Beginners guide to Google Summer of Code
So let me guess, you, a university student recently came across the buzz of GSoC. One of your friends, seniors or cousins got accepted into GSoC and they seem extremely happy and on top of the world. Everyone around them is showering loads of best wishes and good luck and they are already planning where to celebrate this achievement. But you, on the other hand, don’t even know what GSoC is…?
Well, in that case, you came to the right place my friend and let’s get you out of this FOMO. To be very precise I will be answering these 6 questions
- What is GSoC?
- Who all are eligible to participate for it?
- What are the benefits of GSoC?
- Is GSoC a Google internship?
- What skill set is required for it?
- (just in case 😉) I am impressed by your article and I want to get started. Where do I start?
What is GSoC?
As per the website
“Google Summer of Code is a global program focused on bringing more student developers into open source software development. Students work with an open source organization on a 3-month programming project during their break from school.”
So first, we need to understand What is Open Source Software?
Open source software is software with source code that anyone can inspect, modify and enhance. It’s free of cost and can be altered by users according to their needs. Let’s take a real-life example. We have Windows and Linux as operating systems. Now you can see what’s inside Linux and even modify it as per your needs(the reason we have numerous Linux distros). Also, you get Linux for free whereas, in the case of Windows, Microsoft just ships you the end product. You cannot see and modify what code gets Windows working and the sad part, you have to pay a hefty amount for it. All this is because Linux is OpenSource and Windows is not.
I believe you have already started loving OpenSource.Open source is what is at the heart of GSoC.
So GSoC is a program where Google brings together students and OpenSource organizations to collaborate over the summers. Students pick projects listed by the organizations on the GSoC website as per their interest and suggest their ideas. If the organization thinks the student is competent enough to complete the project he/she gets selected and works with that organization remotely over the summers.
Who all are eligible to participate for it?
As per the official website
- You must be at least 18 years of age when you register
- You must currently be a full or part-time student (or have been accepted and committed to the fall term) at an accredited university as of the date accepted student proposals are announced
- You must be eligible to work in the country you will reside in during the program
- You have not already been accepted as a Student in GSoC more than once
- You must reside in a country that is not currently embargoed by the United States. See Program Rules for more information.
So yeah, if you align by all these rules you are good to go.
What are the benefits of GSoC?
So here comes the part you have been waiting for. I would say that if you are going to enter the software industry after your degree then GSoC could be one of the best things that can happen to you as a student. You get hands-on experience with the industry standards of software development which is something difficult to learn by yourself. The best part is being connected to a mentor. GSoC mentors are people who are highly experienced software developers and believe me my friend, having a constant source of guidance is a prized possession. One very tangible and obvious advantage of participating in GSoC is the stipend that you make while working with amazing people on a great project. Post GSoC, If you are ready to apply for an internship at Google, or once you graduate and wish to apply for a full-time role at Google, Google will provide you with a one-time referral for up to 3 roles. Being a successful GSoC student is in fact, a prestigious achievement. It’s another way to make your resume more impressive. And of course, you get a really cool t-shirt too!
Is GSoC a Google internship?
NO! this a misconception among many people. GSoC is not a Google internship or STEP program or anything else Google runs for its interns. It’s a program where Google is just the mediator between the students and the organizations. One should not claim to be a Google employee if he/she gets accepted for GSoC.
What skill set is required for it?
Hard work, patience, and love for quality code. That’s all you need. If you wanted to hear something like JAVA, C++, etc. then those are just the secondary requirements. If you can code in any general purpose language and you have the will to clear GSoC, see yourself writing articles like these next year ❤️ .
I am impressed by your article and I want to get started. Where do I start?
Well, if this article gets Atleast one person started, I will believe that the purpose of writing this article got served. To get started you need to select any project of your interest of any OpenSource organization that participates in GSoC. You can check the archives. Start contributing to the Project in any way you can and get in contact with the project maintainer.
Let’s keep it short. I won’t go into further details of how to get started. If you liked this article and want me to write a detailed article on the process of how to get started please comment below, I will be more than happy to write one. Follow me for more Blogs like these. Also, constructive criticism is most welcome 😄 .
Till then, Valar Morghulis ❤️ .
