Adjusting to studying online is no easy task, especially if you’re used to a traditional classroom setting. But once you find your rhythm, you’ll realize that no traditional classroom can match the flexibility, convenience, and accessibility of online learning.
To help ease your success, Rosario Maccarrone, the Head of Student Services at the Open Institute of Technology, has compiled a detailed list of dos and don’ts of studying online. Stick to these guidelines, and you’ll excel at your studies as a full-time student or a working professional.
The Dos and Don’ts of Studying Online for Full-Time Students
Let’s say you’ve decided to commit to full-time online studies. Here’s what Rosario suggests for academic success.
The Dos
1. Find a Study Rhythm That Works for You
The best thing about studying online is that no one’s around to dictate your study schedule. It’s up to you to set your own learning pace and study hours. Find a steady study rhythm that aligns with your preferences, and your productivity will never falter.
2. Make a Schedule
Don’t get it twisted – a lack of a fixed class schedule doesn’t mean you should go without a schedule entirely. Keeping a schedule will help you stay organized, focused, and on track with your studies, which can be challenging when no one guides your daily routine. Your schedule should allocate time for classes (OPIT offers one live class per week for each course), revising, and, of course, taking it easy.
3. Keep a To-Do List
Just like a schedule, a to-do list can help you always stay on top of your game. Make it digital, and you can easily update it as you study or complete tasks on your computer.
4. Don’t Be Shy to Ask Questions
It’s perfectly OK to struggle with some parts of your online courses. However, it’s not OK to keep this to yourself out of shame or fear and struggle in silence. Your professors and tutors are there for you to guide you every step of the way. Remember this, and you’ll have no trouble asking questions when things get tricky.
5. Use All the Online Resources Your Program Offers
Just like your professors are there for you, so are the abundant online resources your university offers. Do a little research to get familiar with these resources and then make the most of them.
6. Collaborate With Your Classmates
You might not be able to see your peers in person, but you can—and should—communicate with them in a myriad of ways. Rosario suggests participating in chats during live sessions and taking advantage of every chance for group work. This will help you build a solid online community and nail your studies.
7. Join in on Online Campus Events
Studying is never just about learning. It’s also about meeting new people, making friends, and building a network. Online studying is no different; you’ll just do all of these incredible things online. So, make sure to keep up with your university’s virtual campus events and attend them to keep your studies (and life) more interesting.
8. Make a Study Spot
Let’s not sugarcoat it – learning from home often comes with a bunch of distractions. From your family talking in the background to the allure of your comfy bed, distractions are plenty. By making a designated study spot somewhere quiet, you’ll rid your study environment of disruptions and signal to your brain that it’s time to get down to work.
9. Take Care of Your Health
Taking care of your health is essential for excelling in all areas of life, and (online) studying is no different. So, remember to eat well, exercise, and get enough sleep to stay sharp. Exercising (or just moving continuously) is especially important given the nature of online studies.
The Don’ts
1. Procrastinate
Telling you not to procrastinate when studying is by no means revolutionary advice. However, avoiding procrastination can be extra challenging when studying online, given the lack of immediate supervision.
But putting off practice and leaving studying to the last second can only increase your anxiety levels and lead to lower grades (none of which will help you have a successful online studying experience).
2. Underestimate the Effort Online Classes Need
Some students operate under the assumption that online classes are less demanding than traditional ones. However, this couldn’t be further from the truth. Treating online classes with the same seriousness as in-person ones is the only way to succeed in your virtual academic journey.
3. Cut Yourself Off From Classmates and Professors
Online studying can feel rather isolating. That is – only if you let it. Online universities like OPIT offer numerous ways to stay in touch with your classmates and professors (e.g., Slack, Canvas discussions, and WhatsApp groups), and that’s precisely what you should do.
4. Hold Back From Asking for Help
This guide has already covered the importance of asking your professors questions. But if you feel stuck, don’t limit yourself to professors only. At OPIT, you can also ask your class coordinator or a tutor for help with anything course-related.
5. Neglect Taking Time Out for Yourself
Some students underestimate the effort necessary for online classes. At the same time, others go all out when presented with the seemingly endless possibilities of online learning. If you fall under the second category, don’t forget to take time out for yourself. This is as important as studying efficiently, as it allows you to prevent burnout.
