What Should I Learn to Build a Payment Tracker for a School?

If your goal is to showcase this project to potential employers, focus on clearly explaining several key points: what problem you aimed to solve, why you selected your specific technologies, how you implemented your solution, the challenges you faced, and the final outcomes. If you can articulate those effectively and have a polished project to show off, that will give you a leg up over many applicants. The exact tech used might matter less than your ability to communicate the project's journey.

Using Java and SQL to handle the back-end is a solid choice. You might want to explore frameworks like Spring Boot or Quarkus. But keep in mind, you'll probably need JavaScript for the front-end. If you want to simplify things, you could also consider using JavaScript for both the front and back ends. Java has some really great frameworks, but it's often better suited for larger corporate projects rather than more straightforward gigs like yours.

Before diving into coding, it might be wise to see if any existing solutions fit your needs. If you create a custom system, you could find yourself on the hook for ongoing support, and that might mean fixing issues indefinitely—even if they weren't your fault.