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What are some of the best ways to gain hands-on experience in software engineering as a high school student #Spring25?

Are there specific projects, internships, or online resources that would be especially beneficial for someone preparing for a future in this industry?

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Jason’s Answer

Hi Anika,

If you're a high school student looking to gain hands-on experience in software engineering, here are some of the best ways to build skills and prepare for a future in the field:

Take Online Courses & Certifications
Many free and paid courses are available to learn programming languages, frameworks, and industry best practices:

Harvard’s CS50 (edX) – Great intro to computer science.
MIT OpenCourseWare – Free university-level coding courses.
Udemy & Coursera – Courses on Python, Java, web development, and more.
Khan Academy – Basics of programming.
freeCodeCamp – Hands-on coding exercises and certifications.

Get an Internship or Summer Program
While high school internships can be competitive, some companies and organizations offer opportunities for students:

Google’s Computer Science Summer Institute (CSSI)
Microsoft’s High School Internship Program
NASA SEES Internship (for students interested in coding and space science)
Local startups and small tech companies – Reach out and ask if they have any opportunities.

Network & Find a Mentor
Follow software engineers on LinkedIn, Twitter, or YouTube.
Ask local universities or tech professionals for mentorship.

Hope this helps!
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Dr’s Answer

Ah, so you want to break into software engineering before college? Love the ambition. While other students are struggling with calculus, you’ll be out here building apps, debugging code, and casually flexing your skills in interviews. Let’s get you started and hope it gets you started not snoozing!

Dive Into Personal Projects-always!

The best way to learn? Build stuff. Doesn’t matter if it’s a simple to-do list app, a website for your pet goldfish, or a game about surviving high school. Just pick a problem and code a solution. Bonus points if it breaks the first five times.

Need ideas? Well maybe!

A personal website or portfolio (because future you will thank you)

A Discord bot (who needs real friends when you can code one?)

A budgeting app (because money mysteriously disappears, and it’s time to investigate)


Join Open Source Projects

This is gold for experience. You’ll learn real-world coding practices, work with other developers, and actually contribute to something people use. Check out:

GitHub (look for beginner-friendly repositories)

Open Source Friday (Google it—it’s a real thing)

Hacktoberfest (free swag if you contribute!)


Freelance or Help Local Businesses

Know a small business that has an outdated website from the early 2000s? Offer to fix it for free (or cheap). Even better—charge a little and call it your first client.

Internships & Coding Competitions

Some companies offer internships for high schoolers (Google, Microsoft, and NASA—yes, NASA).

Coding competitions like Google Code-in, Codeforces, or LeetCode challenges give you bragging rights and skills.

Hackathons. They sound intimidating, but they’re just coding marathons with free pizza and networking.


Online Resources That Make You Smarter (Without Making You Broke)

CS50 (Harvard’s free intro to CS) – You get to say you “took a Harvard course” without the student debt.

The Odin Project – Full-stack web development for free.

LeetCode & CodeWars – Solve problems, get smarter, and impress recruiters.


Network Like a Future CEO

Join Reddit’s r/learnprogramming or Twitter’s tech community.

Attend local tech meetups or hackathons.

Connect with engineers on LinkedIn (a well-placed message can open big doors).


Final Thought, just you know what Just Start

Don’t wait until you “know enough.” The secret? No one ever feels ready. Jump in, break things, Google solutions, and keep coding. By the time you graduate, you won’t just know software engineering—you’ll have done it.
Good luck out there!
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Chinyere’s Answer

Hi Anika,

Absolutely! Gaining hands-on experience in software engineering as a high school student is a fantastic way to build skills and stand out in college applications. Here are some great options:

Projects
1. Simple Chatbot: Design a basic chatbot using Python. This project helps you learn about string manipulation, conditional statements, and loops.
2. Face Detection Software: Use the OpenCV library to develop software that can detect and categorize faces in images or videos.
3. Number Guessing Game: Write a Python program where the computer generates a random number, and players guess it.

Internships
1. Ladder Internships: Connects high school students with online internships at well-established start-ups. You'll work on real-world projects under the guidance of a manager and a Ladder Coach.
2. SPARK Summer Internship Program: Provides internship opportunities in STEM fields, including software engineering. It's an 8-week program held in Bellevue, WA, with a stipend provided.

Online Resources
1. Google Computer Science Summer Institute (CSSI): A three-week immersive program for high school seniors passionate about computer science. Held at Google campuses across the U.S., it offers hands-on, project-based learning.
2. Veritas AI: Offers tailored programs in artificial intelligence, machine learning, and data science. The AI Scholars program is a 10-session bootcamp introducing students to AI fundamentals.

These opportunities can provide invaluable experience and help you build a strong foundation in software engineering.

Best wishes!
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