Have more questions? Well we have more answers! Keep on reading to learn more about hackathons:

What can I do to prepare for a hackathon?

• Most people come into a hackathon unprepared. It’s very common for coders to have no idea of what project, team, or path they’ll pursue until the hackathon begins! Brainstorming, adapting, and persevering are all part of the hackathon experience, so don’t be afraid to come in without a plan.
• It can still be helpful, however, to have a general plan of what you’ll do. These tips below can make hackathons a little less stressful:
• Brainstorm some ideas! Hackathons are a great time to code any projects you’ve wanted to do with a team. Consider the hackathon’s theme, your personal interests, and what programs you want to use when coming up with possible projects.
• Find teammates. Working with a team is one of the most fundamental parts of a hackathon! You can either join a hackathon with a team or meet new people within the first few hours. Regardless, having a team will allow you to learn, network, and accomplish more than if you were to work independently.
• Ask for help. Hackathons spend a lot of time organizing speakers and mentors who are more than willing to donate their time, advice, and insight into your project! Asking for help is very common and can take your project to new heights! Remember: these mentors were once you. They are here to help and want to see you succeed. But if you really, really, don’t have the time or desire to ask a mentor, the Internet is always filled with templates, references, and tutorials for you to use!
• Prioritize your time. Those 24 (or 48) hours will be both really long and really short. That’s why it is important to know what you want to do in the early stages of a hackathon. For example, if you want to network and meet professionals, block out time to attend interesting workshops! If you want to work more on front-end design, set that boundary in your team and reach out to relevant mentors. If you want to make new friends, attend some of the study breaks! Knowing what you want will make sure you enjoy every hour.

What are some tips for finding teammates at a hackathon?

• Choosing the right teammates can seal your hackathon’s entire fate. But fear not! Almost all hackathons will offer some kind of networking event before it begins or right afterwards. This is a great chance to meet new people and potential teammates.
• Another way to find teammates is to ask your friends to sign up with you! Securing a team of people you trust, share your passions, and know well can make the transition to the hackathon a lot smoother.
• Regardless of who you choose for your team, it’s important to be well-rounded. This ensures that the entire team can play off of everyone’s strengths and weaknesses. When you have teammates from different fields with unique skill sets, it opens wide doors for projects and concepts you can pursue!
• Most teams include a programmer (someone whose strengths are in technical code), a business person/marketer (someone who enjoys public speaking and presenting projects), and a designer (someone who enjoys front-end development and thinking creatively).

What kind of projects are made during a hackathon?

• What makes hackathons really cool is that there is no requirements for what you build during a hackathon! However, the hackathon may offer some tracks — specific topics related to an overarching theme — you can follow to inspire your project and win specific prizes!
• Projects can be as niche as building a personal website or web scraping your favorite application to as large-scale as helping solve a global issue.
• Any project can use a variety of programming languages and libraries, and can even include hardware like circuits or small machines!
• For more examples of what coders make during a hackathon, check out the StarHacks I gallery!

Do I have to submit a project?

• When you sign up for a hackathon, it’s expected that you or your team will submit a project before the deadline.
• However, it’s okay for you to submit something that’s partially finished! As long as your team has an idea and some work, you can still present to the judges and be eligible for awards. Publishing your project — even if it’s not complete — can also showcase what you are capable of and serve as inspiration for future coders. You can even continue working on the project after the hackathon ends, if you so choose.
• There isn’t a penalty if you do not submit a project. Keep in mind that most awards rely on you having something for judges to judge, so by not submitting a project, you opt out of several possible prizes.

I’ve heard of this thing called Devpost. What is Devpost?

• Glad you asked! Devpost is the self-proclaimed “home for hackathons”. It’s one of the most common websites used amongst hackathons and is a great resource for anyone interested in hacking. Devpost allows you to find ongoing hackathons using filters your searches based on interest, length, and location, view projects completed in the past, and even host your own hackathon!
• During a hackathon, Devpost is where you’ll usually submit your project to be reviewed for awards. A Devpost post will let you and your teammates credit each person’s work, explain your project, and link it for others to try out! You can also include relevant tags, like the type of project you made and languages you used, to increase your post’s reach. All Devpost projects you’re a part of will show up under your profile for anyone to see and take inspiration from.

What prizes can I win at a hackathon?

• Hackathons offer a variety of prizes! Anything from monetary prizes to hackathon swag (like backpacks, t-shirts, and water bottles) are commonplace at hackathons. Some hackathons even offer technology, like new iPads, or even internships from sponsors as prizes! In the past, StarHacks gave out awesome makeup kits, gift cards, and stationary for award-winning projects.
• But oftentimes, hackers won’t cite tangible prizes as the most valuable takeaway. The intense learning session, new connections, and projects are all noteworthy and can go on to strengthen your resume and future career! Remember, hackathons are a hotpot of passionate, talented coders eager to learn. It’s rare that you’ll ever find a similar environment outside of it.

Who organizes/runs hackathons? Are they anything like me?

• Many hackathons — such as Treehacks, StarHacks, TechTogether, and PennApps — are student-run. This means that students, just like you and I, actively take time out of their schedule to coordinate workshops, market the hackathon, and manage the event while it’s happening!
• Every event runner, at some point in their lives, was just like you: a student eager to learn more about computer science and collaborate with bright minds. They have first-hand experienced the excitement, passion, and nervousness you are going through. This means to not fear them; hackathon event coordinators want you to have a great time, and will do everything in their power to make that happen. And who knows? Someday, you might be organizing a hackathon of your own!

