Dec 8, 2024
4 min
Iāve been meaning to write this article for a while now. Ever since going to my first hackathon back in 2022 when I was still a baby freshman in college. However, it remained an after thought as I became increasingly busy. Now, 2 years and many hackathons later, Iāve finally decided to sit my ass down and write this article on why you should go to a hackathon.
Initially when I tried to write this article, I found it incredibly difficult to express the passion and excitement I felt during my hackathon experiences. Iām by no means a gifted writer, but I think many talented authors would also struggle to explain how staring at a screen for 24 hours and sleeping on the floor on a weekend is fun and exciting. Now before you exit and decide never to do a hackathon, I would like you to give me a chance to convince you otherwise.
A quick disclaimer that Iām probably a bit biased since Iām a former hackathon organizer. However, from the many non-organizers that Iāve talked to, they echo a lot of the same sentiments that Iāll be talking about in this article. Additionally I want to note that when I say āhackathonā, Iām mainly referring to MLH associated in-person hackathons since thatās where most of my experiences come from.
Exhibit A: free stuff. Regardless if youāre passionate about technology or not, Iāve never met anyone in my life that hates free stuff. At hackathons, not only is entry completely free, but you also get fed throughout the weekend for free. The food itself can sometimes be a hit or miss, but most hackathons have pretty good food that will keep you full throughout the event. Also if you donāt like the food, there are tons of snacks and drinks that are also provided to keep you energized. Besides just food, thereās also free merch that comes standard with t-shirts, but might also have additional merch like plushies or tote bags.
Exhibit B: networking opportunities. Another reason you might want to go to a hackathon is to network with the companies or individuals that attend. Hackathons are a win-win for both companies and hackers as companies are able to observe to see what hackers are able to build within a time constraint while hackers are able to demonstrate their skills and creativity in a more personal setting. Itās great networking with other hackers too since there are usually a ton of interesting people with different expertise that you can converse with. Also it doesnāt hurt to network with people that might be top engineers at big companies in the future š.
Exhibit C: something for everyone. One of the main reasons people avoid hackathons is because it can seem intimidating at first glance, especially for beginners. If youāre indeed a beginner, then I think that hackathons are a great learning opportunity since there are workshops that teach you how to work with certain tools, mentors that can guide you through complications, and also beginnger-friendly challenge tracks where you wonāt have to compete against other veterans. If youāre not a beginner, hackathons are a great way to demonstrate your skills and potentially win fame and fortune if youāre selected as a winner!
Exhibit D: fun with the boys. At the end of the day hackathons are meant to be fun, so I highly recommend bringing your friends and forming a team together since yāall will be together for essentially the entire weekend. Itās a great time to just enjoy each otherās company and there a couple of fun events sprinkled throughout the event such as movie night and game sessions that you can enjoy as a team!
If none of what Iāve mentioned above has convinced you to go to a hackathon, I believe that you should still go regardless to try it out. Thereās no loss in just giving it a shot and seeing if you enjoyed the experience or not. After all, if you donāt like it then you can just not go in the future. Otherwise, if this article has convinced you to compete in a hackathon, I hope that you have a great time and tell the organizers that I sent you!
Thanks for reading. Cya š.