Hi, last time I wrote about uncertainty. This time, I want to write about what came after. Here's an update on my journey after that post - the progress, the difficulties, and where I ended up

There, where it all ended last time

After my last post, I received an overwhelming amount of support - both in comments and private messages. Thank you all so much for that. Several people also reached out with job offers, which I genuinely appreciated

But none of them fit my situation in the end. Some were with established companies abroad that couldn't cover relocation costs because of sanctions - something I currently can't afford on my own. Others were in areas like crypto and web3: fields I respect, but not ones where my skills or interests truly lie

So my only sponsor all this time was my mom - in fact, it's hard to say how much work she did for Rust without even realizing it

The place where stars align

Almost two months after my original post, I was added to the compiler team. In the four months since my post, I've been working on the compiler steadily - usually 1-3 hours a day, though some bugs demand more. Recently, there was one day when I didn't open GitHub at all because I'd spent the day before and almost half the night until 4 am trying to understand this bug

When I finally fell asleep around 6 am and woke up about 10 hours later, I decided to take a break for the day. It's funny - I don't remember any other day when I didn't open GitHub

Even on the day I was drafted into the army (a whole story of its own), I spent the morning reviewing a pull request - literally just a few hours before they came for me. They took me to the distribution center, then brought me back home at 9 pm because I "didn't suit them"

And I'm pretty sure that later that night, I went back to do some other reviews. If they hadn't brought me back, I would have returned to Rust in a year LMAO

The sum of all that happened

Let's talk about how the numbers have changed since the last post, I don't like this kind of metrics, but that's all we have I guess. At the time of writing, thanks.rust-lang.org shows 171 contributions, compared to 88 in my last post - a pretty big jump

Despite that jump, my ranking didn't move as dramatically - from 360th to 235th all-time. I've noticed that the higher you climb, the slower it gets :) I probably won't reach the top 200 this year, but looking back at the progress - from my very first pull request to these numbers - still feels really good

The idleness that never rest

As you may have guessed, I was technically unemployed all this time - though I wouldn't call it that myself

So what did I decide by the end of the year? Considering I need relatively little to live on (about $250-300 a month, since I don't pay rent), I decided to return to my previous job teaching IT to children. I left this job at the end of last school year, but it's a good fit for my situation

The job takes only about two days per a week. The salary of $550–600 gives me enough to live on and even save a little for things I enjoy, plus plenty of time to work on the compiler. And the job itself:

  1. I genuinely like it

  2. helps me take my mind off code and remember real life exists - children are the best guide for that

  3. removes financial stress

The only downside is that it's not scalable in the conventional sense. But since I'm not chasing big numbers - just stability and the opportunity to keep contributing - I think this is a good solution

The Unclenching

This will be the last chapter before Q&A

It's the end of the year now, and I want to say this has probably been the most emotionally difficult year for me - the army, finances, work, potential relocations, instability

In about three weeks I'll turn 21

For now, I think I had found an opportunity to work on what I like and make it financially stable without sacrificing the part of myself that wants to work on Rust

For those who've asked - I've set up a sponsor page with the options currently available to me, only crypto :(

Thank you all for this year. Happy New Year, everyone!

To read the stars, first learn the dark

Q: I want to contribute to the compiler, but it's overwhelming. Where do I start?

A: Don't think about the size - just find something specific that interests you and start there

Q: But I don't know anything. How can I make changes?

A: Search the codebase for keywords related to what you're looking for. Most of the time, something similar already exists - variables, functions, comments, anything that gives you context. If you're still stuck, please, don't hesitate to ask in Zulip. People are helpful

And here's slightly controversial advice: you can use LLMs to understand code snippets. If you're staring at a function and have no idea what it does, an LLM can usually explain it. Ask "why does this work?" or "what is this doing?" But - and this is critical - use it to understand code, not to write code for you. Don't submit generated pull requests that you don't fully understand. That wastes reviewers' time and doesn't help you learn

Q: What did you learn about sustaining motivation over months of unpaid work?

