Inspiration
We were inspired by how stressful and confusing course registration can be for students. Most people switch between multiple platforms—DegreeWorks, Oasis, RateMyProfessor, and Google Maps—just to build a workable schedule. We wanted to create one tool that brings all of that information together and makes scheduling simple, clear, and realistic.
What it does
CourseCompass helps students build smarter class schedules by showing professor information, class times, building locations, and walking distances across campus. It helps prevent impossible back-to-back classes and gives students a clearer picture of what their semester will look like. The tool makes schedule planning easier and more reliable.
How we built it
We built CourseCompass using Bubble.io for the interface, database, and workflows. We designed the page structure, connected dynamic data to course selections, and created conditional logic for schedule updates. We implemented walking-distance calculations using building coordinates and integrated a campus-aware layout. GitHub was used to organize external logic files and documentation. The design follows USF’s Evergreen color palette for consistency.
Challenges we ran into
We had to learn Bubble’s workflow system quickly while also figuring out how to organize our data in a way that made the schedule update smoothly. Another challenge was making the walking-distance calculations accurate without making the math overly complicated. Building a clean, easy-to-use interface in a short amount of time was also difficult. Combining several types of information into one tool required a lot of planning and testing.
Accomplishments that we're proud of
We are proud that we were able to take a complicated, multi-step process and turn it into a single, easy-to-use tool. We successfully created a functional schedule planner with campus-awareness features, real-time updates, and a clean layout. We are also proud of how quickly we learned and adapted to Bubble, especially under the time pressure of the hackathon.
What we learned
We learned how to build a full project in Bubble, how to create and manage workflows, and how to design an interface that feels organized and easy to navigate. We also learned how to calculate walking distances using coordinates and how to plan features as a team. Most importantly, we learned how to break down a complicated student problem and create a practical solution.
What's next for Course Compass
Next steps include adding AI professor summaries, allowing students to save their preferences, connecting to real schedule data, and expanding the map to support more buildings. We also want to include personalized recommendations based on a student’s major, time preferences, and study habits. The long-term goal is to make CourseCompass a tool that students can rely on every semester for planning and success.
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