UniUtils

Inspiration

Our inspiration for UniUtils came from the constant struggle to find available study spaces at our large university. We observed that open study rooms were nearly always full, making it challenging for students to find a conducive environment for studying. Additionally, coordinating class schedules can be a daunting task, especially when trying to avoid clashes and fit personal preferences. We aimed to create a set of tools that would alleviate these issues and enhance the academic experience for students.

What it does

UniUtils is a comprehensive suite of tools designed specifically for university students. Key features include:

• Schedule Maker: This tool allows students to input their intended courses and preferred times. It generates multiple efficient schedules that accommodate individual needs and preferences.
• Room Finder: Students can search through various buildings and floors to find open study rooms. The tool displays room availability and any scheduled classes, helping students locate a suitable space for studying.

How we built it

UniUtils is developed entirely in JavaScript:

• Frontend: We used Vue.js for building a responsive and interactive user interface, ensuring an intuitive experience for users.
• Backend: The backend is implemented in plain Node.js, providing a robust and efficient server environment. We structured our data to support the functionalities of both the schedule maker and the room finder.

Challenges we ran into

During the initial conception and development phases, we faced several challenges:

• Time Constraints: With a limited timeframe, prioritizing features and maintaining quality was a constant struggle.
• Language and Framework Selection: Determining the right technologies to implement for both frontend and backend was challenging, especially considering scalability and maintainability.
• Data Tailoring: Our current implementation is highly specific to our university's data, making it difficult to adapt for use in other institutions.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

Despite the challenges, we achieved several milestones:

• Successfully built and integrated the schedule maker and room finder, receiving positive feedback from initial users.
• Developed a clean and user-friendly interface with Vue.js that enhances the overall user experience.
• Created a flexible backend using Node.js that can handle multiple requests and efficiently manage data.

What we learned

Throughout the development of UniUtils, we learned valuable lessons:

• Collaboration and Communication: Working as a team required us to improve our communication skills, ensuring that everyone was on the same page throughout the project.
• Time Management: We learned the importance of setting realistic deadlines and prioritizing tasks to meet our project goals.
• User-Centered Design: Gathering user feedback early in the process allowed us to refine our tools and better meet the needs of students.

What's next for UniUtils

Looking ahead, we have several plans to enhance UniUtils:

• Flexibility in Room Search: We aim to improve the room finder to allow for more flexible search options, including filtering by amenities or study environments.
• Support for Other Universities: We will work on making the code more adaptable to support various university structures and data sets.
• Additional Features: Future updates may include features like personalized study recommendations, integration with calendar apps, and real-time notifications for room availability.

Built With

• auth0
• bun
• express.js
• google
• javascript
• mongodb
• node.js
• nuxt