6. Ignore Your Mental Health
Your mental health is just as important as your physical well-being. If you struggle emotionally, you should never ignore it. Your friends, family, or your university’s counseling services can help you find the best way forward. But first, you need to ask for help.
7. Miss Out on Making Connections With Peers
The beauty of online studying is the opportunity to meet new people from all over the world. OPIT alone has students from over 40 countries worldwide. Connect with them, and you’ll broaden your perspective while potentially forming meaningful connections.
Of course, you should also enjoy face-to-face interactions whenever possible.
The Dos and Don’ts of Studying Online for Working Students
Thanks to online studies, it’s never too late to go back to school. You can do so even after working for a few years, as this format allows you to pursue a new career path or enhance your skills while still earning an income.
Of course, you can also choose to work and study at the same time immediately after graduating from high school.
Whatever the case, here’s what Rosario suggests doing (and not doing).
The Dos
1. Balance Your Work and Study Time
When you have both work and studies, you must allocate your time wisely. Creating a realistic schedule that you can keep up with daily is step one.
2. Talk to Your Boss About Supporting Your Study Goals
Most bosses are highly supportive of their employees’ professional development. After all, your personal growth can only positively reflect on your company. So, don’t be afraid to talk to your boss about your studies.
With some luck, you’ll be able to schedule shifts around your classes, take days off for studying (or taking exams), and even study at work during downtime.
3. Strive for Flexibility at Work
If there’s one thing the COVID-19 pandemic has taught us, it’s that most jobs can be done from home (and done successfully). So, if possible, switch to working from home, as this will save you a lot of time. Just think of it this way – no more getting ready and commuting to and from work.
4. Connect With Colleagues in Similar Situations
Balancing work and studies can sometimes feel overwhelming. Connect with colleagues who are also going through the same thing (or did in the past), and you’ll get all the encouragement you need to keep pushing forward.
5. Grab Chances to Build Skills for Work and School
Let’s face it – most people study to be able to find a decent job. If you’re already working in your desired field – perfect! Seize every chance to apply your practical skills in your studies. Even if you aren’t currently working in your desired field, there are always skills you can learn to benefit your studies and current (and future) career.
6. Set Realistic Study Goals
Doing (or trying to do) too much can bring you no good. So, set realistic study goals that align with your work life. For instance, studying for three hours a day will be a Herculean task when working overtime but a breeze on your day off.
7. Talk to Your Professors
Just like you should let your boss know you’re studying, you should also inform your professors that you’re working. This way, they might be able to make some accommodations for you if your work is squeezing your study time.
8. Keep Your Study Area Separate
Let’s say you work from home. If so, make sure you have separate “work” and “study” areas. This will help you maintain a clear boundary between your professional and academic responsibilities.
9. Find Ways to Manage Stress
Juggling work and studying can be rather stressful. Finding a way (or ways) to manage this stress is critical to successfully keeping up with both responsibilities. Meditating, exercising, taking a walk, spending more time with friends, or taking up a hobby are just some of the methods that might work for you.
Taking regular breaks is also an excellent way to manage stress as well as remain focused on your work or studies.
The Don’ts
1. Let School Stress Affect Your Work Performance
If you’re already working in your dream field, remember that studying is only there to enhance your skills and knowledge. In other words, don’t let academic stress affect your work performance, as this can only jeopardize your future in your dream career. It’s all about prioritizing correctly.
2. Sacrifice Sleep or Good Health Habits
Juggling work and studies is no excuse to fall into bad health habits, including sacrificing sleep. Not only will this affect you physically and mentally, but it will also affect your performance in both fields. Talk about a lose-lose scenario!
3. Be Afraid to Ask for Help
Your support network is all you need to navigate any challenge effortlessly. And with both working and studies, you know you’ll have no shortage of those. So, don’t be afraid to ask for help from the people around you, whether to simply listen to you vent or help with a specific task.
4. Let Your Studies Take Over Your Personal Time
For most people, off time is a chance to rest and recharge. However, for students, a part of this time must be dedicated to studying. But the key word here is “part.” Don’t let your studies consume all of your personal time, as this is a one-way ticket to burnout.
5. Miss Out on Networking in Your Field
If there’s one piece of advice every university (online or offline) will give you, it is network, network, network. If you’re already working in your field, you’re in a unique position to do this even before completing your studies. So, take every chance to meet new people and open up new doors for your career.
