What is a Hackathon?

Now that it’s hackathon season, many STEM students are stressing about whether or not they should participate, and even asking what they are. Contrary to popular belief, hackathons don’t actually require “hacking.” Instead, they’re a collaborative event in which teams from a range of computing and design backgrounds come together to solve proposed problems.

Hackathons usually happen over the course of 48 hours, during which you and your team consume an unhealthy amount of energy drinks and coffee until you complete your solution. The solution is often manifest as live demos using apps, websites, or robots, which is where your team gets a chance to shine. The coding problems can be complex, but the results of pushing yourself to be creative and solve these problems can be amazing, and often result in real-world apps. Some notable results of hackathons that you might have heard of include GroupMe and Facebook’s Like Button.

Hackathon Perks

So what are the perks of mainlining caffeine and working for 48 hours, other than potentially contributing to society? One of the biggest perks would definitely be the free stuff! Most hackathons feature all-inclusive meals and give away a lot of swag (t-shirts, bags, lanyards, etc.). Some hackathons also have cash prizes for winning teams, and there is potential, like with the creators of GroupMe, to scale a hackathon idea into a company afterwards.

The best professional perks that hackathons offer are the ability to talk to mentors in your field and attend workshops for free. Mentors are beneficial to experienced coders as well as beginners, helping you gain knowledge and flesh out your idea from the first step until the final demo. There are also workshops relevant to the subject matter chosen for the hackathon, which is a great way to hone your skills for the hackathon and beyond.

What Should I Bring?

You might be nervous about being locked in with a group of strangers for 48 hours with just the bare essentials. Even if you’re attending a hackathon that doesn’t have the lock-in requirement, typically those targeting older college students that need to be able to leave for pre-existing commitments, you’ll need the same basic kit. Here is a basic kit of things you should bring to make your hackathon experience simple and painless:

1. Your Laptop: You definitely want to bring your laptop to the hackathon to ensure you have a workstation to contribute to your project. Don’t assume they’ll have PCs for you available for you to use while you’re there. You’ll also want to be as comfortable as possible during the hackathon, so go with familiarity and bring your personal laptop.

2. Your charger: Laptops die. They just do. Bring your charger, so at the very least you aren’t completely idle for 48 hours without any type of technology. Bring your phone charger too, so you can stay connected and engaged with the rest of the world for emergency situations. In general, it’s recommended you stay off your phone as much as possible, so that you can dedicate yourself to creating something amazing.

3. Headphones: During the hackathon there will be a lot of collaboration going on, and if your workflow requires minimal distraction to get stuff done, you’ll need to bring headphones. Even if you’re not one of those people, bring headphones, because it’s better to have some than wish you did.

4. Blanket & Pillow: Eventually, no matter how many energy drinks you chug, you’re going to fall asleep, and you need to be somewhat comfortable so you can wake up feeling refreshed. Bring a cozy blanket, a soft pillow, and maybe even a small air mattress or camping pad if you have one.

5. Personal Identification: For most hackathons, especially college-hosted ones, you have to have your student ID for registration and entry. You should also bring your state ID, because for some hackathons checking out lab hardware requires it.

6. Towel & Toiletries: Please shower while at the hackathon. Everyone will love you, and sometimes showers can be refreshing, relieve stress, and have you looking your best when you present your prototype with your team.

7. Hoodies & Sweats: Despite the weather outside, bring a hoodie and/or sweatpants, because the weather outside doesn’t necessarily decide the temperature inside, especially at convention venues that tend to run extremely cold. You want to be comfortable during the hackathon, so bring clothes that you can feel relaxed in. You might also want to bring a change of street clothes as well.

8. Business Attire: Depending on your team, your overall focus, your mission, and your presentation, you might want to bring business attire for your presentation. There have been instances where people have gotten jobs from pitches/demos at hackathons. You never know who’s watching, and you should always be prepared to impress, just in case.

Hackathons to Check Out for 2018

1. HackGT: HackGT is a great hackathon option, as it’s located at Georgia Tech which is great for commuting. Also, the paths included for coding problems are unique to many other hackathons. The paths for this year are Mobile Development, Security, Artificial Intelligence, and Web Development. So, if you want a hackathon that is more creative, design heavy, collaborative, and has cool pathways, this is the hackathon for you.
2. ACM International Collegiate Programming Competition: ICPC is the oldest, largest, and most prestigious hacking contest in the world. IBM is one of ICPC’s main sponsors, which is bound to provide great perks. Some things to note about this hackathon are that it is not 24 or 48 hours. It’s more like 12, so if you want to get hackathon experience without committing to all-nighters this might be a good option. However, you give up some freedom at this hackathon because there are no electronic devices permitted at the event.
3. HackATL: HackATL is more unique than the previous options as it is a “business” hackathon. The focus here is gather hackers, hipsters, and more business minded people together in order to create businesses/idea to solve major world problems. If you’re someone who wants to change the world using tech, create a tech business, or just meet like-minded people through networking, this is the hackathon for you. This hackathon also features unique sections of emphasis like, Emerging Tech, Health & Wellness, Social Innovation, and Arts & Entertainment. Finally, this is the only hackathon on the list where there is a cash prize of up to $10,000.
4. CCSE Hackathon 2018: CCSE Hackathon is an annual hackathon hosted here at KSU. It has already passed, however it’s a great option if you want to develop your skills morefor next year. This year’s theme was “Technology in 2030”, which means solving problems for the future. Another advantage with this hackathon is that you are paired with sponsor mentors to get teaser problems, info on their business, and info on the hackathon itself in Tech Prep Workshops. Lastly, this hackathon is a great way to network with the sponsor companies and potentially secure jobs and internships. Here are some highlights from this years’ hackathon: CCSE Hackathon 2018.