Our project was born out of a sincere desire to support college students facing overwhelming demands. We observed how students often struggled to balance their academic responsibilities with daily life tasks and chores. This inspired us to create a solution tailored for college environments, akin to TaskRabbit but with a specific focus on students.
Our platform is designed to connect college students in a localized and efficient way. It allows students to post tasks they need assistance with, whether academic help or everyday chores. On the other side, it provides a space for fellow students willing to offer their services to connect with those in need.
We developed our project using a combination of frontend and backend technologies. For the front end, we employed React.js and Ant Design (AntD) to create a clean and user-friendly user interface that would make it effortless for students to post tasks and find help seamlessly.
On the backend, we utilized Express.js and PostgreSQL, a robust relational database, to build the core of our API. We also implemented Prisma, a modern database toolkit, to streamline database operations and enhance overall efficiency.
Despite the intense time constraints of the 36-hour hackathon, our team's collective effort allowed us to successfully integrate these technologies and develop a functional platform that could connect college students in need with those willing to help.
The most significant challenge we faced was the strict time constraints of the hackathon. Implementing complex features and learning a new tech stack within a 36-hour window was an immense task.
Despite the challenges, we successfully created a functional platform that could connect college students in need with those willing to help. Our ability to deliver a working product within the tight hackathon timeline was an accomplishment in itself.
Our hackathon experience taught us the value of quick learning, adaptability, and creative problem-solving. We also realized the importance of targeted, user-friendly platforms, drawing inspiration from the success of niche-focused apps like YikYak.
Looking forward, we plan to scale and expand our platform beyond the hackathon environment, making it accessible to colleges and universities nationwide. We aim to diversify the services offered, collaborate with educational institutions, and develop a mobile application for even greater accessibility and user-friendliness. Our journey continues as we strive to fill the market gap that traditional university services often overlook and provide ongoing support to our fellow students.
Node.js: Make sure you have Node.js installed on your system. You can download it from nodejs.org.
PostgreSQL: You need to have a PostgreSQL instance running. You can set up a local PostgreSQL server or use a cloud-based service like render.com.
Sanij Shrestha - CS major @ Gettysburg College (https://sanijshrestha.vercel.app/) Prabesh Bista - CS major @ Gettysburg College (http://prabeshbista.com.np/) Yashaswe Amatya - CS major @ Gettysburg College (https://www.linkedin.com/in/yashaswe-amatya/?originalSubdomain=np) Thuc Tran - CS major @ Gettysburg College (https://thuctran.adaptable.app/)