Inspiration
As students, we often strive for good grades, personal growth, and a balanced lifestyle. But managing everything—classes, homework, clubs, work, fitness, and friends—quickly becomes overwhelming.
In my first years of college, I always said: “I don’t have enough time.” In reality, I wasn’t short on time—I just didn’t know how to manage it. I stayed up late, sacrificed sleep, and scrolled TikTok instead of studying earlier. That constant stress inspired us to build HokieCoach, an AI-powered time management system designed specifically for students.
What it does
HokieCoach integrates with Canvas LMS and your calendar to create an optimal weekly schedule that balances academics, personal goals, and wellness. Imports classes, deadlines, and work hours Breaks down personal goals (gym, guitar practice, etc.) into daily action steps Allocates study time based on assignment weight and your historical performance Reschedules intelligently when events change (e.g., going out Friday night) Tracks wellness with a Wellness Score, warning you if tasks are cutting into sleep Generates daily to-do lists that sync with your calendar and adjust dynamically
How we built it
Frontend: React + TypeScript with Tailwind CSS (custom VT branding), Zustand for state management Backend: Node.js + Express (TypeScript), SQLite for local storage, Databricks SQL for analytics APIs & Integrations: Canvas LMS API (Virginia Tech) for courses, assignments, and grades Databricks for advanced analytics and tracking patterns in student performance AI Scheduling Engine: Designed to prioritize tasks by difficulty, weight, and habits while balancing personal goals and wellness
Development Tools: Vite (fast bundling), Jest & Vitest (testing), TypeScript strict mode
Challenges we ran into
Challenges we ran into Balancing productivity with wellness — avoiding overload while ensuring academic success Making the AI’s decisions explainable so students understand why their schedule looks the way it does Handling dynamic rescheduling when events or deadlines shift Keeping real-time sync between Canvas, Databricks, and the calendar without conflicts
Accomplishments that we're proud of
Turning the common complaint “I don’t have enough time” into a tool that proves students do have enough time—with the right management Building an agentic AI that optimizes not only for grades but also for sleep, wellness, and flexibility Designing a transparent system that encourages better habits and reduces last-minute stress
What we learned
How to connect Canvas LMS APIs with Databricks for student data analytics The importance of clear, explainable AI reasoning in building trust That time management is less about fitting more into the day, and more about aligning priorities with personal goals How to design tools that balance wellness with performance rather than treating them as trade-offs
What's next for HokieCoach
Mobile app integration with real-time push notifications Gamified wellness scoring to motivate students to improve planning habits Expansion to support other LMS platforms beyond Canvas More advanced analytics — detecting long-term patterns to give proactive suggestions before students fall behind
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