Turning Lockdown into Learning

During the lockdown—a period when the world seemed to hit pause—many of us found ourselves with more time than ever before. As classes shifted online and social media became a black hole of endless scrolling, I decided to use this time productively. My choice? To dive into the MERN stack, a powerful web development suite consisting of MongoDB, Express.js, React, and Node.js.

From Idea to Reality

Eager to apply what I was learning, I wanted to build something meaningful. That’s when inspiration struck: an IP Logger. The concept was simple but intriguing. Users could sign up, log in, and generate a unique link from any URL. Clicking this link would capture the visitor’s IP address and details before redirecting them to the original URL. It promised to be a handy tool for gaining insights into link clicks.

Fueled by excitement, I spent two intense days coding non-stop. Watching my ideas materialize into lines of code was thrilling. Once completed, I hosted the project and made it accessible for anyone to try. I also uploaded the code to GitHub for public viewing and potential contributions. You can check out the project here.

A Surprise Notification

Weeks later, while juggling other commitments, a GitHub notification caught my eye. A stranger had opened an issue on my project, requesting a feature to record the time and date of link clicks. It was a small request but a huge motivator someone found my project useful enough to suggest an improvement!

Curious and eager to assist, I reached out to this user. We began chatting on Telegram, where he revealed that he had no experience with the MERN stack but was impressed by the IP Logger. After our discussion, I added the requested feature, enhancing the tool's functionality.

From Coding to Cash

The user was thrilled with the update and requested further help with hosting the project on his virtual machine. Hosting a MERN stack project can be daunting for beginners, so I guided him through the setup and deployment process. Once the project was up and running smoothly, he offered me $100 for my assistance.

This unexpected reward was more than just financial—it was a validation of my skills and a tangible proof that my college learning could make a real-world impact. It was a gratifying moment that marked my first earnings from a personal project.

The Takeaway

This experience highlighted the value of practical skills and the importance of sharing your work with the world. You never know who might find it useful or what opportunities it might bring. For me, it was the beginning of a new chapter, proving that even during challenging times, creativity and dedication can lead to meaningful achievements.

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