Tag Archives: students

We have your ticket to travel back in time to Google Games 2016!

We just wrapped up five weeks of epic adventure during Google Games, and this is your golden ticket to experience all the fun!  Google Games is an annual event that allows us to bring Google’s culture, a lot of entertainment, and some friendly competition to computer science students across North America.  This year, the games were hosted in 14 different cities, and we were introduced to nearly 2,000 challenge-seeking undergraduate students from 60 different universities.  

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From the patio on Google’s campus in Sunnyvale to a rooftop in Chicago, there were 17 events in 14 different cities across North America.


Participants, encouraged to dress up in costume, encountered different challenges including Trivia, Building, Puzzles, Word Association and Coding.  We awarded prizes to the top three teams at each location who had the most points at the end of the day.  The Spirit Award was presented to the teams with a contagious energy or who got creative with this year’s theme - time travel!  

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Teams went head to head competing in five different challenge categories, and the winners were able to take home some well deserved Google SWAG.



Team “Liveware Problem” in Waterloo was the only team to solve every single coding question - 18 problems in 75 minutes.  In Cambridge, team “Benevolent Bodacious Barbarians Plus Plus” finished the puzzle challenge with a top score across all locations.  A huge congratulations to all the teams who were crowned the winners at each site.

  • Giant Hand from the University of Texas at Austin
  • ); DROP TABLE teams; -- from Princeton University
  • Liveware Problem from the University Of Waterloo
  • We're Bad At This from Carnegie Mellon University
  • UNO CS Squad from the University Of New Orleans
  • Thyme Lords from New York University
  • Volcano Volcanoes from the University Of Washington, Seattle
  • Chrono Crew from the University Of Maryland College Park
  • Shuai's Guys from Northwestern University Illinois
  • Jumping Jalapeños from Georgia Institute Of Technology
  • nibbles ᕕ( ՞ ᗜ ՞ )ᕗ from Stanford University
  • EPOCH FAIL from the Massachusetts Institute Of Technology (MIT)
  • Team Avocado from San Jose State University
  • Tyrannosaurus Rekt from WPI Worcester Polytechnic Institute
  • Doctor Poo from the California Institute Of Technology
  • Ultimate Norf from Harvey Mudd College
  • Team a4c1bed85s0365c from the University Of British Columbia

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The Building challenge at Google Games involved some creative thinking and many straws.  



Add Google Students to your circles on Google+ to learn more about next year’s competition.  We hope to see you there and uncover your passion for computer science.

Congratulations to the recipients of the 2016 Google Europe Scholarship for Students with Disabilities


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As part of Google's ongoing commitment to advancing computing and technology, we are pleased to provide scholarships to encourage students to excel in their studies and become active role models and leaders. In partnership with EmployAbility, we are excited to announce this year’s recipients of The Google Europe Scholarship for Students with Disabilities.
Please join us in congratulating the following recipients, along with the universities they attend:
  • Alyssa Milburn, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Netherlands
  • Tim Dettmers, University of Oxford, United Kingdom
  • Cristina Isabel Font, Polytechnic University of Valencia, Spain
  • Massimo Giordano, University of Trento, Italy
  • Hannah Evan, University of Birmingham, United Kingdom
  • Jakub Tomek, Imperial College London, United Kingdom
  • Jens Heuschkel, TU Darmstadt, Germany
  • Dmitri Katz, Open University, Israel
  • Trung Hieu Nguyen, Aalto University, Finland
Each scholar will receive 7,000 Euros to support their studies for the 2016/2017 academic year. All scholars have been selected based on their passion for Computer Science, academic achievement, leadership, and technical accomplishments.

Applications for the 2017 Google Europe Scholarship for Students with Disabilities will open in October. Follow our updates on this blog for information about when applications will open.

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Posted by Maya Tudor, EMEA Diversity Scholarships Program Manager

Presenting our 2016 Google scholarship recipients!


Here at Google, we strive to create meaningful connections with rising computer science talent by creating programs that engage students from around the world. While these individuals come from  different backgrounds and experiences, many have faced the challenge of being underrepresented in the tech industry. We’re working to change that.

As part of our initiatives focused on expanding diversity, Google offers scholarships that support and encourage underrepresented students to pursue careers in computer science and become part of the next generation of tech leaders. We recently selected recipients from the following scholarship programs:


We’re excited to announce the 2016 recipients of these scholarships, and congratulate them for their hard work and dedication. These students will join a community of Google scholars who are actively changing the diversity status quo in the tech industry. We can’t wait to see what the future holds for these exceptional students!

