StuFlo wins Rep. Michael C. Burgess’ 2024 Congressional App Challenge in Texas’ 26th District

When asked what inspired the creation of StuFlo, the students said, “Our initial curiosity for this idea stemmed from recognizing the importance of time management skills, especially as high school students juggling multiple commitments.  Jayanth struggled with balancing his academic and personal tasks, realizing that the limited features of conventional time-management apps didn’t cut it for him as a student. He believed there was a better way to manage tasks than what was presented to us. Curious as to whether more people have this problem, he conducted a survey throughout 12 high schools across the state of Texas and found that about 90% of high school students, faced with the limitations of productivity apps, long for a better way to manage their time around school.

Jayanth went on to do a mixed qualitative and quantitative correlational study using the survey’s data, which also asked student participants, qualitatively, about their current time management habits and how well they are using them, along with asking them quantitatively what their grades are like, how frequently they procrastinate, and whether or not they want a better way to manage their time. From the qualitative responses, he also extracted more input regarding what would make a good time-management system for students.

From the study, he determined that there were three key areas where conventional time-management apps often fall short of students’ needs. Firstly, these apps lack sufficient structure in that they don’t include necessary flexibility to handle the complexities of a student’s schedule, such as explicitly differentiating between types of tasks, organizing tasks by class, or incorporating reminders specific to school life (such as frequent reminders of upcoming tests and homework). Secondly, these apps lack sufficient efficiency: the process of entering tasks into these apps can be tedious and time-consuming, discouraging students from using them consistently. The effort required to input all the necessary details and parameters manually often leads to a sort of mental roadblock from the tedium, being enough for students to not manage their time at all, leading to disorganization and missed deadlines. Finally, these apps lack sufficient efficacy and often fail to address deeper issues such as procrastination and lack of accountability, extending beyond simply organizing tasks. Even with tasks organized, students may still struggle to stay focused and motivated to complete their work.

Now, equipped with the knowledge of what exactly is needed to solve this everlasting problem, we have been zealously passionate about creating a solution for students worldwide.”