5 Lessons I Learned Building Projects in B.Tech

Being a B.Tech student, I realized one thing very quickly—balancing academics, freelancing, and learning new technologies is tough. But it’s also the best part of the journey. Every challenge I faced while building projects pushed me to explore new solutions, stay consistent, and most importantly, keep learning.

Here are 5 key lessons that shaped me:

1️⃣ Theory is Important, But Projects Teach More

Most of my learning came from YouTube tutorials and free resources. But I noticed that just watching wasn’t enough. The real growth came when I built projects from scratch—whether it was a small C program during my diploma or my first portfolio in HTML, CSS, and JS. Projects made me apply concepts and face real challenges.

2️⃣ Problem-Solving Skills Come From Challenges

One of my biggest projects, Auramic (a social media platform), was built with the MERN stack. While working on it, I struggled with WebRTC for audio/video calls because there were barely any resources available online. After hours of searching, I found just one video, practiced the concepts, and implemented it. This taught me that problems will always arise, but with patience and curiosity, solutions can be found.

3️⃣ Time Management is Tough but Crucial

Balancing college studies, freelancing work, and self-learning wasn’t easy. Deadlines clashed, assignments piled up, and sometimes motivation dipped. But I learned how to prioritize tasks, dedicate small chunks of time daily, and stay consistent instead of rushing at the last moment.

4️⃣ Freelancing Teaches Real-World Lessons

In freelancing projects, I faced challenges like Google Maps API integration for a home service platform. Initially, I had no idea how to filter vendors by location, but by exploring docs and experimenting, I figured it out. Freelancing taught me adaptability, communication with clients, and how to deliver practical solutions.

5️⃣ Every Project Adds Confidence

From school portals to banking apps, each project added something new to my skills. Sometimes I learned how to structure APIs better, sometimes how to manage databases, and sometimes how to fix errors under pressure. With every project, my confidence as a developer grew, making me believe that I can pick up any technology and work with it.

As a student, I discovered that theory gives you the base, but projects give you real skills. Every bug I solved, every API I integrated, and every feature I built added a new layer to my learning. For me, projects are not just practice—they’re the best teachers.