SRM Easwari Engineering College Fest Experience (Google Solution Challenge)

Hello, guys!

I am the author of this blog. I am pursuing my BTech degree at Kalasalingam Academy of Research and Education. I will share my experience with the Google Solution Challenge competition in this blog. I hope you all enjoy this. For a better experience, I have broken the content into several parts and will start to narrate it. So without any delay, let’s begin…Before diving in, I feel responsible for explaining, “What is the Google Solution Challenge?”

The Google Solution Challenge is an annual global competition organized by Google for students who are part of Google Developer Student Clubs (GDSCs). The challenge encourages students to develop innovative solutions to real-world problems using Google technologies. Here are some key aspects and details of the challenge: Now it’s time to share my experience with it:

• The Team Formation
• The Hardworking Days
• Tasting Victory
• The Lighthouse
• Day @ Chennai
• The Lazy Days
• Conclusion

In this part of my journey, I will share how the “Dad’s Dream” team was formed and what happened before we entered a global contest. I have some friends who have the same mindset and similar behaviours. Every morning, we would sit under a tree and chat with each other. During one of our discussions, I suggested that the four of us split into two groups for any competition and explore the competitive world through teamwork. Everyone agreed with this idea, and we began searching for a competition. Two days later, we got an opportunity from our university to participate in a global-level contest called the Google Solution Challenge, organized by the Google Developer Student Clubs. We registered our team for this competition and started working on it.

In this competition, we decided to develop a website to address a real-world problem. We chose “No Hunger” as our base issue and sought to find a solution. Eventually, we came up with the idea of sharing food, which we believed was a viable solution. Our website included login and sign-up pages, and a food portal with options like “Give Food,” “Save Food,” and “Need Food.”

• Give Food: In this option, users can offer food to those in need. It requires information such as the quantity of food, type of food, address, and phone number. Once the user fills out this information, it is displayed in the “Need Food” portal, where people in need can access it.
• Save Food: In this section, users need to upload two photos: one taken before eating and another taken after eating. Using machine learning models, we can determine if the plate is empty or not. Before diving into this project, we split into two groups: two of us worked on front-end development and the other two focused on back-end development and the database. I must admit, we knew nothing about these technologies beforehand; we learned everything from scratch for this project. Despite the challenge, we built the project for a global-level contest. We had only one month to submit the project, but we managed to complete and submit it one day before the deadline. After submission, I was literally in tears because I had sacrificed many things for this competition, like chatting with friends, playing video games, and even eating enough food since I could only work at night. If I ate too much, I would become sleepy. However, I learned that hard work pays off. One suggestion I have for all of you is: that if you start working on something, make sure to complete it before moving on to the next task. Completing it will make you feel much better compared to your previous self. So, shall we wrap up here and continue the remaining parts in the next section?

Finally, the day arrived—our competition result day. In the morning, some teams were selected for the regional boot camp, but we didn’t receive any notification. We didn’t lose hope and waited until the evening, but still, no email arrived. Despite this, I held onto hope. At 8 PM, I finally received an email informing us that we were selected for the regional boot camp organized by Chennai. It was a wonderful experience, unlike anything I had ever felt before. When I saw the email, I was overwhelmed with joy, acting almost like a madman because I had spent a whole month working on this project. I was in tears of happiness. So, I encourage you all to pause here and recall any similar experiences you’ve had.

I want to take this opportunity to thank Mr. Krishna Vineeth, the GDSC lead of our university. I call him the lighthouse in my career because he guided me towards victory. Before this, I had no idea how to use LinkedIn or build good connections, and he taught me a lot. He didn’t teach me privately; I learned by observing him. During our trip to Chennai for the regional boot camp, I had the chance to interact with him. He shared his knowledge and experience as a GDSC lead at our university, and I learned many things from him. Meeting him opened up many opportunities in my career. I often think about how different things might have been if I hadn’t met him—I might have been stuck somewhere else.

• Day @ Chennai: Upon reaching Chennai for the regional boot camp, I was stunned—it was my first time visiting the city. I marvelled at the towering apartments, flyovers, and metro stations, and even glimpsed aeroplanes flying overhead. Upon arrival, our lead guided us to Gindy to freshen up at our tutor’s home. I called him a tutor because he had previously come to our university to teach us Android development. His name is Trisha Raj, one of the kindest individuals I’ve ever encountered. He took care of us in a very friendly manner, allowing us to freshen up at his home and even providing breakfast. Not everyone would do that, but he did. Afterwards, he dropped us off at the college where our session was held. I am truly grateful to him for his hospitality and support. He also encouraged us to ask questions, patiently explaining everything we inquired about. His guidance and inspiration left a lasting impact on me. Now, take a moment to think about someone who has uniquely inspired you. With our hearts filled with determination, we concluded our day in Chennai and left with newfound strength.

These were undoubtedly some of the worst days I’ve experienced, and I still struggle to overcome them. It’s hard to admit, but we procrastinated until just one week before the submission deadline for the competition. We didn’t dedicate enough time or effort to the final product, and as a result, we submitted something far below par. Our lack of preparation led to our elimination from the competition. However, I refuse to dwell on it because I understand that I failed as both a team member and a leader. These days taught us valuable lessons, and we made a promise to ourselves never to repeat these mistakes. As the saying goes, “Every setback is a new step towards success.”

Conclusion:

Through this entire journey, I have learned a multitude of new things and had the opportunity to step out of my comfort zone. I hope you have enjoyed reading about my experiences. If you have any suggestions or feedback, please feel free to reach out to us at hharan79127@gmail.com.Thank you for joining me on this journey.