Welcome to this super-useful "secret guide"! To help you ace OSPP program, we've prepared some tips 💁.

（1）What to Do Before Choosing a Community or Project?

⏳ Time Management Master

Start by reading the Student Guide and confirming your schedule. Ensure that you can dedicate at least 30 hours per week to the project during the program 😉

💡 Skill Tree Check

Take a good look at your: professional skills, favorite technical areas, and preferred programming languages.

These are the secret weapons for choosing the right project! (ps. Picking a project that matches your skill set can double your sense of achievement 🎉)

🌐 Don't Be Shy Online

The open source world always welcomes proactive participants! Even if you're shy offline, please switch to extrovert mode online!

Be proactive in reaching out to the community: carefully read their documentation, understand their communication norms, and dive into the project code. Who knows?

You might even unlock exclusive guidance from senior community members 😎.

（2）What to Say When Communicating with Mentors?

🎯 Communication Goals

• ✅ Evolve Your Plan: Bring your initial plan to the mentor and get customized optimization feedback

• 🧐 Make a Strong Impression: Showcase your logical thinking and precise communication skills

• ⚠️ Avoid Pitfalls: Spot any misunderstandings early to avoid unnecessary effort

💡 Tips

• 👍 Like coding standards, proper email etiquette can help you gain favor with mentors

• 🧠 Do your homework before reaching out. Mentors are more inclined to collaborate with prepared and thoughtful applicants

• 📝 Take note of significant revisions, and remember to label versions when updating your application draft

（3）What to Include in Project Application Materials?

In addition to a resume, the project application package consists of two main parts: Technical Proposal + Timeline

1. Detailed Technical Proposal

• Break down the goal of the project and clearly outline the functionality of each module.

• Analyze the project requirements based on your breakdown.

• Clearly describe which specific files in the existing modules your solution will modify.

• Or, explain which new modules your proposal will add and how these will interact with existing modules.

✅ Bonus Skills: Include citations in your proposal, such as:

• Success stories from similar projects.

• Theoretical references from research papers, etc.

2. Detailed Timeline

• It's recommended to break down tasks into weekly milestones.

• For better readability, consider dividing the timeframe into larger phases (e.g., 4 weeks per phase) and summarize core tasks for each phase.

• Within each phase, use weekly increments to describe your task plans for that week.

💡 Pro Tip: Leave a 15% buffer time for debugging.

3. Resume

⭐ Must-Have Information: Your user ID for open source platforms (e.g., GitHub, Gitee).

🚫 What to Avoid: Unrelated experiences—remove them from your resume.

ℹ️ Beyond your educational background, your resume should align with the project you're applying for. Include (but don’t limit to):

• Contributions you’ve made to the community of this project.

• Contributions to similar open source software or communities.

• Open source contributions (if you haven’t contributed to related communities).

• Experience developing similar functionality in other software (even if it wasn’t open source).

• If you lack all the above, focus on highlighting your proficiency with the community’s tech stack and demonstrate your ability to learn.

🤫 Pro Tip from the Organizing Committee: Checking out past outstanding students' application will skyrocket your performance! 🚀

4. The Most Critical Thing

🚨 Say NO to procrastination! Let’s repeat this three times for emphasis: Submit early! Submit early! Submit early! (The committee won’t pity late submissions caused by poor internet connectivity 🙂‍↔️.)

（4）What Are Selection Criteria for Students?

🌟 Selection Formula: Technical Proposal × Timeline × Resume Highlights

• Technical Proposal: Demonstrates a clear implementation roadmap, technical insights, and an ability to dissect complex problems.

• Timeline: Includes clear phase objectives, actionable weekly plans, and reflects project management skills.

• Matching Criteria: Evaluates how the applicant's technical stack, project experience, and the community’s needs align.

❗️ Strongly suggested: Before you submit, actively communicate with community mentors about project details and proposals. The project application is key to your selection!