• Python: I began my coding journey with Python in the 9th grade, writing my first code. Initially, I followed tutorials on YouTube and tried my best to understand the concepts, focusing on conditional and iteration constructs. However, at that time, my approach was largely based on copying and pasting code, with much trial and error, and I did not fully grasp the underlying principles.

• C: After completing my 12th standard examinations, I chose not to follow the conventional path of joining an institute for JEE preparation. Instead, I enrolled in a coding institute. Mr. Balram Raghuvanshi was my first mentor in my technical journey, and he made the concepts feel intuitive and personal. Building on what I learned in the 9th grade, along with my curiosity, I developed proficiency in conditional statements, loops, switch cases, structures, file handling, and all the major topics of the C language. Additionally, I worked on several small projects, including a decoder-encoder and a dummy bank system.

• C++: After completing my studies in C, I advanced to C++ to gain a deeper understanding of object-oriented programming concepts. Although I did not delve deeply into the specialized features of C++, I focused on core C++ topics and OOP principles. Under the guidance of Mr. Balram Raghuvanshi, I developed a small book management system, which demonstrated my knowledge of C++ and its file handling capabilities.

• Java: During my learning of C++, I realized that C, with its maturity and versatility, initially seemed like the best language to me, and I spent my first semester under that impression. However, I later understood that while C is powerful, its limitations include a lack of extensive libraries and frameworks, and platform dependency issues. Eventually, I came into contact with Mr. Punitha, which led to a significant shift in my perspective. Java became my new area of focus, and I discovered its potential through frameworks like Spring Boot. Despite some opinions that Java can be verbose, my experience with Spring Boot has been transformative. I am now actively working with Java and have developed a minor web application for CRUD operations using Spring Boot, JDBC, and Thymeleaf.

• MySQL: To effectively work with databases, learning SQL is essential. I initially studied SQL through lectures focused on Oracle, but due to the lengthy setup process involved with Oracle, I transitioned to MySQL. MySQL has since become my primary database language.

• JavaScript: JavaScript is a crucial scripting language, as it is the only language natively understood by browsers. I studied JavaScript and jQuery using Jon Duckett's book, which provided me with a solid foundation to understand related frameworks and libraries. However, I chose not to delve too deeply into JavaScript due to its limitations with cross-browser compatibility. Additionally, I am familiar with TypeScript, which I encountered while learning Angular. I focused on understanding TypeScript enough to grasp Angular's syntax and leverage its features effectively.

I used "HTML and CSS: Design and Build Websites" by Jon Duckett to improve my understanding of web design. This insightful book helped me learn key design principles and practices. It inspired my creativity and taught me what to avoid when working with frontend technologies.

• SpringBoot: Learning Java was a gradual process, starting with JDBC, then moving on to Hibernate, Spring, and finally Spring Boot. My initial experience with Java concluded with a meetup where I developed a minor web application using Spring Boot to perform CRUD operations.

• BootStrap: Before I began working on my portfolio, I didn't fully appreciate the necessity of Bootstrap. However, I've come to understand that Bootstrap offers extensive responsiveness and a wide range of ready-to-use components and utilities, significantly streamlining the development process.

• jQuery: Different browsers often implement the same functionality with varying function names in JavaScript, which can lead to the need for repetitive fallback code—a challenging task. jQuery helps mitigate this issue by providing a consistent API that abstracts away browser inconsistencies, simplifying cross-browser development.

• Angular: Driven by curiosity about how single-page web applications function and how everything is managed behind the scenes, I began learning Angular. While I didn't fully satisfy all my curiosity, my first Angular project concluded with a CRUD application. This experience introduced me to several new technologies, including Vercel, Heroku, Railway, Glitch, and JSON Server.

From MS Paint to Adobe Photoshop and from Notepad to Visual Studio Code, my journey through technology has been continuous and evolving. I have always adapted my tools to meet demands and make the most of limited resources. For example, I used Notepad and the command prompt for C and C++ coding instead of VS Code, and I prefer Notepad over Word for taking notes. This approach has led me to explore a variety of applications for development, writing, and presentation.

During my engineering studies, I have gained familiarity with most subjects, possessing beginner, intermediate, and advanced knowledge in various areas. For instance, while my theoretical understanding of data and communication is strong, my grasp of numerical concepts like Hamming distance and encoding/decoding needs improvement. Similarly, my knowledge of data structures is solid with trees, but my understanding of graphs is lacking. I recognize the need to work on these areas to excel in my upcoming domain.