When I was in 8th grade, I somehow got intrigued by the functioning and creation of websites; however, residing in a remote part of Maharashtra, I didn’t have anyone to help me quench my curiosity. A few days later, my father told me that he had enrolled me in an online web development training on Internshala. My joy knew no bounds, and I started my 6-week training with utmost zeal.
The training was divided into four modules in which I learned HTML & CSS, Bootstrap, PHP, and SQL. I required NetBeans to write programs for creating websites. While I had no clue about this, I was provided with the link for downloading it along with the complete installation procedure. The training began with HTML, wherein I learned to create web pages and web applications along with displaying text, images, audios, and videos. I also got to know about container tags and empty tags in HTML. Next up was CSS which taught me how to make the web pages more beautiful and stylish with the use of colours, fonts, and layouts. In the next module, I studied Bootstrap, which helps in designing a responsive website, and learned to use templates, forms, buttons, tables, navigation, and image carousels. I then learned the basics of database management and SQL queries. Next, I moved to PHP, which is a server-side scripting language used to collect data and make creative forms. In this module, I learned to perform various operations on the database.
The videos explained concepts in a simple language, and I found learning through a video to be much easier than classroom learning through books and notes. I was completely unfamiliar with programming, and yet, I understood all the concepts explained in training. Adding to the list of attractive features was an assignment and a test at the end of each module which was quite useful in revising the module.
While taking the web development training, I began to utilise my knowledge by creating my own website anfosys.in and applying all the concepts that I would learn to style my website. The platform provided me with not only an opportunity to learn but also a platform to look for internships. I applied to many organisations such as BuyersGoHappy, Detailing Knights, and Big App Company. I was shortlisted for an interview in the first two organisations but couldn’t get through. Then, I had a telephonic interview at Big App Company, wherein I was asked questions about HTML, the projects I was working on, the software on which I was coding, etc. They called me for an in-office interview in Bangalore.
When I entered their office, they were surprised to see a school student. In the interview, they asked me how I would manage my studies if I were hired, what my future goals were, and how many hours I would be able to devote to the internship. Next, I was given the assignment to design a web page for an engineering college. I completed the task in 3 hours, and they were impressed with my work. They couldn’t offer me an internship at that time owing to my age constraint; however, they promised me a web development internship at their company during my Diwali vacations. They also expressed their interest in training me in the field of artificial intelligence.
Next, I enrolled in their Android App Development training in which I learned about Android, user interface, XML, Android Studio, and other programming concepts to design an Android app. At the end of the training, I developed a music player app called Echo.
Currently, I am in 9th grade and have developed a Multipurpose Voice Controlled Robot, which aims at helping farmers in spraying chemicals without human intervention. The robot uses an Android phone to control the direction of wheels. For this, I developed a button control APK and a voice control APK, which I learned to create during my Android training. This model was patented in January and has won many accolades on state and national levels. It has also been selected at the Inspire Science Exhibition organised by the Government of India. The incubation centre at Prof. Ram Meghe Institute of Technology & Research, Badnera, has approved this project as a business proposal. I would now have to give a demonstration to a panel of 5 members, including the director of the institution, the manager at NABARD, and an expert from NIRIE, Nagpur. I have also applied for Atal Innovation Challenge 2018 to raise funds for manufacturing it on a large scale.
About the Author: Aniket Prashant Kakde, a student of 9th grade in School of Scholars, Yavatmal, completed two trainings from Internshala and bagged a web development internship. He also created a voice-controlled robot which also attracted incubators. This article was first published on Internshala, an internships and training platform.