Scholar Nexus

Inspiration

As former students, we experienced firsthand the frustration of juggling disconnected tools for academics, finances, social life, and mental health. Existing solutions were siloed:

• Research tools ignored wellness
• Career platforms lacked academic integration
• Campus apps missed money-making opportunities

We envisioned one platform that treats students as whole humans, not just learners.

What It Does

ScholarNexus combines 4 pillars of student success:

1. Academic: AI research tools, smart planners, grade predictors
2. Financial: Campus marketplace, side hustle finder, budget tracking
   
3. Social: Study groups, mentorship matching, interest communities
4. Wellbeing: Mental health resources, habit coaches, sleep analytics

How We Built It

Stack:

• Next.js 14 (App Router + Server Actions)
  
• MongoDB (flexible student profiles)
  
• Tailwind CSS + Shadcn UI
  
• Custom fine-tuned LLM (for low-bandwidth summaries)
  

Challenges

1. AI Costs: Optimized prompts to reduce API calls by 35%
   
2. Trust: Added “Campus Leader” verification badges
   

Next Steps (With Funding)

₦25M Hackathon Goals:

• 🚀 Deploy to 10 Nigerian universities
  
• 📢 Campus ambassador program
  
• 🔌 Expand offline functionality
  

Vision: Become the "Jumia for Student Needs" across Africa.

Built With

• ai
• mongodb
• nextjs
• tailwind
• typescript