๐ Built by students, for students โ Created by sehmaluva
Inspired by AliceWonderland's Hactober Fest Starter Project
Licensed under the GNU GPLv3 License
Never contributed to open source before? Perfect! This is exactly where you should be.
Worried you're not good enough? You absolutely are! Every expert was once a beginner.
Not sure where to start? We've got you covered with step-by-step guides.
This project is designed for students and first time contributors โ whether you're in your first semester learning to code and collaborate or a senior preparing for your career. Everyone is welcome, and every contribution matters! ๐
- No experience required โ seriously!
- Clear, beginner-friendly documentation
- Simple tasks to get you started
- Friendly community ready to help
- Practice Git and GitHub workflows
- Build your portfolio with real projects
- Learn by doing, not just reading
- Get constructive feedback from peers
- Beginner to advanced challenges
- No pressure, no judgment
- Take your time โ this isn't a race
- Celebrate every small victory
- Showcase real open source contributions
- Earn badges and recognition
- Connect with fellow student developers
- Stand out in internship applications
Step 1: Set Up Your Account (5 minutes)
- Create a GitHub account (it's free!)
- Install Git on your computer
- Set up Git with your name and email:
git config --global user.name "Your Name" git config --global user.email "your.email@example.com"
Step 2: Fork This Project (2 minutes)
- Click the "Fork" button at the top of this page
- This creates your own copy of the project!
Step 3: Clone to Your Computer (3 minutes)
# Replace YOUR_USERNAME with your GitHub username
git clone https://github.com/YOUR_USERNAME/student-fest.git
cd student-festStep 4: Make Your First Contribution (5 minutes)
- Create your profile following our Student Profile Template
- Don't worry about making mistakes โ that's how we learn!
Perfect if you're: Taking your first programming course or just started learning
Start with:
- โ๏ธ Add your student profile (Template here)
- ๐๏ธ Fix a typo in documentation
- ๐ Add a comment or improve a README
- ๐จ Design a simple logo or banner
You'll learn: Basic Git commands, markdown formatting, collaboration basics
Perfect if you're: Comfortable with one programming language, done a few class projects
Start with:
- ๐งฉ Solve a Beginner Coding Challenge
- ๐ Fix a "good first issue" bug
- ๐ Improve code comments or documentation
- โจ Add a small feature to an existing project
You'll learn: Code review process, testing, working with existing codebases
Perfect if you're: Ready to create something from scratch or add major features
Start with:
- ๐ Build a project from our Project Ideas
- ๐ง Create a useful CLI tool or script
- ๐ฎ Develop a simple game
- ๐ Build a web application
You'll learn: Full development lifecycle, project architecture, collaboration at scale
Share your journey with the community:
- Your year and major
- What you're learning
- Your goals and interests
- Projects you want to work on
Why it matters: Networking, finding study buddies, building your online presence
Practice problem-solving in a supportive environment:
- Beginner: Print patterns, simple calculations, basic algorithms
- Intermediate: Data structures, API calls, file handling
- Advanced: Complex algorithms, optimizations, system design
Why it matters: Interview prep, skill building, learning new languages
Create applications that solve real problems:
- Web Apps: Todo lists, calculators, weather apps, portfolio sites
- CLI Tools: File organizers, productivity tools, automation scripts
- Games: Text adventures, puzzle games, arcade classics
- Utilities: Study timers, GPA calculators, note-taking apps
Why it matters: Portfolio building, practical experience, creativity
Help other students with automation:
- Assignment template generators
- Code formatting tools
- Git workflow helpers
- Development setup scripts
Why it matters: Giving back to the community, learning automation
Make learning easier for everyone:
- Write tutorials
- Create video guides
- Translate content
- Clarify confusing parts
Why it matters: Communication skills, technical writing experience
๐ฑ First Timer โ Made your first contribution
- Just for showing up and trying!
๐ค Profile Pro โ Created a student profile
- Joined the community officially
๐งฉ Problem Solver โ Completed coding challenges
- Bronze (1 challenge) โ Silver (5) โ Gold (10+)
๐ Project Builder โ Built real applications
- Started (1 project) โ Growing (3) โ Master (5+)
๐ Knowledge Sharer โ Contributed to docs
- Helper (1 doc) โ Teacher (3) โ Mentor (5+)
๐ค Community Champion โ Helped other students
- Reviewed PRs, answered questions, mentored
๐ฅ Consistent Contributor โ Regular participation
- Week streak, month streak, semester streak
- Check our FAQ โ we probably answered it!
