Follow-up to my previous hackathon. Actually, I've been to around 8 - 10 hackathons in just one year. And Tbh, I almost always forget that I'm not even a tech student. I'm literally not from a tech background in the traditional sense. I'm just a math student. Most of the coding, building, and all that tech stuff I've done... it's purely from passion, the inner drive.
Along the way, I've met people who are far more experienced, far more knowledgeable than me. And honestly, I can't compete with them. It's easy to feel small in those moments.
For anyone who's been through hackathons, you'll know. The amount of time, energy, effort you need to commit is just INSANE. Most competitions require you to go through multiple stages: prelim round, and sometimes a semi-final, and then the final round. Every round is like a mini-marathon, endless brainstorming, last-minute changes, and almost no sleep just to push through and deliver something that works.
In the first few hackathons, I was genuinely excited. It was fun. Every time one ended, I was already looking forward to the next. But after round and round of hackathons, I started to feel the burn. Exhausted, Emptiness. YES, I still learned something new in every game, but the energy, the excitement just started to wear off.
Eventually, it all stated to feel a bit empty.
There was also this lingering thought back in my mind: "Why am I comparing myself to people who are fully in this industry, who live and breathe in tech every single day, when I'm still just a student trying to explore things outside my field?"
There's still one more hackathon coming up, and I'll give it what I can. but after that, I really need a break. A proper one. Not just from hackathons, but from the constant cycle of proving myself. I need to breathe, reset and work on my inner health, mentally and emotionally.
Not saying I'm quitting hackathons forever. Not at all. But I know I need some time to focus more on myself, rebuild myself, and come back stronger.
Thanks for reading until here. Sometimes, the best thing you can do for your growth is step back, realign, and then go again.