Catchup

Catchup is a mobile app that helps keep old content fresh. Through it’s game-like interface and daily activities, it helps students keep up with their classes, retain knowledge, and make learning fun.

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Inspiration

My friends and I have often joked that as soon as we finish a class, all the information we just learned goes right out the window. As any college student knows, things are always easier to learn the second time around, but we thought it would be better to simply stop the information from ever leaving. Our solution? A daily, gamified app that keeps topics fresh in your mind and helps you retain information longer.

What it does

Catchup is a mobile app that allows you to upload class material in PDF or text format, and it will create small learning modules to test your knowledge. This also includes daily streaks to encourage consistency and in-game credit incentives to customize your profile and show off your dedication.

How we built it

We used Cursor as our primary IDE and utilized its built-in LLM models to implement our ideas. We started with a skeleton of the app and gradually implemented each section one at a time.

For the database, we used Supabase, which provides a fully managed PostgreSQL backend with built-in authentication, real-time subscriptions, and an easy-to-use API that simplified both development and deployment. We worked in parallel on the UI, backend, and database integration to make the process as smooth as possible.

Challenges we ran into

Our biggest challenge was supporting PDF uploads. This required parsing the files and turning them into working modules for the user. Initially, we tried using a “PDF to Text” API, but we ran into reliability issues. In the end, we solved the problem by using a PDF parsing library.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

We’re proud that we were able to complete all of our core goals in such a short time while learning new tools on the fly and delivering a finished project in less than two days.

What we learned

We became much more familiar with Cursor and how to fully utilize its AI capabilities. These helped us throughout the project, from improving UI styling to solving debugging issues. They also helped when integrating Supabase and OpenAI’s API, which ultimately became the foundation of our project.

What's next for Catchup

We believe we’ve captured the core idea of our MVP. Moving forward, our priority is adding new features, such as Canvas integration or allowing users to upload videos as inputs.

We also want to improve the quality of the questions in the app, both in terms of content and presentation. Additionally, we want to support dedicated learning modules for users who need more than just a quick refresher.

Finally, we’d like to improve the overall appeal of the app, especially through animations and stronger game elements. Duolingo was a major influence on this project, and we hope to emulate its ability to keep users engaged.

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