It’s 2 a.m., and your student needs help with an assignment due the next day. UCF alumni Shayna Rosen’ 16 and Austin Drury ’18 found themselves in the same predicament and decided to do something about it. They created StudyDate.
“As undergraduate students at one of the nation’s largest universities, and in today’s fast-paced, highly technological society, we noticed a gap between the resources offered and those needed,” says Shayna Rosen, co-founder, StudyDate. “Co-founder Austin Drury and I wanted to break down the barriers that inhibited students from accessing high-quality tools and leveraged technology in a bid to accomplish just that.”
With the help of the UCF Incubation Program, they created a business plan and developed StudyDate, a social-academic platform that connects students with peers and tutors 24/7. Users can interact with the community in various ways or take advantage of qualified tutoring on-demand within a virtual workspace. It is exclusively available to UCF students.
“It was important to us that this tool catered to all budgets, said Drury. “While there is a fee to work with a professional tutor, most services are entirely free.”
“While StudyDate is an option, students should always take advantage of the free academic resources UCF offers,” says Theodorea Regina Berry, associate vice provost of the Division of Student Learning and Academic Success and dean of the College of Undergraduate Studies. “StudyDate is an after-hours option.”
One option is the Student Academic Resource Center (SARC), which offers various services such as one-on-one and group tutoring, Supplemental Instruction (SI), and academic coaching. Best of all, UCF’s tutoring programs such as SARC, the Math Success Center, and the University Writing Center are free.
“Academic support is not one-size-fits-all,” says Rebecca Piety, director, SARC. “We offer students the convenience of choosing how they receive services and proactively recommend services that will help them succeed at UCF and beyond.”