A new language from scratch
- • How Harshit Pathak learned Swift from scratch between August and October.
- • How the workshop, the one-year voucher and a peer group carried his preparation.
- • Why the user interface was both his hardest topic and his biggest gain.
- • His 940 score and his plan to enter the Swift Coding Challenge.
940 / 1000
His examination score
August to October
Learned Swift from zero
1 to 3 hours a day
Study alongside academics
Harshit Pathak is a CSE AIML student at Parul University. He already knew Java, C++ and Python, but Swift was entirely new to him. That is what makes his result interesting: he built his Swift knowledge between registering in August and the result in October, while a normal semester carried on around him.
What drew him in was that Swift offers front-end and back-end development in one language. His plan was to learn it thoroughly and back the learning with a certification, and that started with a three-day workshop led by Apple Certified Trainer Prof. Umang Panchal.
How registration and the voucher work
Registration begins after the workshop, where the trainer explains the certification. The university then provides the study material, and students who want to continue opt for a voucher that stays valid for one year, so they can prepare at a comfortable pace. Harshit registered in August and cleared the exam in October.
Preparing alongside academics
He credits time management. With mid-semester exams and coursework running, and the certification date known in advance, he planned the work in small parts and gave one to three hours a day to it.
The peer group helped. Because campus exam batches are organised in groups of about ten or eleven, students were already in contact and shared what they were learning. He was never preparing alone.
The hardest part, and the most learned,
Coding was his favourite part, since he enjoys writing code. The user interface was a different matter, and when asked for the hardest part of the certification, he named it without hesitation.
The same topic became where he learned the most. He was not very aware of the user interface concept before, and it became clear only through preparation, so the part that gave him the most trouble is the one he now understands best.
The result and a first app
Harshit scored 940 out of 1000. He had expected to clear it because he had worked hard, and the marks he lost came from the user interface section he had named as his weakest. During preparation, he also built a first app with a user interface and a login flow, which connected directly to the skills the exam tested.
What comes next: the Swift Coding Challenge
His next goal is the Swift Coding Challenge, held each February, where participants submit projects to Apple and the top fifty Distinguished Winners earn a trip to WWDC in California. His plan runs in order: complete the associate certification, then the challenge, and build on Swift from there.
His advice to students who want to start is direct: it does not matter if you do not know coding or Swift, or do not own a device. Register for the workshop, where you are taught from the basics.
Also Read: Dhruv Sharma Scores 880 in Apple’s App Development with Swift Associate at Parul University
| SOURCE AND CONTEXT. This article is based on an interview with Harshit Pathak. His examination score is reported as 940 out of 1000. His LinkedIn profile is linked with tracking parameters removed. |
Explore the ecosystem and pathways
Students who want to learn Swift from scratch can start at the campus Apple Lab and explore the Future Skills Centre.
Apple Innovation Lab: paruluniversity.ac.in/apple-innovation-lab
Lakshya 2047, Centre for Future Skills: paruluniversity.ac.in/academics/lakshya-2047
People and organisations
- Harshit Pathak CSE AIML student, Apple Swift Associate certified
- Prof. Umang Panchal Apple Certified Trainer and faculty mentor
- Parul University Vadodara, Gujarat
