Yeoram's Project Guide

Project: (not yet decided) Category: (not yet decided) Last updated: April 14

Note: This guide is created based on the latest state of your project repository + any notes from our discussion. It may not always reflect the most up-to-date information.

Where You Are

Your project repo currently has just the template files -- the spec, journal, and scaffolding are all empty. Checkpoint 1 is due tomorrow at 3pm, so today's lab is the time to get moving.

The first step is picking a project idea. Here are the three categories to choose from:

Category	What you build	Guide
Web App	A website with pages, forms, and data	Flask Setup Guide
Data Science	Analyze a dataset and create visualizations	Data Science Setup Guide
Game / Simulation	An interactive game with graphics and input	Pygame Setup Guide

Think about what interests you. Check your classmates' project ideas for inspiration -- they're building things like portfolio trackers, workout planners, personality quizzes, landing pages, and study tools.

Next Steps (Before Tomorrow 3pm)

1. Pick a project idea and fill out your spec. This is the most important step. Use this prompt:

   I need to pick a final project idea for my intro CS class.
   I'm interested in [tell it what interests you]. Help me
   brainstorm 3-4 project ideas, then help me fill out my
   project.spec.md with the one I like best. Keep the MVP
   scope small -- I only have about 2.5 weeks.
   

2. Scaffold your project. Once your spec is filled out:

   Read my project.spec.md and the setup guide for my category.
   Set up my project: initialize uv, install the dependencies
   listed in my tech stack, create the basic file structure,
   and build a minimal starting point I can run.
   

3. Get one tiny working feature. Even a very small one counts:

   • Web App: one page that shows or collects data
   • Data Science: load a dataset and print a summary
   • Game: a window with something that moves

4. Write your journal entry. Fill in the Checkpoint 1 section of project.journal.md.

5. Commit and push.

Checkpoint 1 Readiness

By Thursday April 16th at 3pm, you need:

• Completed project.spec.md (pick an idea, fill in all sections)
• Project initialized with uv and dependencies installed
• A basic scaffolding that runs
• One tiny working feature
• First journal entry in project.journal.md
• Everything committed and pushed to GitHub

Helpful Resources

• Checkpoint 1 Instructions -- the full checkpoint requirements
• Flask Setup Guide
• Data Science Setup Guide
• Pygame Setup Guide