There were moments of frustration, like when I encountered bugs that took hours to resolve or when I couldn’t find a project I felt confident contributing to. But with each challenge came a lesson, and I’ve come to appreciate those moments as essential parts of my learning curve.

What I've Learned

Hacktoberfest has taught me a lot, from technical skills to a deeper understanding of how collaboration works in the open-source community. I’ve learned to navigate GitHub more efficiently, read through codebases to understand how projects function, and communicate with other developers to ensure that my contributions were aligned with the project’s goals.

But beyond the technical skills, I’ve also gained confidence. Before Hacktoberfest, I often felt intimidated by the idea of contributing to someone
else’s project. Now, I realize that everyone starts somewhere, and the open-source community is there to help you along the way.

What’s Next?

With one badge down, I’m eager to continue my Hacktoberfest journey. There’s so much more to learn, and I’m excited to see how my skills evolve as I dive into new projects and challenges. I hope to contribute more, not just during Hacktoberfest, but in the open-source world in general.

If you’re thinking about joining Hacktoberfest but are unsure about where to start, my advice is simple: just go for it! You’ll be surprised at how much you can learn and how supportive the community is.