I’m still not convinced. What are the benefits of attending a hackathon?

• Career-wise, hackathons are a great way to network, meet new people with shared passions, and build connections with future employers, mentors, and peers. Personally, adding hackathons to your resume showcases technical and interpersonal skills. Even if you do not win, hackathons give you valuable knowledge & experience that help direct your future.
• You can also form lifelong friendships with people you meet and improve your tech skills as you attend more and more hackathons!

What is the biggest takeaway/positive memory/piece of information you wish you knew before your first hackathon?

• One piece of advice that our Director of Outreach has to give is to focus on understanding the problem before trying to find a solution. When you truly understand the issue at hand and who is affected by the issue, then can you make a solution that can really help solve the problem. And of course, always have fun, take naps, eat snacks and drink water!

We hope that all your questions have been answered! If you have any more questions, send us a message on Instagram!

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It’s almost that time of year again — new school year, new hackathon season — wait, did I say new hackathon season? Yup that’s right, the hackathon season is starting soon in September and the StarHacks team wants to answer all your questions!

First off, what even is a hackathon?

• A hackathon is an event where attendees of all different backgrounds build projects with technology in a team of 1–4 to address problems like climate change or access to education. It usually lasts for a very short amount of time — typically 24 or 48 hours — which gives the thrill of working against the clock! Hackathons usually also offer access to unique networking sessions, workshops, panels, and games to encourage everyone to grow, connect, and have fun! While usually in person, several hackathons are now online because of the pandemic.

Who attends hackathons?

• Anyone! One of the largest misconceptions about hackathons is that they are exclusive to experienced coders when in reality it is the complete opposite. Hackathons are open to anyone who has willingness to learn or is interested in technology and computer science. Some hackathons will even indicate what type of attendee the event is geared towards! For example, StarHacks gears its events towards female and nonbinary individuals with any level of coding experience! Even if you feel like you don’t have any skills to attend a hackathon, hackathons offers workshops, panels, and additional resources that can help you during the competition and as you grow as a programmer.
• In fact, non-programmers can offer a fresh perspective desired by many to make a well-rounded team. Whether it be graphic design, presenting the final product, or networking with mentors, there is something for everyone to contribute to and learn from at a hackathon.

Wow, 24–72 hours seems like a short amount of time. What happens during that time?

• A lot happens in a short amount of time! Typically, hackers attend the opening ceremony hosted by event runners and sponsors. Hackers then network with each other to form teams of 1–4 people.
• Each team then brainstorms their project, divide the work, and develop their strategy. Afterwards, everyone gets to work, asking for help from each other and mentors when needed. In between working on the project, hackers can attend events like games, networking sessions, workshops and booths!
• When hacking ends, teams present their project to a panel of judges or record a short video for judges to view. Finally, Hackers attend the closing ceremony to see all the winners!
• When time allows, hackers may also attend the offered selection of panels, workshops, and games.

What is a workshop? What’s a panel? Do I have to attend workshops and panels during a hackathon?

• During a hackathon, the event organizers might organize a series of workshops and panels!
• Workshops tend to be more technical. For roughly 30–60 minutes, a workshop lead will introduce a specific skill, library, or language in an interactive way. These workshops are a great way to quickly learn new techniques you can use in your project, and make you more confident during the hackathon. Workshop leaders can also be great mentors during and after the hackathon, making them a great networking opportunity.
• Panels, on the other hand, are more about the people behind the hackathon. You typically ask panelists questions and there’s usually a live discussion. It’s a great chance to meet the event organizers or featured guests, giving you a glimpse of the world of computer science!
• Typically, attending a workshop or panel is not mandatory. However, many people will attend ones that interest them as a short break from their coding.

So, I heard there might be coding involved. Does this mean I need to code or understand computer science to attend?

• A big misconception many people have is that only “elite” programmers can attend a hackathon, but that’s not true at all!
• Everyone at a hackathon has niche skills that will complement others; not all of those skills have to be programming. A hackathon is not just about coding. For example, teams will be looking for artists & graphic designers to create their interface. Strong public speakers are highly valued, especially when presenting the final project to judges. Time management, leadership, and writing are just a few other non-coding skills that completely shape a team. Additionally, most hackathons will offer workshops like Intro to Python or Intro to Web Design that help build your coding skills. About 30% of StarHacks’ 2020 hackers had no prior experience in coding, yet still made amazing projects!

What is the difference between an in-person and remote hackathon? Are there some benefits to one over the other?

• An in-person hackathons is usually held at a venue, like a university, and attendees will eat, sleep and hack at the venue for 24+ hours. There is also food, fun events, booths, networking, workshops and more! However, usually only locals can attend in-person hackathons and there’s a cap to the number of attendees allowed to participate due to the higher cost.
• A remote hackathon is a hackathon that is completely online, meaning anyone from anywhere can attend! While there isn’t free food, the same fun events, booths, networking and workshops exist, just in a virtual form like on Discord or Zoom.

This all sounds great! How can I find hackathons?

• Hackathon.io, Major League Hacking, Hacker League, and Devpost to name a few!
• Many universities have their own flagship hackathon, so check our when your local university hosts their hackathon.
• Hackathons are always happening; with the increase in virtual events, it’s easier to join hackathons anywhere!

We hope these tips helped you clear the air about hackathons. Stay tuned for part 2!

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Want to see a specific article? Submit your idea here!

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Check us out at: Instagram, Twitter.

See our website: https://www.starhacks.tech