30 Days, 30 Hacks: Mastering Your US Master's Journey

Why are projects important?

I had this question when I first started with my undergraduate degree, silly question some might say, but it does cross our mind every now and then, probably because we do not want to invest our time in something which is not important for the interview. I certainly had this ideology that if every interview is going to be cracked using my leetcode skills and the orientation/bootcamp at my job is going to train me, why should I spend time on projects?

Unfortunately, I learned the answer to this through an interview I sat for back in my undergraduate days. Like any other interview post the leetcode round I was supposed to go through my resume, I had followed the right template, had the right amount of exaggerations ( 😛 ), did a fantastic job in keeping my CGPA up. But I was asked one of the basic questions in authentication procedures and I failed to answer because my knowledge was restricted with the leetcode questions and I did not have any idea on why we go for certain approaches in practical scenarios. That is when I started doing projects as basic as possible because I wanted to learn more about these and see if I can get my mind open when trying things single-handedly. It was hard at first because in my mind I always had this thought that I am not going to be responsible to build a system alone but gradually once I dedicated myself to the process I was able to work on these things and get past those obstacles with ease. I’ll share a list of software projects that I believe one should have worked on before entering the corporate world. These might not necessarily be in alignment with your work but it gives you a good head-start.

1. Try to build a portfolio website - Create a personal website to showcase your skills, projects, and resume. This is a great way to demonstrate your abilities to potential employers or clients. Essentially most applicants these days have a portfolio website on their resume, and sometimes you have to do the basic things right to get to the more challenging part.
   Resource that you can follow: (Most of these are beginner friendly and I’ve been through them already)

   a.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-Cr00UYokU (https://www.youtube.com/@EGATORTUTORIALS)
   b. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ag1LsgIUc0
   (https://www.youtube.com/@GreatStackDev)
   c. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g0HKvRj84Ak
   (https://www.youtube.com/@howtobecomeadeveloper)
   
   

2. Authentication Systems - Develop a robust authentication system that ensures secure user access to a web application or platform. This system will allow users to create accounts, login/logout, and access protected resources while safeguarding user data and privacy.

   Resource that you can follow:
   a.https://www.youtube.com/watchv=brcHK3P6ChQ&list=PL0Zuz27SZ-6PRCpm9clX0WiBEMB70FWwd - Highly recommend following the entire playlist
   (https://www.youtube.com/@DaveGrayTeachesCode)
   b. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1GUsmQKMnuU
   (https://www.youtube.com/@LearnProgrammingYourself)
   c. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YUqi1IjLX8I
   (https://www.youtube.com/@TheDevWorldbySergioLema)
   
   

3. Platform Clones - This gives you an idea on how platforms are being made and is a really good start to delve deeper on how corporate systems are setup. Try to develop different clones, some might go on to say that building your own platforms is the way to go forward, but to understand existing systems is important before you deep-dive into things you have no background in developing.

   Resource that you can follow:
   a. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rJjaqSTzOxI - Loved everybit of this stream
   (https://www.youtube.com/@CleverProgrammer)
   b. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QdxUZhLHZiA - Best in the business
   (http://youtube.com/@freecodecamp)
   c. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HW5roUF2RLg
   (https://www.youtube.com/@SonnySangha)

   
   

4. Full Stack Projects - These projects typically require a combination of programming languages, frameworks, and technologies to build a complete and functional system and is going to be the closest thing for you as a software developer.

   Resource that you can follow:
   a. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dTFXufTgfOE
   (https://www.youtube.com/@CodingWithDawid)
   b.https://www.youtube.com/watchv=tvdFYmJEaw4&list=PLB_Wd4-5SGAYsxD4JGaVdXll3PnoyI-AM&index=1 - Beginner Friendly
   (https://www.youtube.com/@RizwanKhanDeveloper)

   c. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K8YELRmUb5o
   (https://www.youtube.com/@EdRohDev)

These projects have all been tried and tested by myself and I certainly suggest using these projects to land an internship, I’ll be compiling an exhaustive list of projects that can be important for a full-time role. I’ll also be adding a list of courses that you can pursue (some might be paid) that gives you a quick project and a proper understanding of the system within 2 weeks.