UniHub

UniHub Homepage
Resources
Wellness

Inspiration

As an incoming student, settling into college can seem overwhelming, so we created a hub where any student, regardless of year, can find whatever they need. We want students of all backgrounds to have equal access to all resources and adventures their university offers!

What it does

UniHub is dedicated to connecting students with essential resources such as housing, transportation, and self-care. We aim to provide a one-stop platform that simplifies student life, making it easier for you to focus on your education and personal growth. Join our community today and discover all that UniHub has to offer.

How we built it

To start, we downloaded a general template with a basic layout. From there, we edited the front-end aspects to create the user interface we wanted and made many aspects dynamic as the user moved through the website.

Challenges we ran into

Hosting the Site with Azure Once we built the entire website, we tried to host it with Azure Student. However, the site's loading time is prolonged, causing the request to time out. Using the Google Maps API We planned to use the Google Maps Search API to show local restaurants, housing, and shopping near Virginia Tech; however, we ran into permissions problems because of the need for location services. Instead, we embedded a Google Maps that we had created, where we pinned all the information for the user to access.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

Sleek and Efficient User Interface with dynamic components and use of react hooks. We are proud of our sleek and dynamic user interface, which we configured using React hooks. The setup of our website allows students to quickly find the resources they need whenever they need it.

What we learned

Designing a Dynamic User Interface We started with primarily static elements on our website, but one of the main things we learned was how to make some aspects dynamic to make them more visually appealing. Using APIs to Populate a Website To carry out what we envisioned for this website, we learned how to access adn embed APIs such as Spoonacular, a recipe database, to populate the recipes section of our wellness tab.

What's next for UniHub

AI Chatbot to Navigate & Personalize UniHub We plan to create a questionnaire upon Sign-In to create personalized recommendations for resources, restaurants, shopping, etc., based on the user's liking. Additionally, we will implement an AI chatbot that will help users navigate through the website and answer any questions. Accessibility to Universities other than Virginia Tech Upon Sign-In, users will be able to choose which institution they attend and, therefore, receive tailored recommendations based on their location. Student Contribution Page Students can sign up to contribute their personal experiences at their university, including places they enjoy, such as shopping, studying, or eating. This will enable a sense of community within the students of each university.