by Katy Knapp
Daily Lobo
Freshmen Noel King and Chris Scott had been studying math and English for four hours straight.
"We're hardcore," Scott said.
They moved to the relaxation room and took advantage of free juice, chips and salsa.
"This is really nice," he said. "It makes us feel like our tuition is paying for things."
King and Scott were participating in Blast Off to Finals, a five-day event in the SUB to help students prepare for final exams.
Ricardo Romero, a board member for Blast Off to Finals, said the program is designed to help mostly freshmen and sophomore students.
"We mainly have tutors in math and English, but we have a lot of tutors who teach alternative subjects, too," he said.
Romero said all students are welcome to come for help in math or to get their English term papers looked over.
"We do a little bit of chemistry," he said. "We can, at the very least, point people in the right direction to help them prepare for finals week."
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Five rooms on the third floor of the SUB were reserved for the event. Signs hung on the doors indicating which subject was being tutored in that room. There was also a general study room and a relaxation room.
Checkers, puzzles, coloring books and a hand-held video game were some of the things provided for students who wanted to take some time off from studying.
The College Enrichment Program shelled out around $2,000 to provide students with refreshments, Romero said.
"We kind of thought it would be a good place for students to de-stress after studying," he said.
Not many students showed up for tutoring Monday, and Romero said he expects it to pick up by Wednesday.
"I don't think it's sunk in yet that finals are next week," he said.
Romero said freshmen are more stressed out about finals in the fall semester, because it's their first college final exams.
"They are more confident in their second semester," he said.
Last semester, Wednesday was the busiest day of the week for the group. An estimated 80 students were tutored that day.
There are about 35 tutors, mainly from the College Enrichment Program and CAPS, Romero said.
Roxanne Roessner, a nursing student, was hired by the enrichment program to tutor English. She said she tutored one person on Monday and checked the grammar and organization of their term paper.
Despite being a nursing major, she said she's always been into English.
"I had that drilled into me when I was little," Roessner said.
Adella Ortiz also tutored students in English. She said Blast Off to Finals is a great resource for students.
"Personally, as a mentor and a tutor, I know it's such a great help," she said.
Ortiz wasn't discouraged by the small number of students seeking the service Monday.
"There is such an enormous influx later in the week because portfolios are due," she said.
King, who was tutored for Math 120, said he is stressed out about the final.
"But this has definitely been helpful," he said. "The curriculum in this class is frustrating."
Blast Off to Finals is a collaborative effort by many departments on campus, Romero said, including College Enrichment Program, Center for Academic Progress Support, El Centro de la Raza, Arts and Sciences, Special Programs, Student Health Center, the SUB and University College Advisement Center.
