This all looks remarkably familiar. I guess this is the same or similar exercise:
https://forum.arduino.cc/index.php?topic=652329.0
dfq_justas:
Complete newbie as I said before. Starting testing something I have barely any clue on how to do will only put me in a deeper hole.
I can't think of any alternative but to start your learning at the beginning and grow out of your newbie status. It will take time and commitment.
Grow your knowledge to the point where testing will be useful rather than an extra complication. All successful programming, from the most trivial to the most complex depends on testing. Test early and often.
Programming is a lot more complex intellectually than (for example) following instructions to build a Lego model. If you are asking a question that is just a small bit more challenging than your present level of knowledge it is generally possible to help. However if you are asking a question that is far beyond your existing capability it is almost impossible to find the common understanding that would be necessary to help you.
...R
If you a computer engineering student this should be a trivial task. Break it down into parts and solve each part first. Actually your professor defined the problem very well, I have a feeling the student postponed this until the last moment and did not ask questions when something was presented that he/she did not know. One of the basic things an engineer learns to do to keep the job is to think out of there comfort zone. You will have to solve this by doing the necessary research etc. Make a flow chart it will answer a lot of your questions and yes you will have to look up the things you do not know but afterwards you will! If I gave you the code and schematics you would not learn what the professor intends. You are very lucky, when many of us went to school there was no internet, just the library and contacts. This response is to help you get started in solving your problem, not solve it for you.
Good Luck & Have Fun!
Gil
Here's the brief for ease of reading:
I love #3 under Additional Information... Probably because the faculty know the students will be here in the forum for answers. (OP, could you not even have Tipp-Ex'd out the school name?)
Which reminds me: I wonder how washing machine guy's getting on?
I agree that simulation would likely slow your progress. I haven't seen a simulator for the Arduino that wouldn't take longer to understand than just plugging the parts into a breadboard.
Don't try to do everything in one step. Start with basic segments. You don't say how big the team is, but each member would buy an Arduino board. One would buy an RTC module, one would buy some switches and one would buy an LCD display. Member one would understand how to write code for the RTC. Set the time, read the time. The next team member would understand how to wire buttons to the I/O pins, debounce them and do something when a button is pressed. The third member would learn how to display text in the LCD. Once you have all the basics, then as a group, merge the different parts together into a single sketch.
SteveMann:
then as a group...
Yeah right 
gilshultz:
If you a computer engineering student this should be a trivial task. Break it down into parts and solve each part first. Actually your professor defined the problem very well, I have a feeling the student postponed this until the last moment and did not ask questions when something was presented that he/she did not know. One of the basic things an engineer learns to do to keep the job is to think out of there comfort zone. You will have to solve this by doing the necessary research etc. Make a flow chart it will answer a lot of your questions and yes you will have to look up the things you do not know but afterwards you will! If I gave you the code and schematics you would not learn what the professor intends. You are very lucky, when many of us went to school there was no internet, just the library and contacts. This response is to help you get started in solving your problem, not solve it for you.
Good Luck & Have Fun!
Gil
I understand those TLDR's I've got...about being an Engineer. That is true not gonna argue with anything just suck it up and do it. Anyways today I was out gathering hardware and got almost everything except the RTC DS1307 chip which I'm gonna order now. Once that arrives I'll build the project from a template (Clock Set Date Time) import the given code into it and work on editing it to suit my task. Then If I struggle and can't do it by researching and testing or any other means I'll come back here. Thanks for your replies guys. 
dfq_justas:
got almost everything except the RTC DS1307 chip which I'm gonna order now.
I think (but my memory's a bit foggy) you can run an Arduino as if it had an rtc, without one... it just uses a library to run as an rtc, set the time at start up, and of course lose it when the power goes off. Is it the time library maybe?
If so you can do most of it without the actual chip in hand. Sorry I'm a bit hazy on that.
(How does this project work team wise? I'd be very inclined to just lock myself away and do the bloody thing on my Todd.)
12Stepper:
I think (but my memory's a bit foggy) you can run an Arduino as if it had an rtc, without one... it just uses a library to run as an rtc, set the time at start up, and of course lose it when the power goes off. Is it the time library maybe?If so you can do most of it without the actual chip in hand. Sorry I'm a bit hazy on that.
(How does this project work team wise? I'd be very inclined to just lock myself away and do the bloody thing on my Todd.)
There is no team, it's a individual task for one person. It's just that my mate got a very similar one so we are trying to figure things out combined. Thanks for the info tho.
dfq_justas:
There is no team,
Doh sorry my bad... I read this:
I recently got given a task for a Term Project
... as Team Project
Missed the other threads - but I guess it's that time of the year for school projects to be due - always amusing for me to read the threads - late for the other option when the instructor is not doing a good job is to study on your own - with Arduino not tough to find tutorials - - or to form a study group where you can help each other
Aren't "term projects" handed out at the start of term?
...R
If you don't need the "clock" to maintain time when the power is off nor need super-accurate timing to demonstrate the required elements as posted you could do a reasonable facsimile with millis() to tick up the time and not have to worry about the RTC.
Too much hanger flying over self generated issues. The requesting person really needs to get an Arduino if possible and start some code testing. So far there is just noodling around and the person is just running out the clock on their project.
