Outreachy Internship Blog #2: Everybody struggles

In our third week of Outreachy, we got a task: write about the things about our current (or past) struggles. It wasn't easy, especially when the struggles were happening right then. But now, with some time passed, I'm ready to share what my journey been in last 3 weeks.

My Story

I come from non technical background and while I still remember some issues and feeling of incompetency I had when I was on the start of that path of learning code, I've been programming in C++ for quite some time now and it is more or less familiar ground for me.

However, with my Outreachy project, working on Linux VM, UI Toolkits like QT and GTK etc. I find myself as a complete dumb in beginning. The first few days were tough, grappling with the challenge of understanding a vast codebase, especially in a big project like LibreOffice. The C++ code seemed different from what I learned. Even though I knew concepts like inheritance, windows, widgets, signals, and pointers, they initially confused me interpreting it. But my mentor shared with me that its normal and even the regular contributors have these hard times while working on something new and it made a lot of sense. So, I spend most of my time for 1 weeks understanding the codebase and learning Qt programs and not really working specific to my project. Talking with mentors and getting their support kept me going. Now after two weeks I get what the project is all about and feel confident in it. Everything seems to be normal even though there are many harder task to accomplish in next few weeks.

Key Lessons Learned

In this journey, I've come to realize a crucial aspect – there's a delicate balance between dedicating time to independently figure things out for learning and improvement, and potentially wasting too much time due to hesitancy in seeking help. Ultimately, a brief explanation from a mentor may be the key to understanding and getting back on the right track. Initially, I spent a significant amount of time trying to solve problems on my own, only to later discover that my mentor could quickly address my most tough questions. The hesitancy in asking questions emerged as a hurdle. Additionally, I discovered the importance of making notes – recording my observations, even the seemingly insignificant ones. These notes proves useful when encountering challenges.

Embracing the Learning Journey

We're all human, and expecting to be an expert from the start, and especially as a mentored intern during Outreachy, is unrealistic. It's crucial not to get sad. Asking mentors or the community for help is not a sign of weakness. From what I've experienced, they are genuinely eager and happy to assist. The key is not to give up. Embracing the possibility of being a newbie again is perfectly okay, even if it feels a bit intimidating. The learning journey is filled with challenges, and that's what makes it worthwhile.