Inspiration
As a beginner programmer, my primary goal for this project was to enhance my programming skills while creating something that had real-world value. While contemplating potential projects relating to education, I thought of an after-school program registration system. This would allow me to apply my existing programming knowledge in a practical setting but also challenge me to grasp unfamiliar concepts. Furthermore, as I have experienced, the process of registering for after-school activities can be time-consuming and confusing, so I decided to create an application that streamlined this process.
What it does
The After School Program Registration Systems has three primary functionalities: 1) get user input from a questionnaire to determine the student's name, grade, and other personal information, as well as three of their interests. 2) Use these interests to recommend potential programs while the student registers for three programs. 3) Allow the student to unregister from programs they registered for.
Finally, on the last page, there is a "New Student" button that allows other students to register for programs in the same three-step process.
How we built it
I used the Netbeans IDE to build the After School Program Registration System. While this IDE appears relatively outdated, Netbeans can be used to code both the front-end and back-end. Additionally, Netbeans offers an easy-to-navigate interface and debugging tools, which were especially beneficial to me as a beginner.
Challenges we ran into
While I have done many coding projects in the past, this project was the first complex project I completed without guidance. During my planning stage, I largely struggled with establishing which classes and what class relationships were necessary to create this project as efficiently as possible. Additionally, since this is my first graphic user interface project, I initially had difficulty understanding various GUI concepts including event-driven programming and component interactions.
Accomplishments that we're proud of
Despite the challenges I faced, I am particularly proud of some of my accomplishments. I was able to meet all of my initial goals for the registration system while ensuring that the interface remained straightforward. Additionally, I was able to utilize more advanced OOP concepts such as creating arrays of objects.
What we learned
As this is my first proper experience creating a graphic user interface using, I learned a lot about the elements used in creating an intuitive and user-friendly interface. In particular, during this process, I experimented with many different layouts, color schemes, and swing elements to ensure that the interface was visually appealing.
What's next for After School Program Registration System
Currently, the After School Program Registration System is a stateless application, meaning that each time the program is executed, the program does not retain information from previous runs. Therefore, to improve the After School Program Registration System in the future, I could connect the program to a back-end database. Additionally, the After School Program Registration System does not allow for external access so I could potentially convert the system to a web application. Following this, I could incorporate user authentication that allows users to sign in as a student or instructor. An instructor would be able to create and manage the programs.
Log in or sign up for Devpost to join the conversation.