URS Connect
Introduction
URS Connect is a platform designed to support students at the University of Rizal System in their academic and career pursuits. It connects students with businesses and recruiters, helping them find relevant jobs and internships in their area. The platform also provides internship opportunities tailored to their needs and links students with guidance counselors for career advice and personal support.
URS Connect was submitted as an entry in the CCS Start-Up Competition 2022. The project was developed by GiganTechs Company, consisting of fourth-year students from Section 1 of the Bachelor of Science in Information Systems (BSIS) program.
Role
Responsible for designing the user interface for the admin, student, and guidance counselor sections of the platform.
The Problem
The introduction of new job opportunities and the expansion of educational systems are reshaping how people make professional decisions. This diversification has made career planning more complex and challenging. In the absence of formal career guidance, individuals often turn to family and friends for advice, which can lead to decisions that do not align with their long-term aspirations.
According to Nelson (2021), after graduating from college, students must choose a career path that will support their advancement. This decision is significant and can be difficult to navigate. The degree chosen is a critical factor, but it is only the beginning. College students may face several key issues when selecting the ideal career, including lack of guidance, financial constraints, peer influence, fear of failure, insufficient qualifications, avoiding common mistakes, and reluctance to explore new opportunities.
The Solution
The project team developed a web-based application titled URS Connect to assist students in studying their courses. The application includes a course outline to aid in learning and features a chat messaging system for students to ask questions and receive support from guidance counselors. Additionally, the platform helps students find suitable scholarships, internships, and job opportunities.
Final Design
Program Features
Career Endorsement & Pathways - A series of courses that prepare students for specific occupational fields, allowing them to endorse careers of interest through statistical methods.
Career Interest Inventory - An assessment tool that helps students identify careers matching their interests by asking a series of questions about their preferences and dislikes.
Career Profiles - Provides insights into the best career options based on students' interests.
College Explorations - Offers students the opportunity to explore career and college options, connecting classroom learning with future workplace or college expectations.
Counselor Dashboard - Designed for counselors to access student data conveniently, with quick filters for relevant information that may need attention.
Course Planning - Enables students to review career and college goals, pre-plan courses for future years, and adjust expectations for extracurricular commitments to avoid over-scheduling.
Internships - Allows students to apply for internships based on recommendations and predictions aligned with their interests.
Message Center - A web-based console for counselors and students to view and manage messages.
Real-time Data Dashboard - A tool for analyzing, tracking, and reporting student data in real-time with interactive visualizations.
Resume & Portfolio Builder - Automates the creation of resumes and portfolios within the system.
Scholarship Applications & Transcript Sending - Facilitates the request of transcripts for scholarship applications and other purposes.
Self-guide Curriculum - Encourages students to follow a self-guided learning path based on their interests, helping them find a suitable curriculum aligned with their learning difficulty.
Challenges
Completed the project design within one month while managing an internship.
Coordinating meetings was difficult due to the team's busy schedules, leading to meetings only on weekends when all members were available.
What I Learned
Time management is crucial. Balancing the project with an internship required careful scheduling and prioritization. After internship hours, focus shifted to brainstorming features and designing the interface.
The project provided valuable experience, enhancing skills in user interface design and teamwork.
Future Plan
Develop the project into a fully functional prototype and working system.
Implement a dark mode feature for improved user experience.
Limit student learning materials to those closely aligned with their course content.