6. Neglect Seeking Mutual Work-Study Benefits
Your job and studies can likely benefit each other in more ways than one. By neglecting to explore these avenues, you might miss out on valuable opportunities.
For instance, let’s say you’re getting your Bachelor’s degree in Digital Business from OPIT and working in social media management. Modules like “Digital Marketing” and “Digital Platforms and Ecosystems” could directly contribute to your role (and a promotion). At the same time, your practical experience will help you breeze through most of the course material.
This is just one of the ways your studies can open new doors at your work.
7. Overcommit Socially
Your time is precious. As much as it’s important not to use it solely for work and studying, it’s also crucial to not overcommit socially. Talk to your friends and family (especially those with no similar experiences) and set realistic expectations about your availability. Prioritize quality over quantity in your social interactions, and you’ll never feel like you’re missing out.
The Biggest Do: Study at OPIT
As you’ll learn from this list, everyone at OPIT knows what our students need to succeed on and off campus. And everyone at OPIT, from Rosario to your professors, is more than eager to support you in this journey. Apply to study at OPIT and experience what quality studies, academic assistance, and career guidance can do for you firsthand.
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From the same author
Read the article2025 has come to a close, with 2026 already underway. There are many exciting events ahead and future milestones to aim for and look forward to. But it’s also the ideal time to look back over the last 12 months, exploring the most notable achievements we’ve made, lessons we’ve learned, and important moments to reflect on as the new year continues for OPIT’s staff, students, and broader community.
1. Student Commitment
Studying isn’t always easy. It involves long days, and even long evenings sometimes, with a seemingly never-ending series of tasks to accomplish and goals to aim for. It can take a lot out of even the most hard-working and dedicated individuals.
Yet, despite the hardships and challenges, OPIT students demonstrated remarkable resilience, continuous curiosity, and indefatigable determination throughout 2025. Looking back on the year, students at all levels of the OPIT community should feel proud and celebrate their accomplishments.
2. Podcast Launch
2025 saw a lot of new arrivals at OPIT, with fresh projects and innovations arriving on the scene. Chief among them was the OPIT EDGE Podcast, an exciting addition to the institute’s ever-expanding multimedia offerings.
There have already been several episodes of the podcast for students and technology enthusiasts in general to enjoy, with the first episode of this student-driven project involving an in-depth discussion with industry expert Matteo Zangani on the potential of quantum AI technology.
3. Success Stories
While many new students have joined the OPIT ranks in 2025 and will also do so in 2026, others have now achieved their educational objectives and are already moving on to the next exciting steps and chapters in their personal and professional lives.
There are so many inspiring success stories from the last 12 months, it’s impossible to list them all. But just one notable example has to be Maria Brilaki, who recently concluded her Master’s in Responsible AI, defending a powerful thesis related to non-invasive glucose monitoring through near-infrared spectroscopy and machine learning.
4. Graduation in Malta
2025 was a big year of firsts for OPIT, including the institute’s first official graduation ceremony, which took place on March 8 at a grand ceremony in Malta, honoring the achievements of dozens of applied data science and AI graduates.
The hybrid event was open to both in-person and virtual attendees, bringing together members of the OPIT community from across the world. It was a huge moment for the graduates themselves and a thrilling milestone for OPI – a testament to all the hard work that has gone into building this institute.
5. OPIT AI Copilot
Artificial intelligence is the technology of the moment, and OPIT isn’t just dedicated to teaching the next-generation of technology leaders how to work with AI responsibly and efficiently; it’s also interested in harnessing the powers and potential of AI to improve its educational offerings, too.
This culminated in the development and release of OPIT AI Copilot in 2025. This groundbreaking AI tool now provides real-time, personalized learning support, along with contextual assistance, and is available on a round-the-clock basis for students to turn to, as and when they feel the need.
6. Hackathons
2025 also saw OPIT students and faculty take more active roles in various events, including hackathons. In November, for example, OPIT got involved with the 6th edition of the ESCP Hackathon, with several students entering as developers.
This was an exciting and unique opportunity for those students to meet up in person, put the skills they’ve honed during their time at OPIT to the test in a challenging environment, and learn from one another. OPIT will surely participate in more hackathons in the years to come, so stay tuned for more details on upcoming events and how you can play your part.
