Getting involved


 * The contents of this article are from a speech given on 9/12/2006 for UK CS 100 001

It has been my experience that the best way to learn is to just jump in and get your hands dirty. With programming, that is obviously a figure of speech, but you get the idea. The simple fact is that I have gained a lot more experience and skill by working on various projects that I could possibly have from classes.

Projects don't have to be school sponsored or even useful to be worth while. Any project that you enjoy working on and learn something from (even if it is only that you don't like that type of thing) is a good project.

I have been involved in a number of projects in and out of the University (of Kentucky).

University projects
Projects through the University(s) give you a chance to work closely with other students as well as faculty. They give you a chance to learn first hand from others, present challenges you might not ordinarily face (such as public speaking, in my case). They are also great chances to network.

Outreach involvement

 * University contests
 * Helping run contests run by the University has given me more insight into the skills others are entering the university with and what they are gaining by being here. It is very interesting to be in such a position as an undergraduate and can give insight into what I should work on with my own skills to make my self more marketable after I graduate.
 * Outreach portal
 * The outreach portal which is currently under development has been giving me a chance to apply skills I already had to new problems that will help others.

Solar Car Team

 * Cross disciplinary projects
 * Getting the chance to work on a student run project like the solar car is very rewarding. Not only are you learning to work with students from other disciplines but you are also working with a large project that you can actually see and touch.

Personal projects
I have gained a lot of experience and skill by working on my own projects, or helping friends with theirs.

Community projects
One of the problems with working on a project by your self (and for your self) is losing interest. A great way to overcome this problem is by either working with others on a project or creating a project that others will actively use. The Internet is a perfect medium for this type of project but the main thing is to do something you can get feed back and a sense of accomplishment from, this will help you keep going.

The main community project I have worked on is a community portal for a large group of friends from my home town who are now some what dispersed. Much of the project has been working with existing open source projects, such as phpBB and MeidaWiki, however a good deal of coding has been needed even there. The main component of the portal that was built fro scratch was the chat system. To date I have not found an open source chat system I am happy with so I had to build one from scratch.

Experimenting
Small projects as well as just messing around are great ways to improve your self.

Advice

 * Find something you like
 * Build on your existing skills