This award-winning Apeejay student aspires to become a native app developer

Khagendra Kumar Mandal, a third-year Computer Science Engineering student with School of Engineering and Technology (SoET), Apeejay Stya University (ASU), has recently secured third position and bagged a cash prize of Rs.1000 in a Web Design Competition organised by Janki Prasad Pant Cultural Trust, a registered public charitable trust that aims to promote arts, resurrect interest in traditional Indian culture and theatre using modern idioms along with a focus on education for all. The Apeejay student, who is passionate about learning android development in the future said, “I am so happy to win the third position as well as receive the opportunity to create the organisers’ website.” Khagendra also mentioned that he had just five days to work on his web design and submit it. He spent the first two days chalking the design. On the third day he started working on it so that he could meet the five-day deadline. In an interview, Mandal talks about his future aspirations and more. Edited excerpts:

How often do you participate in such competitions?  

This was the first time I participated in a competition held outside the college campus. Else, I usually participate in a lot of web development/coding competitions held within Apeejay.

How do you think these competitions are helpful?

Such competitions are helpful in building self-confidence. They are a  platform to learn new technologies, connect with budding coders, programmers and developers from various parts of the country.

What interests you about web development? 

Web development involves a lot of practical work that really excites me. It  is constantly developing and evolving and gives you an opportunity to connect with new technologies. Every day the problems and their solutions are new. Web developers are highly in demand and so there is a good opportunity to grow in the field.

What kind of developer do you want to become? 

I want to take up native app development as a career in the future.

What skills do you think are important to pursue a career as an app/web developer?

To pursue a career in app development, one must have knowledge of programming languages such as JAVA and Kotlin as well as a basic understanding of Extensible Markup Language (XML). If one wishes to take up web development, he/she is required to have an understanding of JavaScript, CSS, HTML. Also, for backend developers, knowledge on MongoDB, a source-available cross-platform document-oriented database programme, stands essential. In addition, aspirants must have hone problem-solving, analytical and critical thinking skills.

The world of technology is ever-evolving, how do you learn new skills and apps? 

Yes, with the technology evolving rapidly, it becomes imperative for individuals in the IT field to keep upskilling oneself. I watch a lot of videos on YouTube that talk about the trending technologies. Read newspaper articles on gadgets and apps. I was keen to explore and learn Python and I have learnt the programming language on my own without any kind of guidance. 

What is your plan after you complete your course in Apeejay?

After Apeejay, I am hoping to join a multinational IT firm with a good package and alongside work on my projects.