Android University Timetable App

This was a university software project to build a native Android app that gives students a clean, mobile-friendly way to view their timetables. A PHP backend served timetable data from a MySQL database, which the Android app consumed to display each student’s schedule.

Features

• Native Android app built in Java, displaying a student’s weekly timetable
• Map view showing the location of each lecture, letting students see exactly where their next session is on campus
• PHP REST API backend for fetching timetable data, decoupling the app from direct database access
• MySQL database storing course, module, and scheduling information
• User-specific timetables, so each student only sees the modules and sessions relevant to them

Challenges

• Mapping university room and building names to accurate map coordinates, since existing timetable data only had room codes rather than usable location data
• Integrating Android’s map APIs and handling permissions for location-based features
• Coordinating as part of a team project, agreeing on API contracts between the Android frontend and PHP backend early enough to work in parallel

Learnings

• Gained practical experience with native Android development in Java, including UI layout and activity/fragment lifecycle management
• Learned how to integrate map functionality into an Android app, including plotting locations and handling user permissions
• Learned how to design and consume a simple REST API, and the basics of structuring a PHP backend around a MySQL database
• Developed a better understanding of relational database design for real-world
• Built experience working as part of a team on a shared codebase with a defined frontend/backend split