7. Strengthening Collaboration
From day one, OPIT has focused on building a strong network of established technology and business partners, opening doors and providing opportunities for both education and employment for its students.
This continued throughout 2025, with OPIT strengthening its connections with a number of world-leading organizations, including Accenture, AWS, Hype, Buffetti, and more. Through events like hackathons, career fairs, and more, OPIT makes the most of its ever-expanding and increasingly impressive professional network.
8. Online Career Fair
Another big first for 2025 was the inaugural OPIT Online Career Fair, an event that was held on November 19 and 20, with more than a dozen established and emerging companies from around the world in attendance, including the likes of Deloitte, Tinexta Cyber, Datapizza, RWS Group, Planet Farms, and Nesperia Group.
The only nature of this event ensured that students all enjoyed equal access, no matter where they were based, and everyone was able to hear from industry experts and enjoy the unique array of opportunities on offer, forging their own connections and learning more about brands they might like to work with or for in the future.
9. Education Innovation
OPIT has always been about innovating, delivering newer and smarter ways to learn for students across the globe, no matter their background, budget, or social class. And the institute has continually innovated over the course of 2025, helping students learn skills and broaden their knowledge efficiently and intuitively.
As we enter 2026, OPIT’s innovation is set to be on full display once more, with no less than two new courses for new applicants to choose from: AI-Driven Software Development (Elective) and Business Intelligence and Decision Making (Elective).
10. The Power of the OPIT Community
Perhaps the crowning achievement for OPIT in 2025 was the demonstrable success of not just individual students or faculty members, but the entire OPIT community, as a whole. Everyone, from alumni to new students and seasoned staff members, played their part in the institute’s success, paving the way for more great things and major milestones in 2026 and beyond.
As OPIT Rector and former Italian Minister of Education, Francesco Profumo, puts it:
“What inspires me most is the mindset of our students: forward-looking, responsible, and driven by a desire not just to succeed, but to contribute. Their dedication reminds us why education remains one of the most powerful forces for shaping the future.”
Read the articleBring talented tech experts together, set them a challenge, and give them a deadline. Then, let them loose and watch the magic happen. That, in a nutshell, is what hackathons are all about. They’re proven to be among the most productive tech events when it comes to solving problems and accelerating innovation.
What Is a Hackathon?
Put simply, a hackathon is a short-term event – often lasting just a couple of days, or sometimes even only a matter of hours – where tech experts come together to solve a specific problem or come up with ideas based on a central theme or topic. As an example, teams might be tasked with discovering a new way to use AI in marketing or to create an app aimed at improving student life.
The term combines the words “hack” and “marathon,” due to how participants (hackers or programmers) are encouraged to work around-the-clock to create a prototype, proof-of-concept, or new solution. It’s similar to how marathon runners are encouraged to keep running, putting their skills and endurance to the test in a race to the finish line.
The Benefits of Hackathons
Hackathons provide value both for the companies that organize them and the people who take part. Companies can use them to quickly discover new ideas or overcome challenges, for example, while participants can enjoy testing their skills, innovating, networking, and working either alone or as part of a larger team.
Benefits for Companies and Sponsors
Many of the world’s biggest brands have come to rely on hackathons as ways to drive innovation and uncover new products, services, and opportunities. Meta, for example, the brand behind Facebook, has organized dozens of hackathons, some of which have led to the development of well-known Facebook features, like the “Like” button. Here’s how hackathons help companies:
- Accelerate Innovation: In fast-moving fields like technology, companies can’t always afford to spend months or years working on new products or features. They need to be able to solve problems quickly, and hackathons create the necessary conditions to deliver rapid success.
- Employee Development: Leading companies like Meta have started to use annual hackathons as a way to not only test their workforce’s skills but to give employees opportunities to push themselves and broaden their skill sets.
- Internal Networking: Hackathons also double up as networking events. They give employees from different teams, departments, or branches the chance to work with and learn from one another. This, in turn, can promote or reinforce team-oriented work cultures.
- Talent Spotting: Talents sometimes go unnoticed, but hackathons give your workforce’s hidden gems a chance to shine. They’re terrific opportunities to see who your best problem solvers and most creative thinkers at.
