The Challenge
In August 2024, Stony Brook University unexpectedly took down their official syllabus website—a crucial resource students relied on for course planning and registration. This created significant disruption within the student community, especially as the fall semester was about to begin.
The Solution
Over three intense nights, while balancing my regular classes during the day, I developed a new syllabus platform from scratch. The website allows students to:
- Search syllabi by subject, professor, department, and semester
- Upload and share their course syllabi through a simple form
- Access course materials completely free of charge
- View the platform seamlessly on both desktop and mobile devices
Technical Implementation
As a self-taught developer who had been waitlisted for formal CS courses, I approached this project with a focus on reliability and user experience. The platform features:
- Modern, responsive design optimized for all devices
- Efficient search functionality with multiple filter options
- Secure file upload and storage system
- Clean, intuitive interface requiring no learning curve
Impact & Community Response
Within days of launch, the website gained hundreds of visitors, primarily through organic sharing on the r/sbu subreddit community. The project demonstrated how student-led initiatives could effectively address campus-wide needs.
Looking Forward
While I’ll graduate in Spring 2025, I’m actively working on:
- Implementing additional features based on student feedback
- Optimizing the platform’s performance
- Documenting the system for future maintainers
- Planning the transition to ensure the platform’s longevity
This project embodies my belief that technology should serve community needs, and that learning should never be limited by formal educational paths. As I continue to develop new tools for the Stony Brook community, this project stands as a testament to the power of self-directed learning and community-driven development.
Last updated on March 15, 2025 at 9:47 AM UTC+7.