Unlock Free Developer Tools: Your Guide to the GitHub Student Pack

How to Get Your Free GitHub Student Developer Pack

Getting the GitHub Student Developer Pack is easy. You only need a few things to start. Make sure you have your college email address and your valid college ID card ready. These are key for proving you are a student.

Here are the simple steps to get your pack:

1. Create a GitHub Account: First, make a GitHub account. Use your official college email address for this. This helps GitHub confirm you are a student.
2. Set Up Two-Factor Authentication (2FA): Next, turn on two-factor authentication for your GitHub account. This is an important security step. GitHub will not approve your application without it.
3. Visit the GitHub Education Website: Go to the official GitHub Education website. This is where you will apply for the developer pack.
4. Sign Up for the Developer Pack: On the website, start the signup process. Make sure you are logged in with your college Gmail ID.
5. Enter Your School Information: You will need to type in your college or school name.
6. Verify Your Location (Important!): GitHub also checks your current location. It is best to apply when you are on your college campus. One student mentioned their application was rejected because they applied from home. Be at your college when you submit.
7. Upload Your College ID Card: Take a clear photo or scan of your college ID card. Upload this image to the application.
8. Process Your Application: Click the button to "process my application."

GitHub usually says it might take up to five days for approval. However, many students get approved much faster. Sometimes, it only takes one day. You will get an email notification once your application is approved.

Essential Tools for Developers

The GitHub Student Developer Pack offers a range of tools designed to help you code better. These powerful resources can change how you build projects.

GitHub Copilot Pro

GitHub Copilot is a smart tool that helps you write code faster. It suggests code as you type, almost like a co-programmer. While a free version is now available to many developers, the Student Developer Pack gives you access to the Pro version for free.

The Pro version offers more features and often comes with extra benefits. To start using it:

1. Go to the GitHub Copilot website.
2. Click the button to get access.
3. Log into VS Code using your college Gmail ID.

This tool helps many developers daily with their coding projects. It can quickly suggest lines of code or even whole functions, saving you time and effort.

Codespaces Pro

GitHub Codespaces lets you code directly from your web browser. You get a full development environment in the cloud. With the Student Pack, you get the Codespaces Pro version for free.

The Pro version provides extra storage space. This extra space is helpful for larger projects or when you need to store many files. It allows you to work from any computer without setting up a local development environment.

GitLens for VS Code

GitLens is an extension for VS Code. It makes working with Git easier. Git is a system for tracking changes in code. GitLens helps you see who changed what code and when. This is very useful when working on bigger or more complex projects with a team. It helps you manage your code history and understand changes more clearly.

Powerful Software Tools for Free

Beyond coding helpers and courses, the pack gives you access to premium software. These tools help with design and productivity.

Bootstrap Studio

Bootstrap Studio is a strong tool for designing and building websites. It uses a drag-and-drop feature. This means you can easily move parts of a website around to create your design. It also helps you make responsive websites. These websites look good on any screen size, like phones or computers. You can even turn your designs directly into code. This is a paid software, but you get it for free with the pack.

Hover

For Mac users, Hover is a useful app. It dims all other windows on your screen. This helps you focus on the single window you are working on. It removes distractions, making it easier to concentrate. This app usually costs money, but it is free for students in the pack.

Boost Productivity and Design

Staying organized and creating great visuals is important. The GitHub Student Developer Pack includes tools that help with both.

Notion Education Plan

Notion is a very popular tool for organizing notes, tasks, and projects. With the Student Pack, you get the Notion Education Plan for free. This plan often includes free access to AI features within Notion.

The education plan also comes with helpful templates. These templates can help you get started quickly. You might find templates for:

• Study planners
• Project trackers
• Goal setting
• Note-taking systems

These resources help you manage your college life and projects more effectively.

Wizme (Canva Alternative)

Before, the pack offered Canva Pro. But Canva no longer offers that discount through the pack. Do not worry; Wizme is a great alternative. Wizme has similar features to Canva. You can easily create presentations, graphics, and other designs there. Use your college Gmail ID to get free access and make professional-looking visuals for your assignments and projects.

Unlimited Storage and Free Hosting

Every student needs storage and a place to show off their work. The Student Developer Pack has you covered.

Unlimited Google Storage

With your college Gmail ID, you can get unlimited Google storage. This is a huge benefit. You can store as many files, emails, and photos as you want. You never have to worry about running out of space. This is perfect for large project files, research papers, or personal backups.

Free Domain Names

Building a personal portfolio website or a project demo is important. The pack offers free domain names. A domain name is your website's address (like yourname.com).

Here are some of the free domains you can get:

• Namecheap offers a .me domain. This is great for personal portfolios or blogs.
• Name.com provides a .live domain. This can be good for showing live projects or streams.
• .tech gives you a .tech domain. This is perfect for technology-focused projects.

You can pick a domain that fits your project best.

Hosting Your Website with Netlify

After getting a domain, you need a place to host your website. Netlify is a popular service for hosting web projects. It is easy to use and integrates well with GitHub.

Here is a quick overview of how you might host a demo website:

1. Search for Your Domain: On the domain provider's website (like .tech), search for the domain name you want.
2. Add to Cart and Log In: Add it to your cart. Log in using your GitHub account if prompted.
3. Place Order: Complete the order to get your free domain.
4. Host with Netlify: Go to Netlify. You can connect your GitHub account and easily deploy your website files. Netlify makes the process fast and simple.

Once hosted, your website will be live. For example, if you got yaarsangam.tech, that address would show your website.