Writing the best business report for the AdMob Student App Challenge



With less than two weeks left in the AdMob Student App Challenge, you should now be working on your business reports. In order to qualify, your team must submit a business report along with your app so please review the guidelines. Here are some tips to help you write your business report:

  • The presentation and layout are easy - just follow the template on the AdMob website, and provide logical and cohesive explanations on each step of your decision-making process.
  • Give examples along the way. This does not necessarily mean flashy and colorful graphics, but a clear marketing strategy and an examples of your app’s performance will go a long way with the panel.
  • Don’t worry about having the report translated to English. Submit the business report in the language you are most comfortable with.  
  • It’s important to make sure your business report demonstrates a sound strategy behind the choices made when integrating AdMob into the app.
  • With your marketing strategy, talk about how you have already marketed your app, and what you’re doing to get the word out about your app and to maximize downloads.

While time is running short, continue to promote your app, monitor feedback, and get your business report wrapped up. The submission deadline is June 28, 2016 by 5:00PM PST, and this includes both your mobile app and business report. As always, follow us on AdMob G+ and Twitter for updates and keep an update on #AdMobSAC16 too, for any last-minute posts.

Posted by Jeff Miner
AdMob Student App Challenge Team

Looking to the last month of the AdMob Student App Challenge

There is now a month left before the final submission date for the AdMob Student App Challenge. At this point in the contest, your team should have completed the design of your app, and it should be live on  the Google Play Store. For the remainder of the contest, we recommend that your team focus on the following:

  • Monitor user feedback so that you can make improvements as the app gets the feedback. Your app should be high quality, and part of that is improving it based on user suggestions.

  • Promote your app. Think about creative ways to do it. Next week, look for a post on promotional suggestions that are simple and effective.

  • Now is the time to start readying your business report, which is due on June 28, 2016 by 5:00PM PST through this link. The Challenge website already has a recommended template on it, and we will be sending out some pointers on having the best possible project soon.
    • Remember, your project will be reviewed by a panel of app experts from Google, so your business report will need to be thorough and of professional-level quality.

Continue to follow us on AdMob G+ and Twitter for updates on the last month of the Challenge and keep an update on #AdMobSAC16 too, for any last-minute posts.

Posted by Jeff Miner
AdMob Student App Challenge Team

Google Travel Grant Application: 2016 Grace Hopper Conference


As part of Google's ongoing commitment to increase the number of women in technology, we are excited to offer travel grants to the 2016 Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing conference taking place in Houston, Texas from October 19 - 21, 2016. Once again, this year’s conference will offer incredible opportunities for mentoring, networking and career development.

University students and industry professionals in the US and Canada who are excelling in technology and passionate about supporting women in tech can apply for a travel grant to attend the 2016 Grace Hopper conference.

Sponsorship includes:
  • Conference registration
  • Round trip flight to Houston, TX (from within the US or Canada)
  • $75 USD reimbursement for miscellaneous travel costs  
  • Arranged hotel accommodations from October 18-22
  • A fun event with your travel grant recipients on one of the evenings of the conference!

Please apply here by Sunday, July 10, 2016. The Grace Hopper Travel Sponsorship winners will be announced by July 27th.

For questions, please email [email protected].

Why Math Majors Came to Google to Learn About Careers in Software Engineering

Did you know that you don’t have to be a computer science major to be a software engineer at Google? It’s true! Just a few weeks ago, Google hosted its first-ever Math Summit in the New York City office to encourage students majoring in subjects other than computer science that they, too, can -- and should! -- apply for software engineering internships and full-time roles at Google. Students from 17 colleges came to Google for a day of technical talks, a panel discussion featuring Googlers with math backgrounds, an interview workshop and networking. If you’re not studying computer science, but are interested in building technology that makes a meaningful impact on the lives of people all across the world, then read on to learn what you’ll need to know.

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A panel at Google’s first-ever Math Summit, held in New York City.

I don’t have to be a CS major to work at Google?
We want to take this opportunity to do a little myth-busting: You *do not* have to be a CS major to have a career as a software engineer here at Google. Studying physics? Electrical engineering? Theoretical math? We have Googlers from all of these backgrounds! You just have to have the CS fundamentals, which you’ll need in order to do well in the technical interviews (more on this later), and the passion to work in teams to solve some of technology’s toughest questions. If you can develop your coding skills, then software engineering might just be your next adventure.

What do I need to know?
You might be thinking, “But I’m so behind! How will I learn everything I need to know for interviews before I graduate?” We have good news: you don’t have to know everything. When you’re preparing for technical interviews, it’s most important to have a firm understanding of data structures and algorithms, which is typically the next course taken after the Intro to Programming course offered by many colleges and universities. If you’re still in school, take advantage of the courses offered there. And be sure sure to check out our Technical Development Guide (g.co/techdevguide).

