It’s 2 a.m., and you need help with an assignment due the next day. We’ve all been there. UCF alumni Shayna Rosen ‘16 and Austin Drury ‘18 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 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.”
UCF students also have access to a wide variety of free academic support resources, such as the Math Success Center and the University Writing Center. The Student Academic Resource Center (SARC) offers various services free of charge, such as one-on-one and group tutoring, Supplemental Instruction (SI), and academic coaching.
“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 resources that will help them succeed at UCF and beyond.”
To get started with StudyDate, download the free app from the Apple Store or Google Play.