My 14-Day Learning Journey with Rust, Arbitrum, and a Hackathon Project

Over the last two weeks, I've been fully immersed in the world of Web3 programming through Hackquest’s intensive bootcamp. From mastering Arbitrum and Rust fundamentals to building hands-on projects and pushing through hackathon deadlines, it’s been an intense yet rewarding experience. Here’s a recap of my journey so far.

Days 1-7: Getting Started with Arbitrum and Rust

The first week was a whirlwind. I focused on understanding Arbitrum basics, exploring its different products like Arbitrum One, Nova, Orbit, and Stylus. Each unit provided a deeper understanding of how Arbitrum scales Ethereum with Layer 2 solutions, particularly how each version supports different use cases.

Alongside Arbitrum, I started learning Rust, which was both exciting and challenging. Rust’s emphasis on memory safety meant I had to rethink how I approached code structure and syntax. Ownership, borrowing, and lifetimes—while initially complex—became fascinating concepts that kept me coming back.

Days 8-9: Completing the Track with Guided Projects

By Day 9, I wrapped up the Arbitrum and Rust tracks with three guided projects, where I could finally put theory into practice. These projects really pushed me to consolidate what I’d learned:

1. First Project: Launching An ERC20 Token Through Stylus

2. Second Project: Creating an NFT on Arbitrum

3. Third Project: Building DeFi Smart Vaults on Arbitrum

Days 10-12: Diving Deeper into Rust

After completing the guided projects, I felt ready to go deeper into Rust on my own. I began reading the Rust documentation and diving into The Rust Programming Language book. This additional study brought some clarity to complex areas like concurrency and the borrowing rules, which are essential for Rust’s memory-safe design.

With these resources, I started a small personal project to apply what I’d learned, working through some of Rust’s more advanced features. Rust’s steep learning curve meant a few frustrating moments, but every breakthrough has felt rewarding.

Days 13-14: Transitioning to a Hackathon Project

As the bootcamp ended, I switched gears to work on a hackathon project for the AIA Hackathon. This project involves Solidity and Next.js, which has added a new layer of excitement and challenge. It’s been interesting to switch from Rust’s strict safety to Solidity’s more flexible approach to smart contract development. Working with Next.js on the frontend allowed me to create an interactive interface, bringing the Solidity code to life.

Wrapping Up

These past 14 days have been a whirlwind of learning, building, and exploring. The journey hasn’t always been easy, especially with Rust’s challenges and balancing the demands of a hackathon. But I’ve come out of it with stronger skills, a growing confidence in Web3 development, and the excitement to keep pushing forward. Here’s to more coding, more projects, and more learning ahead!

#LearnwithHQ #14DaysOfLearning