- Improving Reputation: Organizing regular hackathons helps set companies apart from their competitors, demonstrating their commitment to innovation and their willingness to embrace new ideas. If you want your brand to seem more forward-thinking and innovative, embracing hackathons is a great way to go about it.
Benefits for Participants
The hackers, developers, students, engineers, and other people who take part in hackathons arguably enjoy even bigger and better benefits than the businesses behind them. These events are often invaluable when it comes to upskilling, networking, and growing, both personally and professionally. Here are some of the main benefits for participants, explained:
- Learning and Improvement: Hackathons are golden opportunities for participants to gain knowledge and skills. They essentially force people to work together, sharing ideas, contributing to the collective, and pushing their own boundaries in pursuit of a common goal.
- Networking: While some hackathons are purely internal, others bring together different teams or groups of people from different schools, businesses, and places around the world. This can be wonderful for forming connections with like-minded individuals.
- Sense of Pride: Everyone feels a sense of pride after accomplishing a project or achieving a goal, but this often comes at the end of weeks or months of effort. With hackathons, participants can enjoy that same satisfying feeling after just a few hours or a couple of days of hard work.
- Testing Oneself: A hackathon is an amazing chance to put one’s skills to the test and see what one is truly capable of when given a set goal to aim for and a deadline to meet. Many participants are surprised to see how well they respond to these conditions.
- Boosting Skills: Hackathons provide the necessary conditions to hone and improve a range of core soft skills, such as teamwork, communication, problem-solving, organization, and punctuality. By the end, participants often emerge with more confidence in their abilities.
Hackathons at OPIT
The Open Institute of Technology (OPIT) understands the unique value of hackathons and has played its part in sponsoring these kinds of events in the past. OPIT was one of the sponsors behind ESCPHackathon 6, for example, which involved 120 students given AI-related tasks, with mentorship and guidance from senior professionals and developers from established brands along the way.
Marco Fediuc, one of the participants, summed up the mood in his comments:
“The hackathon was a truly rewarding experience. I had the pleasure of meeting OPIT classmates and staff and getting to know them better, the chance to collaborate with brilliant minds, and the opportunity to take part in an exciting and fun event.
“Participating turned out to be very useful because I had the chance to work in a fast-paced, competitive environment, and it taught me what it means to stay calm and perform under pressure… To prospective Computer Science students, should a similar opportunity arise, I can clearly say: Don’t underestimate yourselves!”
The new year will also see the arrival of OPIT Hackathon 2026, giving more students the chance to test their skills, broaden their networks, and enjoy the one-of-a-kind experiences that these events never fail to deliver. This event is scheduled to be held February 13-15, 2026, and is open to all OPIT Bachelor’s and Master’s students, along with recent graduates. Interested parties have until February 1 to register.
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Related posts
2025 has come to a close, with 2026 already underway. There are many exciting events ahead and future milestones to aim for and look forward to. But it’s also the ideal time to look back over the last 12 months, exploring the most notable achievements we’ve made, lessons we’ve learned, and important moments to reflect on as the new year continues for OPIT’s staff, students, and broader community.
1. Student Commitment
Studying isn’t always easy. It involves long days, and even long evenings sometimes, with a seemingly never-ending series of tasks to accomplish and goals to aim for. It can take a lot out of even the most hard-working and dedicated individuals.
Yet, despite the hardships and challenges, OPIT students demonstrated remarkable resilience, continuous curiosity, and indefatigable determination throughout 2025. Looking back on the year, students at all levels of the OPIT community should feel proud and celebrate their accomplishments.
2. Podcast Launch
2025 saw a lot of new arrivals at OPIT, with fresh projects and innovations arriving on the scene. Chief among them was the OPIT EDGE Podcast, an exciting addition to the institute’s ever-expanding multimedia offerings.
There have already been several episodes of the podcast for students and technology enthusiasts in general to enjoy, with the first episode of this student-driven project involving an in-depth discussion with industry expert Matteo Zangani on the potential of quantum AI technology.
3. Success Stories
While many new students have joined the OPIT ranks in 2025 and will also do so in 2026, others have now achieved their educational objectives and are already moving on to the next exciting steps and chapters in their personal and professional lives.
