Leveraging Open source as a Student
Leveraging Open Source Contributions and Programs to Accelerate Your Career as a Student

Leveraging Open Source Contributions and Programs to Accelerate Your Career as a Student

Amanda Shafack's photo
Amanda Shafack
·

5 min read

1. Introduction

  • What is Open Source?

    Open source generally refers to a community-based approach to creating intellectual property, such as software and designs, through open collaboration, inclusiveness, transparency, and frequent public updates. Open source software is code designed to be publicly accessible—anyone can see, modify, and distribute the code as they see fit.

    It has become a movement and a way of working that extends beyond software production. It has evolved into vibrant communities with networks where developers, designers, and tech enthusiasts contribute to shared projects. This collective approach drives rapid advancements in technology while fostering global collaboration.

  • Why does Open source Software Matter?

    Open source software is more than just a tool for programmers – it's a catalyst for innovation that can benefit anyone, especially students. Fostering a culture of collaboration, openness, and accessibility can unlock people's creative potential worldwide, driving innovation and progress.

    This Open-source development model has resulted in some of the most critical applications and cloud platforms being used today. Some remarkable ones include;

  • Moodle: a learning management system (LMS) widely used in educational institutions.

  • Mozilla Firefox: a web browser based initially on Netscape Navigator

  • VLC Media Player: a cross-platform app for viewing videos

  • LibreOffice: a suite of office productivity apps that rival Microsoft Office

  • GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program): an Open source alternative to Adobe Photoshop

  • Apache: an Open source cross-platform web server that played a key role in the early web

Top Companies Involved in the Open Source Space

2. Benefits of Open Source Contributions for Students

As a student in the Creative Media department, mastering your skills requires dedication, practice, and feedback. Contributing to open-source projects provides an ideal platform to hone your craft, gain practical experience, and develop valuable skills in a setting replicating the tech industry. Contributing to Open source projects can be beneficial in the following ways;

  1. Improve existing skills:
    Whether coding, user interface design, graphic design, writing, or organising, you have a task on an open-source project. For example, if you’re interested in web development, contributing to a web application project can enhance your skills in HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. You can learn from other developers' code and get feedback on your code from the community.

  2. Gain real-work experience:
    Contributing to Open Source projects provides invaluable hands-on experience, enabling you to apply theoretical knowledge in real-world settings. As you work on diverse projects, you'll build a robust portfolio that showcases your skills and enhances your career prospects.

  3. Build essential skills:

    In the modern workplace, soft skills like communication and collaboration are just as valuable as technical expertise. By engaging with Open Source projects, you'll develop these essential skills to a globally recognised standard, positioning yourself for success in an increasingly competitive job market.

  4. Find mentors and teach others:
    Working with others on a shared project means explaining how you do things and asking others for help. Learning and teaching can be a fulfilling activity for everyone involved. You can both seek guidance from experienced contributors and mentor newcomers who join the project later.

  5. Build public artefacts that help you grow a reputation (and a career):
    By definition, all of your Open source work is public, which means you get free examples to take anywhere to demonstrate what you can do. These contributions are valuable additions to your portfolio and can impress potential employers.

3. Open Source Programs and Initiatives for Students

  1. Google Summer of Code (summerofcode.withgoogle.com)

Google Summer of Code (GSOC) is a global program that offers students stipends to write code for open-source projects. Student participants get paired with Open source project mentors to create software. On top of getting paid, they build connections within the Open source community. These connections could lead to future employment opportunities.

  1. Outreachy (outreachy.org )

Outreachy offers internships in Open source and Open science. It also provides internships to people subject to systemic bias impacted by underrepresentation in the technical industry in which they work.

  1. Rails Summer of Code (railsgirlssummerofcode.org)

Rails Girls Summer of Code is a global fellowship program for women and non-binary coders. Students receive a three-month scholarship to work on existing Open Source projects and expand their skill set.

  1. Major League Hacking (MLH) Fellowships (fellowship.mlh.io)

MLH fellowships enable students to learn software engineering through Open source projects. It is a fully remote, 12-week internship alternative where participants earn a stipend and learn to collaborate on real Open source projects with peers and engineers from top companies.

  1. Google Season of Docs (developers.google.com/season-of-docs)

Google Season of Docs is an annual paid internship program by Google that allows technical writers (students, freelancers) to work on Open source projects worldwide. The goal is to help improve the technical documentation of open-source projects and give technical writers a chance to contribute actively.

4. Conclusion

In conclusion, contributing to Open Source projects offers students various benefits, from refining technical skills and gaining real-world experience to developing essential soft skills and building a professional portfolio.

As a student in the Creative Media department, your journey into open-source contributions will be an exciting and rewarding experience. The skills you'll gain, the connections you'll make, and the portfolio you'll build are invaluable assets for your future career.

The open-source community is known for its welcoming nature and supportive environment. Start small, choose projects that align with your interests, and gradually increase your involvement.

References

  1. Clarke, N. (n.d.). Opinion: Why I Prefer Open Source Software. The Argus. Retrieved 12 10, 2024, from https://www.theargus.ca/2021-articles/opinion-why-i-prefer-open-source-software IBM. (n.d.).

  2. What Is Open Source Software? IBM. Retrieved December 10, 2024, from https://www.ibm.com/topics/open-source Opensource.com. (n.d.).

  3. What is open source? Opensource.com. Retrieved December 10, 2024, from https://opensource.com/resources/what-open-source

  4. RedHat. (2019, October 24). What is open source? Red Hat. Retrieved December 10, 2024, from https://www.redhat.com/en/topics/open-source/what-is-open-source

  5. An Ultimate Guide To Open Source Contribution For Beginners. (2023, September 11). Testsigma Inc. Retrieved December 16, 2024, from https://testsigma.medium.com/an-ultimate-guide-to-open-source-contribution-for-beginners-7278952b0b9f

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