COVID has changed the lives of many people. It made most of us aware of the online world. Due to the use of phones, many students have developed the habit of playing mobile games. I was also used to playing mobile games on my parents' phones. I used to spend hours playing games, cheating myself, and playing games in the name of studying. Books were just lying on the table, and my full attention was on playing games, which I guess a majority must have done.
For me, exposure to the online world was a very new thing. I only knew how to play games and make phone calls on the phones. I used to hear various advertisements regarding coding classes conducted by various institutes like WhiteHat Jr., Vedantu, etc. My parents also made me attend a few of their trial classes. I wasn't that interested because they used to teach simple code blocks in very complex ways. Also, their actual courses cost very high prices. Therefore, it was very difficult to learn programming. Slowly, I was exposed to the online world. I explored various social media platforms. There was a time when I became a victim of COVID-19. I was isolated in a room where there was only my computer. I was just alone in my room, following all the COVID precautions. I just explored how to download Scratch software. Scratch is block-based coding software that is used to make games, animations, stories, designs, and many more. As the days passed, I went on exploring the software, joining random blocks, and experimenting with the results. After many trials and errors, I learned all the basics. I also started learning about it on YouTube. I made my own silly and funny games. I also completed some game tutorials on YouTube. I used to ask my doubts in the comments and get them resolved after around a week, as the YouTubers replied. I overcame all my excuses and went on practising. Though figuring out errors was time-consuming, it helped me develop logical thinking. This indeed helped me in my studies, mostly mathematics. I used to hate math a lot during earlier classes, but the introduction to coding developed my interest in it. I made my first-ever game, a car parking simulator, which I was inspired by after playing mobile games. This was the first mini-achievement that made my parents believe that I could code.
As the academic year 2020–2021 (7th grade) passed by, I had almost mastered Scratch. I started developing my games, and my skills kept improving. I made my creative games like bug shooter, ball catcher, fruit smasher, etc. I used to upload all these games to my Scratch account, where all other Scratchers across the globe could view and remix them. I also opened my YouTube channel, 'Aniket Bhatikar Creations', where I used to showcase my games and teach basic coding concepts. This helped me recall the knowledge. The CARES (Coding and Robotics Education in School) Scheme was introduced by the government when I was in 7th grade. I was a bit upset because this scheme applied only from grades 6 to 8, and I just had 1 year left. I had decided to make maximum use of this year to master Scratch completely. Sir Mayur Dalvi was my computer teacher. I had to prove to the school that even I could code. Winning the Lantern Coding and Design Competition at the Taluka level made Mayur Sir and computer teachers recognise my talent in coding. I went on to participate in competitions like Codeavour International and various others organised by the CARES Scheme, which improved my skills a lot and gave me competitive exposure.
The year 2021 was coming to an end. I made many projects that year, and I also started to learn about higher concepts like machine learning (AI) and other programming languages like Python and C++ from the YouTuber 'Code With Harry'. It was the month of February 2022, and Mayur sir gave me the task of making a Shivaji Maharaj game that must be published on the occasion of Shivaji Jayanti on February 19. Sir also added that if the game becomes superb, he will try to publish it in the press. I accepted the task and began working. I preferred to work individually rather than in a team to avoid complexity and time waste. After finishing my Formative III exams, I just had a week left to complete the game. It was very difficult to find the assets of the game and music tracks and add information. I just made a blueprint for the game using random characters. I made it in such a way that the gamer could learn about Shivaji when playing. Sir liked the concept very much and gave me some ideas to extend the length of the game. He also helped me find the sprites and assets. I faced some glitches in the code, which I used to resolve myself by sitting for hours even after midnight. The past year's experience has developed a skill in me to resolve bugs in the projects. I still remember the days when I used to shut my room completely and check and edit the music tracks to avoid any disturbance to others. My headphones were damaged long ago. After working through sleepless nights and early mornings, the game was finally completed and published. My hard work had paid off! It gave me recognition in my school, and yes, I finally proved in school that even I could code and develop games without even taking any coaching and just learning using YouTube. All my teachers, the Headmistress, Assistant Headmistress, school secretary, etc.—congratulated me. My game, 'Chhatrapati—The Great Warrior', was published in all the major Marathi newspapers. The CARES Scheme also recognised my game, which was showcased in other schools like Saraswat Vidhyala. In July, I was awarded the Trendsetter for the CARES Scheme by the hands of the Chief Minister and the Education Minister of Goa, Dr Pramod Sawant Sir. I was one of the five students across Goa who became role models for others.
All the hard work and sacrifices I made to learn to code during the lockdown helped me to create the game within a week. Mayur Sir was like the pilot who helped this aeroplane (me) fly and ignite its talent. Most of the time, he used to make me find the errors myself, even at the last minute. He always motivated me, which helped me build a spirit of never giving up.
My journey of programming continued as I switched from block-based to text-based languages like Python and C++. Coding also helped me overcome my fear of mathematics as I made practical applications of arithmetic, trigonometry, geometry, etc., making math my favourite subject. I explored various microcontrollers like Arduino and ESP32, made various projects, and participated in various innovation competitions. One of the best was WISF 2022–23, where I, along with my friend Samihan, developed an innovative project, 'Smart Speed Signages', which was selected to represent Goa at the national level in the Nehru Science Centre, Mumbai. Headmistress, Aparna Teacher always supported me in participating in these innovation competitions. Coding using Scratch was like the first chapter of my career. From this journey, I learned an important lesson: "Every problem has a solution if you are sincerely searching for it."
-Aniket Sushant Bhatikar (XD)
Here is the link to play 'Chhatrapati-The Great Warrior':
Chhatrapati-The Great Warrior
Date: 18 December 2023
