Inspiration
As students at UCSC, we often found it difficult to coordinate study groups, meet classmates in the same classes, or get timely academic help. We wanted to create a centralized tool that encourages collaboration, makes scheduling easier, and supports academic growth, all tailored to the student experience.
What it does
StudySlug helps UCSC students connect with peers in their classes, form study groups, and meet in real-time based on availability. Students can:
Check in to campus locations to show when and where they're available.
View a live map showing others who are free to study nearby.
Create a study profile with classes and weekly availability.
Chat with the Gemini AI Tutor for instant academic assistance.
How we built it
We used:
React for the frontend interface
Express + Node.js for the backend API
MongoDB for user data and check-in storage
Leaflet to display a live, interactive campus map
Firebase Auth for secure login
Gemini API for AI-powered tutoring and Q&A
Challenges we ran into
Implementing a smooth and responsive AI chat experience with Gemini and integrating real time map markers with user check-in data.
Accomplishments that we're proud of
Seamless signup and matching flow based on class and schedule, integration with Gemini AI for tutoring support, clean and accessible UI tailored to UCSC students.
What we learned
How to work collaboratively across frontend, backend, and AI components.
What's next for StudySlug
Add group chat features and calendar syncing, enable push notifications when nearby students check in, launch a mobile-friendly version for faster on-the-go meetups, open it up for students at other UC campuses.
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