🏠 LifeByDorm

Your Guide to Canadian University Housing

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📖 About The Project

LifeByDorm helps Canadian students find their ideal university dorm through authentic peer reviews and comprehensive listings. Students can search schools, compare dorms by ratings and reviews, and share their own experiences to help future residents make informed housing decisions.

Finding the right dorm can be overwhelming. LifeByDorm bridges the gap by providing real student reviews, detailed ratings across multiple categories (room quality, bathrooms, building, amenities, location), and a streamlined interface to explore housing options at universities across Canada.

✨ Key Features

• 🔍 University Search – Quickly find any Canadian university and explore their residence options
• ⭐ Detailed Ratings – Reviews cover room quality, bathrooms, building condition, amenities, and location
• 📝 Student Reviews – Read authentic experiences from students who lived in the dorms
• 📸 Photo Uploads – See real photos of dorm rooms uploaded by reviewers
• 🏫 University Profiles – View university stats including founding year, student population, and acceptance rate
• 🛏️ Dorm Listings – Browse all available residences with descriptions, amenities, and room types
• 👨‍💼 Admin Dashboard – Moderation tools for managing reviews and content

🛠️ Built With

Frontend

Backend & Services

Database

Authentication & Security

Testing

🚀 Getting Started

Installation

1. Clone the repository

   git clone https://github.com/YourUsername/LifeByDorm.git
   cd LifeByDorm

2. Install dependencies

   Frontend:

   cd my-app
   npm install

   Backend:

   cd my-app/server
   npm install

3. Set up environment variables

   Create a .env file in the server directory:

   MONGODB_URI=your_mongodb_connection_string
   ACCESS_TOKEN_SECRET=your_jwt_secret
   ADMIN_EMAILS=admin@example.com

4. Start the development servers

   Frontend:

   cd my-app
   npm run dev

   Backend:

   cd my-app/server
   npm start

💡 Usage

1. Search Universities – Use the search bar to find Canadian universities
2. Browse Dorms – Click on a university to see all available residences
3. Read Reviews – View detailed reviews and ratings from current and former residents
4. Write a Review – Share your own dorm experience by rating categories and adding comments
5. Upload Photos – Add photos to your review to help future students

📄 License

Distributed under the MIT License. See LICENSE for more information.