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Vedangi Thokal
Vedangi Thokal

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A Year of Learning, Leading, and Building: Here’s What I’ve Been Up To

Hello everyone!

It’s been almost a full year since my last blog post, and today, I’m excited to say—I’m back!


Why I Took a Break

Why no blog posts? Honestly, I realized I needed to focus on doing the work first. There was also the good ol' Imposter Syndrome, making me question if what I was sharing was good enough or valuable enough. Life got hectic, and sometimes, something has to give.

But in hindsight, it was necessary. I took that time to grow in ways I never expected. Today, I’m excited to share what I’ve been up to and where I’m headed next.


What Kept Me Busy

This past year has been all about pushing boundaries, both technical and personal.

Diving into IoT with a Solo Project

I took on a completely domain: building a Forest Protection System using IoT. It was a full-stack solution, integrating multiple sensors, establishing WiFi connectivity, and developing an API to handle real-time data storage in a database.

I even implemented real-time notifications to alert users about critical events. This project pushed me out of my comfort zone and gave me hands-on experience with IoT, APIs, and real-time systems.

Landing an Internship

After a lot of effort (and quite a few applications), I secured a summer internship offer at a really good company! The process taught me resilience and looooooot about where I am lacking as an aspiring computer science engineer, and the experience ahead excites me.

Leading a Technical Club

This year, I stepped up as the President of a major technical club at my college. It’s been an incredible journey of mentorship, connecting with juniors, making friends, and driving initiatives that matter. Seeing others grow has been one of the most rewarding parts of this experience.

Not every idea worked. Some events didn’t get the turnout we hoped for, and a few initiatives didn’t gain traction. Balancing club responsibilities with academics was tough, and I learned the hard way that delegation is key.

Technical Growth

I’ve developed my technical skills immensely this year. Consistent DSA practice became a routine, and I explored various tech stacks, building projects that challenged and inspired me. That said, not every project idea clicked. Some didn’t take off, while others had to be shelved because of time constraints. It was frustrating, but each setback sharpened my focus. I even participated in a national hackathon, which was an intense and although we did not make it but rewarding experience.

The Job Hunt Grind

Applying to jobs was no joke—I applied like a crazy person! But every rejection, every interview, taught me something new. The journey was exhausting but worth it.


What’s Next?

TBH, so much more :)
I have a lot (almost too much) on my bucket list. I want to explore so much in this field, I want to do open source, research, I want to build a SaaS product. I want to refine my Computer Science fundamentals and my DSA skills. I want to learn System Design. I want to sell digital products to make some side income and also help people on the way.

But mostly, I just want to do good <3


I've loved the dev.to community ever since I've joined it. Thanks for sticking around — let’s get back to building, learning, and growing together!

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