Building a full-stack web application is one thing. Building two apps...for real users...with frameworks you have never used before...in less than a month...is another story.
Last summer break, our university (UP Baguio) offered CMSC 198: Practicum, a course that requires us to complete an internship and apply computer science theories we have learned so far to real-world applications. Me and other third year students were put together into a team and were given a task: build two full-stack web apps to be utilized by 30+ faculty members, one to manage class sections and another to track students' taken/required subjects.
During the initial planning phase, we were given the opportunity to decide the tech stack that we would be using. After careful consideration, we chose the following:
- Frontend: React. Chosen over NextJS because the app would only be used within the school system, so SEO is irrelevant.
- Backend: FastAPI. Selected for its simplicity, familiarity with Python among the developers, and its automatic API documentation: essential for collaboration and rapid development.
- Database: PostgreSQL via Supabase. Considering that the app usage would only peak during enrollment times, the generous free tier of Supabase would be enough.
- Hosting: Render. Same as the reason above.
In the end, it was completely worth it. The department was genuinely satisfied with the apps, and we walked away with a 1.00 for the course.
Looking back, mastering the fundamentals all those years turned out to be the biggest game changer because it made learning an entirely new stack feel way less intimidating.
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