This semester in ICS 414 felt different from other classes. Instead of lectures and theory, we actually built something useful. Our team created a web app designed for accounting firms. It took spreadsheet data and turned it into simple, easy-to-read dashboards. Each user saw information based on their role.
Accounting teams deal with a lot of Excel files. We wanted to make that data easier to understand. Our app could read the files, pull out the important stuff, and display it using charts and graphs. Admins had full control, while other users like auditors and executives saw only what mattered to them. It felt like we were building something that could actually help someone.
One big thing I took away from this class was how to work in a team. We used GitHub to manage our code and Vercel to push updates live. Seeing changes appear on the web right after we made them was exciting. It made the project feel real. Like we weren’t just coding for practice. We were building a real product. Not everything went smoothly. We struggled with things like setting up logins and making sure users could only see what they were supposed to. It forced me to dig into backend code and learn how routing and security worked. I also had to speak up more, ask questions, and learn from my teammates. Those moments made me a better developer.
ICS 414 gave me a better understanding of how to turn an idea into a working app. I got to work with tools like React, Next.js, and Node.js. I learned how to work with APIs and set up login systems. I also picked up habits like writing cleaner code and pushing updates the right way.
More than anything, I learned how to plan, talk through problems, and stay flexible when things didn’t go as expected. We made mistakes, we fixed them, and we got better. In the end, I’m proud of what we built. This was one of the first times I felt like I was part of something real.