Stop overbuilding: 7 portfolio project ideas for computer science students you can ship this week

You’ve got data structures down, but when someone asks for your portfolio, you point to class repos and half-finished side projects. Building a full app takes forever. Setting up navigation, auth, state, and deployment eats your entire weekend before you even touch the actual idea.

Meanwhile, internships and junior roles want proof that you can ship. Not just algorithms. Real, working apps that people can try on their phone. You’re stuck between no-code tools that hit a wall and coding everything from scratch that never gets done.

Here’s the fix. With VibeCode, you describe the app in plain English and get a ready-to-run React Native project in minutes. No scaffolding slog. No boilerplate rabbit holes. You plan the flows, generate the app, test on your phone, and share an App Clip link for free. You get to focus on the product, not wiring up tabs and redux.

High-impact portfolio project ideas for computer science students

These are simple to explain, quick to scope, and impressive to demo. Each one showcases product thinking, basic data modeling, and mobile UX. Build any of these free with VibeCode, then iterate.

Habit Tracker with Streak Counter

• Track daily habits, show streaks, reminders, and simple charts.

Gym Planner

• Create workout routines, log sets and reps, visualize progress by muscle group. Stretch: timer, supersets, and CSV export.

Task Manager

• Projects, due dates, priorities, and tags. Stretch: swipe gestures, Kanban view, and push notifications for deadlines.

Budget Tracker

• Expenses, categories, monthly summaries. Stretch: import CSV, recurring transactions, and simple projections.

Notes App

• Markdown notes, folders, search. Stretch: voice notes, image attachments, and local encryption.

Personal Study Tracker

• Sessions by subject, Pomodoro timers, weekly heatmap. Stretch: goals, streaks, and productivity insights.

Campus Event Finder

• List events, RSVP, categories, and map view. Stretch: add your own events, reminders, and shareable links.

How to build and share a real app for free with VibeCode

Set up in minutes

• Sign up for VibeCode Free.
• Open the workspace on desktop or mobile. You don’t need a local dev setup.
• Pick a simple idea from the list above to start. Shipping beats scope.

Plan with the AI architect

• In Plan Mode, type your idea. Example: “habit tracker with streak counter.”
• VibeCode’s AI will give feedback on missing flows. You’ll see suggestions like auth, onboarding, settings, data model, or navigation.
• Accept the feedback you want. VibeCode generates the full build prompt that covers screens, state, and components with clear structure.ç

Generate, test, and share

• Switch to Build Mode and generate the app. VibeCode scaffolds a complete React Native project with navigation, state management boilerplate, and UI components.
• Test instantly on your phone. The mobile-first flow lets you tap through the app right away.
• Share the App Clip link for free on X, with friends, or family. Add the link to your resume, portfolio site, and LinkedIn. It’s a working product, not just screenshots.
• Iterate fast. Update the plan, regenerate, retest. Your time goes into UX and features instead of setup.

What you show in your portfolio:

• A live App Clip link people can try.
• A concise README describing the problem, features, and decisions.
• Screenshots and a short Loom demo.
• Optional: a public GitHub repo for the generated project if you want to highlight code literacy.

Wrap your project like a professional:

• State the goal in one sentence.
• List the core features you shipped.
• Call out constraints and what you’d add next.
• Include a link to the live App Clip at the top so it’s impossible to miss.

The real win for students

• Speed: Go from idea to working prototype in a day, not weeks.
• Credibility: Show tangible apps, not just coursework.
• Cost: You can do this on VibeCode Free with no hidden fees.

Ready to stop overbuilding and start shipping? VibeCode lets you generate real mobile apps from plain English, test on your phone, and share a link that hiring managers can tap. Pick one idea above, type it into Plan Mode, accept the AI’s feedback, and publish your first App Clip today.