A: In my case, staying motivated was probably the least of my problems, to be honest. Here are some reasons (not in order of importance):

  1. the tasks are very interesting

  2. there is a lot of room for learning and development

  3. I love Rust

  4. the community is incredibly cool, and it's a pleasure to work with them

  5. it's just a hobby among my other hobbies that I also devote time to, such as studying other sciences, creativity, or games

Q: Any mistakes you made early on that you'd warn others about?

A: Yes, and it wasn't even about code - it was about communication and the language barrier

Early on, I was using LLMs heavily to write my comments. Then I got a private message: "Hey, I noticed you write strangely. Don't be afraid to make mistakes or write in your own words - just don't rely on LLMs so much." A couple days later, another reviewer commented that my writing seemed sloppy

I'm grateful for that first message. Since then, I've stopped using LLMs for writing and only occasionally use translators for specific words or a grammar checker. It's better to write imperfectly in your own voice than perfectly in an AI's

Q: What would you tell someone else stuck in a difficult location/situation who wants to do meaningful work?

A: It really depends on your situation. I had financial support from my mom, which gave me space to contribute full-time. If you don't have that safety net, my honest advice is: stabilize your life first. Big projects like Rust aren't going anywhere - they'll still be there when you're ready. Your personal situation matters more

That said, if you can't wait or don't want to - even 30 minutes to an hour a day adds up. Consistency matters more than volume. Just be realistic about what you can sustain

Q: How did you deal with the uncertainty and financial stress mentally?

A: The hardest part was feeling like I was consuming resources - relying on my mother's support - without creating anything materially useful in return. As someone who values family responsibility, that guilt slowly kept growing. What helped was looking at my actual results. It reminded me that the work was meaningful - even if it didn't pay the bills. That kept me from giving up

Q: What kept you going when things looked hopeless?

A: Take real breaks. Step away, recharge, and come back fresh. And when I say "real breaks" - I mean actually disconnect. I kept checking GitHub even during mine, which defeated the purpose

Q: How do you know when to push through vs. take a break?

A: Honestly, this is the hardest question because it requires self-awareness, and everyone's different. For me, the key signal is autopilot - when I catch myself going through the motions without actually thinking, when I'm staring at code but not really seeing it. That's when I know I need to stop

Q: The teaching job solution - how did you figure out what "enough" money/time looked like?

A: I just looked at the numbers. I tracked how much I actually spend each month - bills, food, personal stuff - and it came to around $250-300

For time, I knew that even an hour a day would be enough for compiler work if I stayed consistent. Working two days a week at the teaching job leaves me plenty of time while still providing the stability I need to contribute regularly

Q: What surprised you about the response to your first post?

A: Two things, actually

  1. people who tried to spread negativity in the comments

  2. the overwhelming support. I really didn't expect so many people to reach out with genuine encouragement and offers to help. The community response was beyond anything I imagined

Q: Any advice on asking for help vs. going it alone?

A: Learn to recognize the difference between "I need more time to figure this out" and "I actually need help from someone who knows this area." Try to solve things yourself first, but don't waste days being stuck when someone could answer in five minutes. It's a balance, and it takes practice to find it

Q: What does "звёзды все принадлежат богам" means on your profile?

A: Ah, this is a line from the song of the same name

А звёзды все принадлежат богам

И их не поймать, они не падают к ногам

И не уместен торг по рукам

Птице - небо, человеку - смерть

It translates roughly to something like this

The stars remain in the keeping of the gods

Uncatchable, they offer no descent to our level

There can be no bargains in such things

A wing has the air; a life has its grave

Everyone will interpret this in their own way, so I'll leave the meaning open. But yes - "the stars all belong to the gods" is the direct translation

Q: What is the main conclusion you have come to?

A: If I learned anything this year, it's that consistency beats intensity - and that meaning is sometimes enough to keep going. That even small but steady steps are better than rare but wide ones