Given the massive student population here at Penn State University (PSU), there’s definitely a need for more tools and resources to ease and support students as they juggle their school and work life, sports, activities, and more. This is especially true for first-year students who are currently navigating the initial transition to campus and coping with the stress. The administration has already developed many helpful mobile applications like Penn State Go, the Engagement App, and CATA+ to name a few. While such tools come in useful for students on a regular basis, however, I feel there’s substantial room for improvement in this respect.

Take the weekly football games from last fall as an example. Oftentimes, I used to see someone sending out a message to sell their tickets on social media platforms like GroupMe, Facebook, and Snapchat to name a few. But most times, such communication is ineffective because not every student uses or knows an “online marketplace” exists on these applications, especially incoming freshman students who aren’t familiarised with these norms. Similarly, I have seen many students post similar messages regarding group events and conventions held frequently around campus, saying things like “I have a ticket to the concert tomorrow, but I’m not going. If anyone wants it or knows someone who would want it, you are welcome to have it. Just let me know.” And what’s more is that most students follow similar techniques to sell their unwanted textbooks and course materials at the end of the semester, sometimes being unsuccessful because they were unable to reach the appropriate audience.

And so, I launched this initiative of developing mobile applications to better specific aspects of student life here, starting with a specialized retail marketplace application. An all-in-one convenience, the application will enable one to submit requests and trade unwanted clothes, textbooks, and any other goods with other students here at PSU! Users may also message other sellers to get to know more details.