There are so many inspiring success stories from the last 12 months, it’s impossible to list them all. But just one notable example has to be Maria Brilaki, who recently concluded her Master’s in Responsible AI, defending a powerful thesis related to non-invasive glucose monitoring through near-infrared spectroscopy and machine learning.
4. Graduation in Malta
2025 was a big year of firsts for OPIT, including the institute’s first official graduation ceremony, which took place on March 8 at a grand ceremony in Malta, honoring the achievements of dozens of applied data science and AI graduates.
The hybrid event was open to both in-person and virtual attendees, bringing together members of the OPIT community from across the world. It was a huge moment for the graduates themselves and a thrilling milestone for OPI – a testament to all the hard work that has gone into building this institute.
5. OPIT AI Copilot
Artificial intelligence is the technology of the moment, and OPIT isn’t just dedicated to teaching the next-generation of technology leaders how to work with AI responsibly and efficiently; it’s also interested in harnessing the powers and potential of AI to improve its educational offerings, too.
This culminated in the development and release of OPIT AI Copilot in 2025. This groundbreaking AI tool now provides real-time, personalized learning support, along with contextual assistance, and is available on a round-the-clock basis for students to turn to, as and when they feel the need.
6. Hackathons
2025 also saw OPIT students and faculty take more active roles in various events, including hackathons. In November, for example, OPIT got involved with the 6th edition of the ESCP Hackathon, with several students entering as developers.
This was an exciting and unique opportunity for those students to meet up in person, put the skills they’ve honed during their time at OPIT to the test in a challenging environment, and learn from one another. OPIT will surely participate in more hackathons in the years to come, so stay tuned for more details on upcoming events and how you can play your part.
7. Strengthening Collaboration
From day one, OPIT has focused on building a strong network of established technology and business partners, opening doors and providing opportunities for both education and employment for its students.
This continued throughout 2025, with OPIT strengthening its connections with a number of world-leading organizations, including Accenture, AWS, Hype, Buffetti, and more. Through events like hackathons, career fairs, and more, OPIT makes the most of its ever-expanding and increasingly impressive professional network.
8. Online Career Fair
Another big first for 2025 was the inaugural OPIT Online Career Fair, an event that was held on November 19 and 20, with more than a dozen established and emerging companies from around the world in attendance, including the likes of Deloitte, Tinexta Cyber, Datapizza, RWS Group, Planet Farms, and Nesperia Group.
The only nature of this event ensured that students all enjoyed equal access, no matter where they were based, and everyone was able to hear from industry experts and enjoy the unique array of opportunities on offer, forging their own connections and learning more about brands they might like to work with or for in the future.
9. Education Innovation
OPIT has always been about innovating, delivering newer and smarter ways to learn for students across the globe, no matter their background, budget, or social class. And the institute has continually innovated over the course of 2025, helping students learn skills and broaden their knowledge efficiently and intuitively.
As we enter 2026, OPIT’s innovation is set to be on full display once more, with no less than two new courses for new applicants to choose from: AI-Driven Software Development (Elective) and Business Intelligence and Decision Making (Elective).
10. The Power of the OPIT Community
Perhaps the crowning achievement for OPIT in 2025 was the demonstrable success of not just individual students or faculty members, but the entire OPIT community, as a whole. Everyone, from alumni to new students and seasoned staff members, played their part in the institute’s success, paving the way for more great things and major milestones in 2026 and beyond.
As OPIT Rector and former Italian Minister of Education, Francesco Profumo, puts it:
“What inspires me most is the mindset of our students: forward-looking, responsible, and driven by a desire not just to succeed, but to contribute. Their dedication reminds us why education remains one of the most powerful forces for shaping the future.”
Bring talented tech experts together, set them a challenge, and give them a deadline. Then, let them loose and watch the magic happen. That, in a nutshell, is what hackathons are all about. They’re proven to be among the most productive tech events when it comes to solving problems and accelerating innovation.
What Is a Hackathon?
Put simply, a hackathon is a short-term event – often lasting just a couple of days, or sometimes even only a matter of hours – where tech experts come together to solve a specific problem or come up with ideas based on a central theme or topic. As an example, teams might be tasked with discovering a new way to use AI in marketing or to create an app aimed at improving student life.
