Rounak Agarwal

I am a 2020 graduate of IIIT Jabalpur's B.Tech programme in Computer Science and Engineering. I love to convert ideas into code. The basic belief that a line of code has the capability to transform our lives for the better drives me. Technologies that enhance and automate our lives, bring minimalism into our lives continue to motivate me to write code that can in some way or the other increase productivity and transform the lives of people on earth. I enjoy the challenge of solving algorithmic problems and using code to create something. I love questioning things, learning new tools and technologies, and creating interesting things.

Reasons I like to participate in hackathons:

• Working on a project using new technologies. This has made me a lot more productive & confident.
• Teaming up with random strangers, who later convert to lifelong friends.
• A hackathon serves as a huge networking opportunity for me where I get to interact with students and professionals from whom I have a lot to learn and share.
• It is filled with inspiration, education, exposure and fun for me.

I have built projects using both frontend and backend technologies. I take a keen interest in Python, Java and JavaScript. Currently, I am exploring React and Next.js.

The most complex project that I worked on is creating a web app for the CodeChef API Hackathon powered by Alibaba Cloud. The hackathon required knowledge of working with APIs, handling GET & POST requests, learning new languages, etc. I learnt Django, requests(Python), OAuth, all from scratch and was successful in learning them to a level that I could implement them with utter confidence. I was working with one more member for this project and working together taught me how to divide the workload(or codeload) and teamwork among other things. The rare, ephemeral moments when you are finally able to convert your ideas into code is what I strive for.

I take a keen interest in Open Source Development and was an active participant in the Kharagpur Winter of Code, 2018 and NJACK Winter of Code, 2018. I have actively contributed to Cantera, an open-source chemical kinetics software, and the Astropy Project, a community Python library for Astronomy. I also blog about my coding experiences on medium.

What I remember from any hackathon or project that I worked on is not some glorious tale of victory or terrible tale of defeat, but a little gem of a story about times that matter. When all is said and done, and I forget about all my titles and achievements and humiliating losses, I'll remember the people I met and the stories I have to tell.