Thanks a lot for the feedback, Afrie! Means a lot coming from one of my seniors that I really look up to and perceive as a role model to this day. I'm glad that reading it makes you feel like you're a part of the journey. That's exactly what I intend to do when I first wrote this piece. I was a bit concerned that it might be too long to digest but I figured it's worth it for the readers to know how it's like being in my shoes. I honestly think that you shouldn't feel insecure as in my opinion, likening your first hackathon experience with mine is not a fair comparison to make. Had I first participated in one back when I was in 1st/2nd year, I certainly wouldn't achieve the same level of success as I did for this one. It took me all the way until my 3rd year for me to finally feel confident enough to join a hackathon and with enough skills under my belt. So if anything, you should be proud that you have the courage to join one so early in your studies; something I wish I had done in the past. Once again, thank you so much for the comment. I really appreciate it!