New to hackathons?
Start with the beginner-friendly resources page first, then come back to the other cards.
Open Starter Resources Hack University Hacker Guide
Start here. Build faster. Stress less.
This guide is for students who want the simple version of what to do before, during, and after a hackathon. Pick the page you need and keep moving.
Who this is for
Students, first-time hackers, and teams who want clear next steps.
What you will find
Resources, submission rules, judging info, event rules, and conduct expectations.
Best way to use it
Open one card at a time and only read the part you need right now.
Quick Start
If you do not know where to begin, use these first.
Ready to submit?
Check the submission page before your deadline so you do not miss a requirement.
Open Submission GuideChoose Your Competition Path
The Hacker Guide works for all three competition types. Pick the path that matches your project first, then use the same submission pages after.
Technical Competition
Best for CS, engineering, and builder teams shipping code, prototypes, apps, hardware, or AI features.
Start-Up Competition
Best for business majors and entrepreneur students building a venture pitch, customer story, traction plan, or startup concept.
Analytics Competition
Best for students interested in data analytics or data science using dashboards, insights, forecasting, or decision support.
One framework, three paths
Every team still needs a GitHub repository, README, slides, video links, and a clear explanation of what was built and why it matters.
Main Guide
Each card below answers one common question. The wording is short on purpose.
Hackathon Resources
Use this if you need ideas, starter tools, templates, sample GitHub starter code, sample slides, or help choosing what to build.
- Beginner tools and links
- Project ideas and competition examples
- Starter assets and technical help pages
Submission Requirements
Use this before the deadline so your team knows exactly what must be turned in for GitHub, Devpost, slides, and videos.
- 10-minute feature demo and 5-minute backup demo
- What links or files are needed
- GitHub, README, slides, and Devpost checklist
Judging Criteria
Use this when your team wants to know how projects are scored across technical, startup, and analytics competition styles.
- How projects are evaluated
- What makes a strong presentation
- What each competition path should emphasize
Rules and Guidelines
Use this to check eligibility, team rules, AI usage rules, deadlines, and other event policies.
- Who can join
- Team and project rules
- Important policy reminders and AI citation rules
Code of Conduct
Use this to understand behavior expectations so the event stays safe and respectful for everyone.
- Respect and professionalism
- Safety and inclusion
- What to do if there is a problem
Simple Flow
If you are overwhelmed, follow these three steps.
1
Pick your competition path
Choose technical, start-up, or analytics first, then use the resources page to grab starter code, samples, and ideas.
2
Build and document clearly
Keep your GitHub repo, README, slides, citations, screenshots, and demo plan updated while you build.
3
Submit with both videos ready
Turn in the 10-minute feature video for sharing later and the 5-minute backup live-demo video for judges to review if needed.
Partner Organizations
The same partner communities from the main Hack University page support these events, workshops, and student opportunities.
Google Developer Club
at Florida International University
Google Developer Group focused on building community and sharing knowledge around Google technologies and software development.
gdgatfiu.vercel.appCode Crunch Worldwide
Global coding community
An interdisciplinary tech club dedicated to coding, technical interview prep, and hackathons.
codecrunchglobal.vercel.appColorStack
at Florida International University
Part of a national network focused on mentorship, community, and career pathways for underrepresented students in tech.
colorstackatfiu.vercel.appCAHSI
at Florida International University
Part of the CAHSI network expanding access to computing research, mentoring, and long-term tech career pathways.
cahsiatfiu.vercel.appRaspberry Pi
Code Crunch Community
A hands-on club and learning platform with structured learning paths, project-based workshops, and beginner-friendly tech resources.
raspberrypicodecrunch.vercel.appSwift Club
at Florida International University
An Apple-focused community for Swift, iOS, app design, and product-building workshops across the Hack University ecosystem.
swift club at fiu