The term combines the words “hack” and “marathon,” due to how participants (hackers or programmers) are encouraged to work around-the-clock to create a prototype, proof-of-concept, or new solution. It’s similar to how marathon runners are encouraged to keep running, putting their skills and endurance to the test in a race to the finish line.
The Benefits of Hackathons
Hackathons provide value both for the companies that organize them and the people who take part. Companies can use them to quickly discover new ideas or overcome challenges, for example, while participants can enjoy testing their skills, innovating, networking, and working either alone or as part of a larger team.
Benefits for Companies and Sponsors
Many of the world’s biggest brands have come to rely on hackathons as ways to drive innovation and uncover new products, services, and opportunities. Meta, for example, the brand behind Facebook, has organized dozens of hackathons, some of which have led to the development of well-known Facebook features, like the “Like” button. Here’s how hackathons help companies:
- Accelerate Innovation: In fast-moving fields like technology, companies can’t always afford to spend months or years working on new products or features. They need to be able to solve problems quickly, and hackathons create the necessary conditions to deliver rapid success.
- Employee Development: Leading companies like Meta have started to use annual hackathons as a way to not only test their workforce’s skills but to give employees opportunities to push themselves and broaden their skill sets.
- Internal Networking: Hackathons also double up as networking events. They give employees from different teams, departments, or branches the chance to work with and learn from one another. This, in turn, can promote or reinforce team-oriented work cultures.
- Talent Spotting: Talents sometimes go unnoticed, but hackathons give your workforce’s hidden gems a chance to shine. They’re terrific opportunities to see who your best problem solvers and most creative thinkers at.
- Improving Reputation: Organizing regular hackathons helps set companies apart from their competitors, demonstrating their commitment to innovation and their willingness to embrace new ideas. If you want your brand to seem more forward-thinking and innovative, embracing hackathons is a great way to go about it.
Benefits for Participants
The hackers, developers, students, engineers, and other people who take part in hackathons arguably enjoy even bigger and better benefits than the businesses behind them. These events are often invaluable when it comes to upskilling, networking, and growing, both personally and professionally. Here are some of the main benefits for participants, explained:
- Learning and Improvement: Hackathons are golden opportunities for participants to gain knowledge and skills. They essentially force people to work together, sharing ideas, contributing to the collective, and pushing their own boundaries in pursuit of a common goal.
- Networking: While some hackathons are purely internal, others bring together different teams or groups of people from different schools, businesses, and places around the world. This can be wonderful for forming connections with like-minded individuals.
- Sense of Pride: Everyone feels a sense of pride after accomplishing a project or achieving a goal, but this often comes at the end of weeks or months of effort. With hackathons, participants can enjoy that same satisfying feeling after just a few hours or a couple of days of hard work.
- Testing Oneself: A hackathon is an amazing chance to put one’s skills to the test and see what one is truly capable of when given a set goal to aim for and a deadline to meet. Many participants are surprised to see how well they respond to these conditions.
- Boosting Skills: Hackathons provide the necessary conditions to hone and improve a range of core soft skills, such as teamwork, communication, problem-solving, organization, and punctuality. By the end, participants often emerge with more confidence in their abilities.
Hackathons at OPIT
The Open Institute of Technology (OPIT) understands the unique value of hackathons and has played its part in sponsoring these kinds of events in the past. OPIT was one of the sponsors behind ESCPHackathon 6, for example, which involved 120 students given AI-related tasks, with mentorship and guidance from senior professionals and developers from established brands along the way.
Marco Fediuc, one of the participants, summed up the mood in his comments:
“The hackathon was a truly rewarding experience. I had the pleasure of meeting OPIT classmates and staff and getting to know them better, the chance to collaborate with brilliant minds, and the opportunity to take part in an exciting and fun event.
“Participating turned out to be very useful because I had the chance to work in a fast-paced, competitive environment, and it taught me what it means to stay calm and perform under pressure… To prospective Computer Science students, should a similar opportunity arise, I can clearly say: Don’t underestimate yourselves!”
The new year will also see the arrival of OPIT Hackathon 2026, giving more students the chance to test their skills, broaden their networks, and enjoy the one-of-a-kind experiences that these events never fail to deliver. This event is scheduled to be held February 13-15, 2026, and is open to all OPIT Bachelor’s and Master’s students, along with recent graduates. Interested parties have until February 1 to register.
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