Temporary Farewell

According to https://apolloxpestcontrol.com/pest-activity-trends-by-month/, Yellow Jacket populations “increase in May, peak in August, and drop off in October.” While I’m no scientist to deny the probable fact, I know one Yellow Jacket who happens to be signing off this May, instead of buzzing back to life: myself.

Dear Readers, 

Welcome to the final blog of my 2024 Senior Project. Whew, what a journey it’s been! From spending 30 days in 14 different beds in the first few weeks of this project to getting food poisoning twice, all while building The Hive, slowly but surely, I’ve learned so much not only about app development but also about myself and my work style. For example, I’ve learned silly things like the fact that I’m most productive before meals, not after. I’ve found unlimited merit in Ms. Shahin’s advice that adding comments to your code really does help, especially with the thousands of lines I’ve written, frontend and backend. One of the most serious lessons I’ve practiced the past few months is, “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail,” a favorite chiasmus (shoutout to Mr. Hanlon). The app was only possible because of the rough designs I made on Google Slides first, and the wireframes I doodled onto my notebook.

So, what does my end product look like then? It’s a fully completed app (see previous blogs to know contents) EXCEPT for any in-app storage functionality with MySql. While I was able to use MySql for student login verification, it’s a little more tricky for other applications, since every single student needs their own storage space, for their own data. 

While my senior project officially comes to an end here, much like real Yellow Jackets, I plan to keep working hard this summer. Before the 2024-2025 school year starts, I’ll resolve the storage issue and finetune the app for students in the fall.

I would like to thank Ms. Sagal, Ms. Nagpal, Utkarsh, and Bhavuk for making what seemed like an ambitious proposal a possible reality for the students of our school. I’m honored that I’m helping my younger peers while leaving a unique legacy.

For any incoming BIF Yellow Jackets reading this, you can count on hearing from me, when the app is officially released for public use.

Until then,

Advait Alluri, advait.alluri@gmail.com