Posted on Oct 24 Intro:Hey there! I'm Khushi Gupta, and this is my journey as a contributor during Hacktoberfest 2023. This is my first Hacktoberfest, and I couldn't be more excited to share my experiences and growth with you all. You can check out my GitHub profile- https://github.com/khushig99.Highs and Lows:This Hacktoberfest has been quite a rollercoaster ride. It's had its highs and lows, but that's what makes it such an exciting and enriching experience.Highs: One of my proudest moments this month was when I successfully submitted my first-ever pull request to an open-source project. It might sound trivial, but it was a significant milestone for me. It was an exhilarating feeling to see my code being accepted and merged into the project. Another highlight was when I had an "aha" moment while debugging a challenging issue. One of those light-bulb moments that made me appreciate the problem-solving aspect of programming even more.Lows: Of course, not everything was smooth sailing. There were moments when I encountered seemingly insurmountable problems. I spent hours debugging and researching, feeling a bit discouraged. But the open source Community is incredibly supportive. I reached out for help, and experienced developers were more than willing to assist. It's a lesson in persistence and the value of collaboration.GrowthBefore Hacktoberfest 2023, I had a decent grasp of programming fundamentals, but I was still hesitant to dive headfirst into open source. However, this month has been a turning point in my journey.Skillset Before: My skillset before Hacktoberfest included proficiency in a few programming languages and the ability to build simple applications. I had a basic understanding of version control with Git and GitHub but limited experience with collaborative coding.How It Improved: My skills have grown immensely. I've learned the art of effective collaboration through Git and GitHub, and my confidence in using these tools has skyrocketed. I've gained experience in creating clean, well-documented code, and I've also sharpened my debugging skills. Moreover, I've had the opportunity to work on diverse projects, which has broadened my horizons and introduced me to new technologies and libraries.Changed Goals: Working on these projects has opened my eyes to the vast world of open source, making me more passionate about contributing to projects that align with my interests. My learning and career goals have evolved. I now have a clearer path toward becoming a more proficient developer and a more active member of the open-source community. I look forward to pursuing projects that not only benefit me but also have a positive impact on the developer community and society as a whole.Templates let you quickly answer FAQs or store snippets for re-use. Are you sure you want to hide this comment? It will become hidden in your post, but will still be visible via the comment's permalink. Hide child comments as well Confirm For further actions, you may consider blocking this person and/or reporting abuse Alvaro Montoro - Oct 16 Andrew Ezeani - Sep 24 keploy - Sep 23 Juraj Malenica - Oct 12 Once suspended, khushig99 will not be able to comment or publish posts until their suspension is removed. Once unsuspended, khushig99 will be able to comment and publish posts again. Once unpublished, all posts by khushig99 will become hidden and only accessible to themselves. If khushig99 is not suspended, they can still re-publish their posts from their dashboard. Note: Once unpublished, this post will become invisible to the public and only accessible to Khushi Gupta. They can still re-publish the post if they are not suspended. Thanks for keeping DEV Community safe. Here is what you can do to flag khushig99: khushig99 consistently posts content that violates DEV Community's code of conduct because it is harassing, offensive or spammy. Unflagging khushig99 will restore default visibility to their posts. DEV Community — A constructive and inclusive social network for software developers. With you every step of your journey. Built on Forem — the open source software that powers DEV and other inclusive communities.Made with love and Ruby on Rails. DEV Community © 2016 - 2023. We're a place where coders share, stay up-to-date and grow their careers.