What are interviewers looking for?
Interviewers will want to see that you are able to write functional code in at least one language really well (e.g., Java, Python, C++, etc.). Make it your priority to know the common constructs and idioms in your language of choice. Once you have that down, ask yourself if you could explain the real world performance of the code you write. Do you know the run time? Can you think of how you’d change your code if you had to make certain trade-offs? Have you thought about scalability? What about different edge cases? Make it a habit of asking yourself these questions and testing your code, and you’ll be in great shape.

That’s it?
Mostly, yes! The next steps are to practice, practice, and practice. Buddy up with a friend and practice writing code on white boards. Talk out loud as you go through each problem to simulate the interview. Remember, it's okay to admit what you do not know. You won’t be penalized for this! Interviewers have been in your position before, and they will tell you that most of what they do now was learned on the job -- not from textbooks or computer science courses.

Get in touch with us!
Interested in learning more? Let us know here! And check out google.com/students for all internship and full-time opportunities at Google.

We hope to hear from you!
Alec & Grace, from the University Programs team

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Alec taking selfies while he waits for students to arrive at the Math Summit.

From drones to satellites — developers across Europe, the Middle East and Africa compete in Hash Code 2016

On a Thursday evening in February, more than 17,000 developers waited in anticipation to find out this year’s challenge for the Online Qualification Round of Hash Code. The live stream announcement quickly revealed the theme — drone deliveries — and within a few minutes teams were immersed in reviewing the problem statement. The four hour countdown began.
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In case you missed it, Hash Code is a team-based programming competition for students and professionals across Europe, the Middle East and Africa. What started as a competition for 200 participants in France, has grown in just three years to reach thousands of developers across multiple continents. What’s unique is that rather than solving a series of algorithmic tasks, teams are given one problem to solve that’s been built by engineers at Google and inspired from a real-life problem. Teams have the chance to optimize and submit their solution as many times as they’d like in order to improve their score. Past year’s challenges have included optimizing the layout of a data center or the route of a Project Loon balloon.
The competition takes place over two stages: an Online Qualification Round and a Final Round. During this year’s Online Qualification Round, participants optimized drone delivery schedules. Teams could compete from wherever they’d like, including joining one of our 300+ hubs. Hubs are organized by participants as a way for teams in the same university or city to meetup and compete side-by-side.
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Students at a hub in Andela, Kenya

A month later, the top 52 teams (representing 22 different countries!) gathered at the Google Paris office to tackle the Final Round problem, which involved optimizing the operations of a set of Terra Bella satellites.
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Team Saar-Land was one of five teams whose members came from different countries, in their case Germany and Switzerland.

Teams were given six hours to come up with their best solution. The first place team was YMTeam from Belarus, followed closely behind by Ababahalamaha from Moscow and Die Bergbokbende from South Africa.
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Congratulations to YMTeam for winning Hash Code 2016.

Congratulations to everyone who participated! If you’d like to receive a notification when registration opens up for Hash Code 2017, fill out this form.
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52 teams from 22 countries met at Google Paris
to compete in the Final Round of Hash Code 2016


Written by Jessica Safir, University Programs

Student applications now open for Google Summer of Code!

Posted by Mary Radomile, Google Open Source team

Are you a university student looking to learn more about open source software development? Look no further than Google Summer of Code (GSoC) and spend your summer break working on an exciting open source project, learning how to write code.

For twelve years running, GSoC gives participants a chance to work on an open source software project entirely online. Students, who receive a stipend for their successful contributions, are paired with mentors who can help address technical questions and concerns throughout the program. Former GSoC participants have told us that the real-world experience they’ve gained during the program has not only sharpened their technical skills, but has also boosted their confidence, broadened their professional network and enhanced their resumes.

Students who are interested can submit proposals on the program site now through Friday, March 25 at 19:00 UTC. The first step is to review the 180 open source projects and find project ideas that appeal to you. Since spots are limited, we recommend a strong project proposal to help increase your chances of selection. Our Student Manual provides lots of helpful advice to get you started on choosing an organization and crafting a great application.

For ongoing information throughout the application period and beyond, see the Google Open Source Blog, join our Google Summer of Code discussion lists or join us on internet relay chat (IRC) at #gsoc on Freenode.

Good luck to all the open source coders out there, and remember to submit your proposals early — you only have until Friday, March 25 at 19:00 UTC to apply!