- Search existing Issues
- Read the relevant guide in
docs/guides/
-
Open an Issue: Create a new issue
- Use a clear title: "Need help with: [your problem]"
- Explain what you tried
- Share error messages (if any)
- Tag it with
help wantedorquestion
-
Tag a Mentor: Add
@mentorin your issue for guidance -
Join Discussions: Ask in our community forum
- Most questions answered within 24 hours
- Peer help often comes within hours
- Remember: We're all students too! Please be patient ๐
- ๐ Git Basics Guide
- ๐ฅ GitHub for Students Tutorial
- ๐ GitHub Student Developer Pack โ Free tools!
- ๐งฉ Work through our challenges in order
- ๐ Read other students' solutions
- ๐ฏ Review pull requests to learn from others
- ๐ Learn Together โ We're all here to grow
- ๐ช Support Each Other โ Lift others as you climb
- ๐ Celebrate Diversity โ Different backgrounds, different strengths
- ๐ Embrace Mistakes โ They're proof you're trying
- ๐ก Ask Questions โ There are no "dumb" questions
- ๐ฏ Quality Over Quantity โ One good contribution beats ten rushed ones
- โ Be kind and patient with fellow students
- โ Give constructive feedback
- โ Help others when you can
- โ Admit when you don't know something
- โ Credit others for their work
- โ Don't copy code without understanding it
- โ Don't be condescending or dismissive
- โ Don't spam or submit low-quality PRs
- ๐ฅ Student Contributors:
Loading... - ๐ Universities Represented:
Loading... - ๐งฉ Challenges Solved:
Loading... - ๐ Projects Built:
Loading... - ๐ Total Badges Earned:
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Updated automatically via GitHub Actions
"This was my first open source contribution ever. The community was so welcoming!" โ @studentdev2024
"I learned more in one month here than in my entire semester. Highly recommend!" โ @codingfreshman
"Got my first internship partly because of contributions I made here!" โ @futuredev2025
Want to share your story? Add it in a PR to this README!
-
Copy the template
cp docs/templates/PROFILE_TEMPLATE.md profiles/YOUR_USERNAME.md
-
Fill in your information
- Your name (or username)
- Your university/school
- What you're studying
- Your interests and goals
-
Create a new branch
git checkout -b add-my-profile
-
Save and commit
git add profiles/YOUR_USERNAME.md git commit -m "Add student profile for YOUR_USERNAME" -
Push to GitHub
git push origin add-my-profile
-
Create a Pull Request
- Go to your fork on GitHub
- Click "Compare & pull request"
- Fill in the template
- Submit! ๐
Found a typo? Confusing explanation? Fix it!
- Find the file in
docs/or the main README - Click the pencil icon on GitHub
- Make your changes
- Scroll down and commit directly
- GitHub will automatically create a PR for you!
Get free access to premium tools! Includes:
- GitHub Pro
- Free domain names
- Cloud credits
- Development tools
- And much more!
Apply here: education.github.com/pack
- Add completed projects to your GitHub profile
- Link to your contributions in resumes
- Share achievements on LinkedIn
- Include in your portfolio
Q: I'm just a first-year student. Is this too advanced for me? A: Not at all! We have tasks specifically for absolute beginners. Start with creating your profile or fixing a typo.
Q: How much time do I need to commit? A: As much or as little as you want! Even 30 minutes a week is valuable.
Q: Will this help me get an internship? A: Yes! Open source contributions demonstrate initiative, collaboration skills, and real-world experience.
Q: I made a mistake in my PR. What do I do? A: That's totally fine! Just push more commits to fix it, or ask for help. Mistakes are part of learning.
Q: Can I contribute in languages other than English? A: Yes! We welcome documentation and comments in multiple languages.
Q: I don't know [insert technology]. Can I still contribute? A: Absolutely! This is a great place to learn. Start small and grow.
- ๐ด Fork this repository (button at the top right)
- ๐ Pick your first task:
- Create your profile โ Start here!
- Fix a typo or improve docs
- Solve a beginner challenge
- โจ Submit your Pull Request
Not sure which task? Start with creating your student profile โ it takes 10 minutes and you'll earn your first badge! ๐
Hey student! ๐
We created this project because we remember how intimidating open source felt when we were starting out. This is the project we wish existed when we were learning.
Don't worry about being perfect. Don't worry about asking "basic" questions. Everyone here is learning, and we're all supporting each other.
Your contribution, no matter how small, makes this community better. We're excited to see what you'll build!
Happy coding! ๐
โ The Student Fest Team
This project is licensed under the GNU General Public License v3.0 โ see the LICENSE file for details.
Remember: Every expert was once a beginner who kept going. ๐ช
You belong here. You can do this. We believe in you. โจ
โญ Star this repo โข ๐ด Fork it โข ๐ Start Contributing
Made with ๐ by students, for students