This year, I participated in Hacktoberfest, marking my first experience contributing to open source. Despite being new to the process, I learned so much from the event, from understanding pull requests and issue creation to resolving merge conflicts. Here’s my journey, challenges I faced, and the key takeaways I gained along the way.

Hacktoberfest opened my eyes to the world of open source collaboration, which was unfamiliar territory for me. I faced initial challenges with pull requests, figuring out how to create issues, and understanding the workflow of contributing to others' repositories. After several missteps, I got the hang of it—learning by trial and error and consulting ChatGPT whenever I hit a roadblock. By October 23rd, I successfully completed all four required PRs(4th PR is in Review Period), feeling accomplished and much more knowledgeable.

The journey wasn't smooth sailing. Many times, I felt stuck or unsure, especially when conflicts arose, but by persisting and seeking help, I managed to overcome each hurdle. I learned to navigate issues independently, which cleared up many of my initial doubts and made the experience rewarding.

Tips for Future Hacktoberfest Participants which I felt important to share:

• Start Early in "Preptember": I began finding Hacktoberfest-labeled repositories in September end, which gave me a head start in creating issues and familiarizing myself with projects.
• Choose Beginner-Friendly Repositories: If you’re new to programming or open source, look for repositories tagged with beginner-friendly languages like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript or any other in which you feel comfortable. Hacktoberfest is an ideal platform to learn as you go.
• Follow the Code of Conduct: Always review the repository’s contribution guidelines and Hacktoberfest's rules to ensure your PRs are valid.
• Finding Repositories to Contribute To: found beginner-friendly repositories through a mix of methods:
• Searching GitHub for "beginner-friendly" and "Hacktoberfest" tags.
• Checking LinkedIn posts where users shared Hacktoberfest projects.
• Getting recommendations from friends also participating in Hacktoberfest.
• Exploring YouTube, where creators often highlight repositories and give tips on Hacktoberfest.

For me, Hacktoberfest 2024 was about much more than just contributing to open source. It was a journey of staying consistent, focused, and resilient—even when I couldn’t figure things out immediately. From simply registering for Hacktoberfest last year to earning the badge for completing all four PRs this year, it’s been a rewarding path of growth and self-improvement.