As a student of media informatics, there has always been a field for me which, in my opinion, represented the perfect symbiosis of the two main areas of my degree course: Web development. Design and technology are interdependent here as in few other areas, an interplay in which limitations and possibilities are mutually apparent.
When I started looking for an internship at the beginning of this year's summer semester, the field of web development was my goal right from the start. Most of my search took place on the Internet. But of all the companies I applied to, one agency stood out right from the start: arocom. I was all the more pleased when arocom was one of the few companies from which I soon received a response. After an open interview with Axel Roth, I was delighted to be accepted! According to the Karlsruhe University of Applied Sciences, 95 days are planned for my internship semester. After a good half of this time, I would like to venture an interim report and take a closer look at the 40 days so far.
The beginning: Challenging, but varied
"There are things we have to learn before we can do them. And we learn them by doing them.'' - Aristotle
Before my first day at arocom, I had hardly worked with Drupal. I had been interested in it for personal reasons, but this interest had never extended beyond the basics. This lack of experience made it quite difficult for me to get started. In addition to Drupal, there were a number of other systems and software, such as the version management system Git or the Linux operating system, that needed to be learned and understood.
Although I was happy to be put to work on the code of a project on the very first day, it frustrated me not to be able to understand and implement so much. However, the arocom employees were always at my side: they supported, helped and explained where they could.
My tasks were varied: from bug fixes and smaller modules to implementing features, everything was included. I was introduced to the different areas and facets of Drupal in a targeted manner. Every day offered a new challenge with a new task. With each completed task, my knowledge of the world of Drupal and web development grew. Although it was only small steps from day to day, looking back it was a big leap from day one to now.
The team: friendly and helpful
I had deliberately decided against a larger company. All my applications had gone to companies with a maximum of 50 employees. The fact that this was the right decision is confirmed anew every day at arocom. From day one, I was accepted as a fully-fledged member of the team.
I particularly appreciate the open and friendly atmosphere. Each and every individual knows his or her field and is willing to share this knowledge and answer questions. This team spirit is underlined by activities outside of working hours, which increase cohesion and respect for each other beyond work.
Drupal: Powerful and individual
Drupal is certainly not an easy system to learn. The terminology in particular caused me a lot of problems at the beginning. However, I now have enough insight to understand how powerful and individual Drupal can be if you know how to use its capabilities.
The easiest way to visualize a Drupal website is like a big house. The house can take on different colors and shapes, which you can determine yourself. But every room, every wall, every corner can also be decorated to your own taste. As in real life, there comes a point when you either don't have the knowledge or the time to furnish a room exactly how you want it.
For exactly such situations, there is the great Drupal community, which provides ready-made functionalities in the form of modules completely free of charge and ensures that even people who have no programming experience can set up their website according to their wishes. And even if you have to build part of your website yourself without being able to fall back on ready-made modules, it is again the community that is always there to help you in numerous forums or on the official website. One thing is certain: if you choose Drupal, you are not alone!
The practical semester: multifaceted and empty
Looking back, it's hard to believe that almost half of my time at arocom has already passed. I see the fact that time has passed so quickly as a positive sign, as it is symbolic of the many new tasks and the knowledge I was able to gain from them.
I can only emphasize once again how much I appreciate my time here so far. After a difficult start, I am slowly noticing how things are progressing more and more, how connections are becoming clearer and previous ambiguities are being resolved. In any case, I am looking forward to the remaining 55 days. May they be as instructive as the previous ones.
