Your guide to a successful OpenMRS contributor/community experience 

This 90-day guide is designed to help new contributors get the most out of their experience volunteering with OpenMRS. Review the list every week as you get started, and use these tips to become a successful contributor and member of our community!

Get to know others

1. Introduce yourself to the community as soon as you can.

2. Ask questions. Ask an OpenMRS Guide, or share your questions publicly on Slack or OpenMRS Talk following community guidelines.

3. Attend meetings. Once you get involved in a project, find out if there are any regular meetings. Attend the weekly all-OpenMRS Developers Forum if you're a developer. Join the periodic OpenMRS Social Hour events. Find out what others who attend those meetings are doing.

4. Ask others about project opportunities. You might be able to create something new!
   
   

1. In the 1st month of being a part of OpenMRS, ask yourself:

• Do most people in the community know who I am?

• Do I feel that others in the community care about me as a person?

• Have I developed a mentor/mentee relationship with one or more community members?

Connect with a project team

1. Communicate with project leaders regularly to be clear on target dates, and to share how your work is going. This communication will help the leaders to organize the project and find additional help when needed.

2. Stay in touch. Keep track of discussion topics, slack or Talk discussions. Even if you're not there as discussions are happening, it will help you to stay up-to-date on the progress of others.

3. Keep good notes. As you work, keep and organize notes about what you're doing and why. Depending on the project, you may want to keep a blog, or simply keep a notes file on GitHub. Make sure your notes are public so others can learn what you're working on.
   
   

1. As you start working on a project, ask yourself:

• Do I understand what is expected of me in each of my projects?

• Do I have contact information for someone in each project in case I'm delayed in my work?

• Do I know what support resources are available to me in general?

• Do I need any specific support or resources for a particular project?

Get involved & become a leader

1. Learn about other projects as you interact with them in the course of doing work. These other projects and focus areas provide opportunity for you to grow and share your talents.

2. Ask leaders about taking on more responsibility in your projects or focus areas. They should be happy to share the work load with you!

3. Talk to the community management team if you're interested in exploring other leadership opportunities in different parts of the OpenMRS Community.
   
   

1. After 2 months of being a part of OpenMRS, ask yourself:

• Am I involved in activities that help me explore and express my interests?

• Am I in a leadership role, or will there be an opportunity to grow into a leadership role?

• Am I using my time with OpenMRS in a way that will benefit other parts of my life?

Be successful!

1. Manage your time wisely. Create a realistic schedule of how often you plan to contribute to OpenMRS and share that plan with others in your project(s). It's OK if you can't contribute as often as you like, and a plan will help you to balance other things going on in your life.

2. If you are confused or lost in a project, talk to others in that project, or with someone on the community management team. They are there to help you have a fun and rewarding OpenMRS experience.

3. Being a successful OpenMRS contributor means more than just what you create or how much you volunteer. Don't neglect your other life responsibilities, and make sure you take care of your overall well-being with a complete approach to health and development.

4. Talk to project leaders or the community management team if you start feeling burned out, or if you need to adjust your participation in the project. They can help make sure you're taking good care of yourself and that others can pick up where you may need to leave off.

5. Make friends in the community and share your OpenMRS experiences together. These friends can become a support network and can be lifelong connections beyond OpenMRS.
   
   

1. After 3 months of being involved with OpenMRS, ask yourself:

• Am I enjoying the work that I've done so far?

• When the work I'm doing now gets less interesting, what might I do next? 

• Do I have a plan for staying involved with OpenMRS long-term?