Week 67

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    Overall, my experience working on LibreOffice easy hacks went really well. I was able to contribute to a real open source project, which felt meaningful because my work will actually be used by others. One thing that went well was learning how to navigate such a large codebase and follow contribution guidelines. Over time, I got more comfortable looking at the code and understanding how the codebase is connected.

    If I could improve anything, I would try to start earlier and ask more questions sooner. At times, I spent too long trying to solve things on my own when I could have saved time by reaching out to my instructor or peers for help. The most impactful part of this experience was seeing my contributions reviewed and accepted, making the work feel real, and showing me how collaboration works in a professional environment.    

    One challenge I faced was with my environment setup. I got it working for the most part, but there were some incredibly annoying Windows hiccups I just couldn't find a solution for. Making my overall workflow longer and harder to check my work. 

    My advice for future SL students would be to start early and not be afraid to reach out for help. Open source projects will feel overwhelming at first, but once you get past the initial learning curve, it becomes easier. Also, take time to understand the project before jumping in, it helps a lot when you're trying to fix issues. Lastly, don't get discouraged if things don't work right away. Struggling through problems is part of the process.

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