Prerequisite
I have been an Outreachy GNOME intern for a while now. GNOME is a free and open-source desktop environment for Linux and similar systems. It consists of quite a number of projects that make up the entire overall system, and the one I am working on for my internship is Librsvg.
About Librsvg: It is a small library to render Scalable Vector Graphics (SVGs) associated with GNOME projects.
Struggles
Initially, my struggle was with the programming language because Rust wasn’t my primary language before I started the internship. This led to the struggle of understanding the codebase. But let’s be honest, it’s written in Rust, and it takes quite some time to fully onboard. Luckily, my internship is centered around implementations to handle the SVG2 text layout algorithm. Plus, a programming language is just a tool to get the job done and should not be a hindrance if you are willing to learn and put in the work.
During the course of the internship, I have also struggled with some domain-specific terminologies like Bi-di, glyphs, and how the existing program handles SVGs such as nested Bi-di and rendering. The struggle of understanding domain terminologies and how the program executes is natural. The steps to overcoming those struggles are crucial for growth and development.
What stood out towards helping me understand these struggles is the guidance of my mentor, Federico. We set up regular meetings, and whatever is discussed is noted in our shared pad for future reference and documentation. He also made it easy for me to ask questions by making it clear that “no question is too dumb to ask,” and he never takes offense when I re-ask a question he has already answered and I forgot.
In our last meeting, he said something that stuck with me. When I told him a particular task felt overwhelming, he said, “I understand you; it is expected to be overwhelming to anyone,” with a big smile. His understanding and patience have been instrumental in my progress and Federico’s encouragement to ask any question, no matter how small, has been invaluable in building my confidence.
Tackling Tasks
I have completed a few tasks, and the way I approach them is by tackling them head-on. I do research where required and push for review. Never underestimate the power of reviews toward the completion of a project.
Overall, keep an open mind, be ready to learn, and always ask questions. If you have bad memory like mine, write things down as they come.
Final Thoughts
Keep in mind that struggles are part of the journey. You cannot run or shy away from what needs to be done, so why not just do it in time and have the rest of the time to understand your mistakes, reiterate on them, overcome them, and tag it as a win for yourself and a story to share with others.
Looking forward to sharing more of my internship progress with you soon!
See you in the next chapter—cheers!