The Google Summer of Code (GSoC) is an annual program where Google awards a stipend of USD 5500 each to all students who successfully complete a requested free and open-source software coding project during the summer. The 'Google' tag attracts tremendous participation from students across the globe. High competition coupled with a rigorous selection process makes being part of GSoC very prestigious at the college level.
Commenting on his selection, Gaurav Narula, a student from BITS-Pilani K.K Birla Goa Campus said, “One of the perks of being a BITSian is that there are so many seniors who have been selected by GSoC that you get a lot of advice.”
Another student, Manoj Kumar, who has been selected for GSoC for the second time, said, “It is not only about the technical knowledge but also about the time you are willing to dedicate to your project. It shouldn’t be about the money. It should be about the interest to learn and apply coding in the real world. ” His advice for his juniors is to be open and to work hard as he considers these attributes to be primary prerequisites for success besides knowledge in coding.
Rohan Saxena who is currently pursuing his 4th year, said, “The Google tag definitely helps. It gives me an edge over others in placements.”
About Google Summer of Code Program
The Google Summer of Code is a program that gives students all over the world an opportunity to write code for open source projects, and also earn a significant stipend for being part of the program. All students who successfully complete a requested coding project for their mentor organisation over the summer receive stipends from Google. The program is open to students aged 18 or over – the closely related Google Code-In is intended for students under the age of 18.
