My Story. Beginning to Google Udacity Scholarship.
The Story. Let me give you a brief insight into a not-so-spectacular but a motivated story about myself. I’ve been brought up in a country where Cricket has been glorified, in a time where Sachin Tendulkar was(some would argue that he still is) considered to be a God. There used to be a real hype everywhere whenever India used to play. Naturally, I was serious about the sport too. In Fact, I was serious enough to have played two sports at the National Level, Cricket and Football.
But there comes a time where your parents make you understand that studies would be a better and more stable career in the future. In addition to sports, I used to love Computer games(I still do!) which is the reason why I opted for Computers in school as well as college.
Throughout high school and college, as I started learning languages such as C/C++, Java, PHP, Python etc., I was mesmerized to see what a set of structured commands could do and I realized that I have a deep passion for coding and development. As a result, I was involved in small projects as well as Internships. On graduation, I even got a job as a Java Professional. My current job profile is a Android Developer which involves Android Development best practices implementation such as MVVM App Architecture, Android Architecture Components, Dagger2, RxAndroid, DataBinding etc. with the help of Android Studio.
Being a 90s kid, I’ve seen the influx of Technology in our day to day lives. Now we cannot imagine a lifestyle without Internet, Computers or Smartphones. As natural was my love for sports, my curiosity for Technology has been the same. The first phone that was bought to me by my parents was a Nokia(Buttons!), but ever since I saw Android powered Touch phones, my first reaction was of being amazed and then my curiosity kicked in. I was curious about how the beautiful UI was created, what was under the hood, and how the apps worked. Also, seeing the growth of Technology, I realized that a large number of real life problems or situations can be solved or improved with the help of Android. As a result, I decided to take up Android and soon enough found that Udacity was offering paid Nanodegree program as well as free courses. Although I couldn’t afford paying up for the Nanodegree, I took up basic courses for Android at Udacity. Although free courses are still good for knowledge and learning, the prospect of completing projects with the help of Android best practices, along with information and knowledge rich community is a different learning experience altogether. In November 2017, Google in partnership with Udacity, announced that they are organizing Re-Skill India Program where selected students will be given scholarship for the Udacity Nanodegree Programs.
Even though I read the news with my eyes, the announcement was music to my ears. I saw this as a once in a Lifetime opportunity to reshape my career. Seeing that I knew Android Basics, I decided to apply for Android Intermediate scholarshipc i.e. Android Developer Track.
Now half way into the challenge course and seeing how well my peers are performing, it has motivated me even further. Any minute that I can spare and be on my laptop, I try to either learn something about Android or contribute my bit in this amazing community. I’ve completed the course and I plan to find new ways of increasing my contribution in the community. I am working my socks off because I want to do a lot more than just complete the course. I want implement the concepts that I’ve learnt in real life scenarios so that we can improve the lives of everyone around us.
When I started learning free Android courses with Udacity, my thought process was a little lenient. I was confident about my ability to grab the concepts that I knew or was taught. Now, just above 1.5 months in the challenge course, I have been exposed to industry standard practices for Advanced Android Development as well as an Active community. It is safe to say that my thought process has changed for the good. Although, I am still confident about learning new concepts, I have learned that a good amount of hardwork is required to be able to stay relevant in the challenge course. I have also learned that there is a sea of Information out there and Udacity along with Google have created this brilliant platform for us to learn swimming in that sea. One of the great things that have contributed to my growth is the awesome community. Almost everyday, I read a new term, concept or a new way of doing things in regards to Android. Learning concepts through videos and articles is one thing, explaining those concepts to others in your language is a whole different experience. Also, juggling the responsibilities of job, learning Android and the community has taught me a good lesson about time management and efficiency. I wholeheartedly appreciate Google and Udacity for this opportunity that has been given to me. I am driven towards making it count.
You must be wondering, Why did I put an opening pic of an empty note?
Well let me just say that I’m yet to achieve something of value in my Story. I will fill up that note when I have scored that goal!
