Introduction

This week in our Open Source Software Development class, my group made significant progress on our Oppia project. We also heard a presentation from our TA, who shared his own experience breaking into tech through open source, which offered a unique and inspiring perspective on the potential of OSSD.

Project Progress

Our team has been actively working on translations for Oppia lessons. So far, we’ve translated multiple lessons into Spanish, Italian, and Chinese, helping make the platform more accessible for users around the world.

We also spent time coding a solution to a reported issue, but unfortunately, someone else managed to submit a pull request before we could. While it was a bit frustrating, it was a good reminder of how fast-paced and collaborative open source can be. We’ve since moved on to a new issue and are aiming to have it resolved and submitted by the end of the week.

Presentation Reflection

The TA’s talk this week focused on how open source software development can be a gateway into the tech industry. It was really interesting to hear how he got into tech through open source, even though he didn’t study computer science in university.

Hearing firsthand how OSSD helped him build skills, gain experience, and eventually land opportunities was both eye-opening and motivating. It reinforced the idea that contributing to open source isn’t just about writing code—it’s also about learning, building a portfolio, and becoming part of a global community.

Moving Forward

As we wrap up the semester, our group is focused on finishing the issue we’re currently tackling. If we have time, we’d love to take on another development task or more translation work.

This week’s presentation also made me want to stay involved in open source beyond this class. It’s exciting to think that something we’re doing in school could lead to real-world opportunities down the line.