🚀 Hack-O-Heist 2025 – Getting Started Kit

Welcome to Hack-O-Heist 2025, a 36-hour hackathon where innovation meets execution!
This kit includes everything you need to set up your environment, access tools, and get hacking quickly.

🖥️ 1. Pre-Install Software

Make sure you have these tools ready before the event:

• Code Editors / IDEs
• Visual Studio Code
• Android Studio (for mobile apps)
• PyCharm / IntelliJ IDEA (optional)
• Version Control
• Git – Required for GitHub/GitLab.
• Create a GitHub Account.
• Browsers
• Chrome or Firefox (latest version).

🌐 2. APIs & Cloud Platforms

Some useful APIs & platforms for your projects:

• Firebase – Auth, Realtime DB, Hosting.
• RapidAPI – Public APIs for any use case.
• OpenAI API – AI & chatbot solutions.
• Hugging Face – Pre-trained ML/NLP models.

📊 3. Datasets for Projects

If you’re building ML/AI solutions:

• Kaggle Datasets
• Google Dataset Search
• UCI ML Repository

🎥 4. Tutorials & Quick References

• FreeCodeCamp – Full-stack learning.
• W3Schools – Web basics.
• MDN Docs – JavaScript, HTML, CSS.
• GeeksforGeeks – Problem-solving.

🛠️ 5. Starter Templates

Download these to save time:

• HTML/CSS/JS Starter Boilerplate
• React.js Starter Template
• Node.js Express Starter
• Python Flask Starter

👩‍💻 6. Event Support

• Tech Support Desk – Available onsite & online for troubleshooting.
• Mentor Sessions – Meet experts for guidance during hacking hours.
• FAQ Page

✅ 7. Checklist Before You Arrive

• Laptop + charger 🔋
• Stable internet / mobile hotspot 🌐
• Pre-installed IDEs & Git setup ⚙️
• Your registered team of 4–5 members 👥
• Student ID card 🎓

⚡ Pro Tip: Set up a shared GitHub repo with your team before the hackathon starts so you can push code from the first minute!