TakeUForward

The Ultimate SSN Campus Mentorship, Utility, & Networking Platform

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TakeUForward is a highly secure, full-stack campus platform exclusively designed for SSN students and alumni. It bridges the gap between academics, placements, and campus utilities—combining an Anonymity Engine for safe discussions, an Alumni Mentorship Board, and Real-Time Campus Utilities (like Lost & Found and Marketplaces).

✨ Key Features

🔒 Privacy & Security First

• SSN Domain Restriction: Only @ssn.edu.in accounts can access the platform via Google OAuth.
• Verified Alumni Gating: External alumni accounts must be manually vetted and approved by System Admins before gaining platform access.
• Server-Side Anonymity: Unlike basic platforms that hide names on the frontend, our Anonymity Engine strictly strips user identities at the database level before data ever reaches the client.

📚 Academic Hub

• Resource Repository: Share notes, PYQs, and textbooks (AWS S3 integration).
• Course & Professor Reviews: Read and write anonymous feedback to make informed elective choices.
• Department & Batch Feeds: Find discussions specific to your year and branch instantly.

💼 Professional Networking

• Alumni Directory: Browse verified alumni, their current companies, and roles.
• Referrals & Mock Interviews: Directly request 1:1 mentorship, mock interviews, or job referrals from seniors.
• Interview Experiences: A dedicated repository of placement experiences.

🏫 Campus Utilities

• Marketplace: Buy, sell, or exchange items with peers.
• Lost & Found: Report missing items and find them securely.
• Teammate Finder: Discover partners for hackathons and academic projects.
• Club Announcements: Follow official SSN clubs for the latest events and updates.

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🛠 Tech Stack & Architecture

• Frontend: React + Vite, Tailwind CSS, JavaScript, React Router, Axios
• Backend: Node.js + Express
• Database: MongoDB Atlas (via Mongoose)
• Authentication: Passport.js (Google OAuth 2.0)
• Email: Twilio SendGrid
• Logging: Pino
• Storage: AWS S3 (via Presigned URLs)
• Cloud & AI:
  • Google Gemini AI (PDF Summarizations)
• Deployment: Vercel (Frontend SPA) + Render (Node.js Backend).

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🚀 Quick Start (Local Development)

Prerequisites

• Node.js (v18+)
• MongoDB (Local or Atlas URL)
• Google Cloud Console (OAuth Client ID)

1. Installation

Clone the repository and install dependencies for both the frontend and backend:

git clone https://github.com/your-username/TakeUForward.git
cd TakeUForward
npm install  # Concurrently installs client and server dependencies

2. Environment Variables

You must configure the .env files. Never commit these files to version control.

Backend (server/.env) Copy the template:

cp server/.env.example server/.env

Fill in the required values: MONGODB_URI, SESSION_SECRET, GOOGLE_CLIENT_ID, GOOGLE_CLIENT_SECRET, and AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID.

Frontend (client/.env) Copy the template:

cp client/.env.example client/.env

Set VITE_VAPID_PUBLIC_KEY if you wish to test push notifications.

3. Database Seeding (First Run Only)

Populate the database with the initial communities and clubs:

cd server
npm run seed:communities
npm run seed:clubs

4. Run the Development Servers

Start both the React frontend and Express backend concurrently:

npm run dev

• Frontend: http://localhost:5173
• Backend: http://localhost:5000

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🧪 Testing

We ensure platform stability through rigorous automated testing:

• Unit & Integration Tests: Run npm test inside the /server directory (powered by Jest).
• Linting: Run npm run lint at the root to check both client and server code.
• E2E Testing: Run npx playwright test to execute Critical Path E2E tests.

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_{Built with ❤️ for the SSN Community by Tushyent N P}