academic_project_tracker

📚 Student Assignment: Research Tracker Setup

Objective

Set up and customize your personal research tracker to manage your projects, tasks, and goals throughout the semester.

Requirements

1. Initial Setup (Week 1)

• Fork/clone this repository
• Run the setup script
• Access the tracker in your browser
• Take a screenshot of the working dashboard

2. Customization (Week 1-2)

• Rename default projects to match your actual research
• Create at least 3 meaningful tags for your workflow
• Add your current semester’s coursework as a project
• Customize project colors

3. Goal Setting (Required Monthly)

• Create Monthly Goals for the current month
  • At least 3 specific, measurable goals
  • Link related tasks to each goal
  • Set realistic deadlines
• Create Semester Goals
  • At least 5 semester-level objectives
  • Link to relevant projects
  • Include paper/thesis milestones

4. Task Management (Ongoing)

• Add all current tasks to appropriate projects
• Use the Kanban board to track progress
• Update task statuses at least twice per week
• Add links to:
  • Google Docs/Overleaf documents
  • GitHub repositories
  • Important resources

5. Weekly Updates (Required)

Every week, you must:

• Review and update all task statuses
• Add new tasks as they arise
• Check off completed checklist items
• Update goal progress
• Archive completed tasks

6. Monthly Reviews (Required)

At the end of each month:

• Review monthly goal completion
• Create new monthly goals for next month
• Update semester goal progress
• Export/screenshot your progress
• Submit progress report (if required)

Deliverables

Initial Setup (Due: Week 1)

Submit:

1. Screenshot of your dashboard showing:
   • At least 3 customized projects
   • At least 5 tasks
   • Your monthly goals
   • Your semester goals

Monthly Check-ins

Submit:

1. Screenshot of Projects Overview showing all active projects
2. Screenshot of Goals page showing progress
3. Brief written reflection (100-200 words):
   • What went well this month?
   • What challenges did you face?
   • What are your priorities for next month?

End of Semester (Final Submission)

Submit:

1. Complete export of your tracker database
2. Screenshots showing:
   • All projects and their status
   • Completed tasks (archived view)
   • Goal achievement summary
3. Final reflection (500 words):
   • How did the tracker help your productivity?
   • What features did you customize?
   • What would you improve?

Grading Rubric

Category	Points	Criteria
Initial Setup	10	Complete setup with customization
Goal Setting	20	Clear, measurable monthly and semester goals
Regular Updates	30	Consistent weekly updates (tracked via commits)
Task Management	20	Organized projects, proper use of tags/priorities
Monthly Reviews	10	Thoughtful reflections submitted on time
Final Submission	10	Complete documentation of semester
Total	100

Tips for Success

1. Make it yours: Customize colors, tags, and projects to match YOUR workflow
2. Be realistic: Don’t overcommit on goals - better to achieve 3 goals than fail 10
3. Use links: Add links to all your documents, code repos, and resources
4. Review regularly: Set a calendar reminder for weekly updates
5. Backup: Run npm run backup weekly to save your data

Common Customizations

Add a New Project Type

// Example: Add a "Teaching" project
1. Go to Projects Overview
2. Click "+ Create Project"
3. Name it "Teaching - [Course Name]"
4. Add tasks for grading, office hours, etc.

Create Custom Tags

// Example tags students often need:
- conference-prep
- paper-writing
- data-analysis
- advisor-meeting
- lab-work

Link Important Resources

// In task descriptions, add:
- Google Doc: https://docs.google.com/...
- Overleaf: https://overleaf.com/...
- GitHub: https://github.com/...
- Paper: https://arxiv.org/...

FAQ

Q: Can I use this for non-research tasks? A: Absolutely! Many students add projects for job searching, personal projects, etc.

Q: What if I forget to update weekly? A: Set calendar reminders! Consistency is key.

Q: Can I modify the code? A: Yes! That’s encouraged. Document your changes in your final reflection.

Q: What if I lose my data? A: Backup regularly using npm run backup. Your data is in src/backend/data/tracker.db

Q: Can I share this with labmates? A: Each person should have their own copy. This is a personal tracker, not collaborative (yet).

Getting Help

1. Check the STUDENT_README.md
2. Ask during office hours
3. Post in the class discussion forum
4. Create an issue on GitHub (if permitted)

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Remember: This tracker is a tool to help YOU stay organized. The more you customize it to fit your workflow, the more useful it will be! 🎯

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