If you were a graduate student, that lack of space was even more acute. There was no place to grab a snack, finish a paper or even take a nap before going to class.

But now, thanks to the College of Education’s new Student Resource Center, which officially opened in the spring semester there’s space for both graduate and undergraduate students to do everything from register for classes and check one’s e-mail to finish a class project and meet with friends.

The space includes the graduate and undergraduate advising offices, as well as a bank of computers where students can access e-mail accounts and schedule classes.

It also contains several meeting rooms, spaces for student clubs, and a computer-equipped workshop space for PRAXIS preparation and other group sessions.

The idea behind the new center, located on the first floor of Ritter Hall annex, was to provide a space both for students to get their academic needs met and for students and professors to interact, said C. Kent McGuire, dean of the College of Education.

“If you walk around Ritter Hall and Ritter annex, you see very few if any natural spaces where people can come together and chat,” McGuire said. “This provides a place for people to get to know each other.”

While the facilities are available to all students of the College of Education, planners paid special attention to the college’s 700-plus graduate students. A student lounge, complete with small sofas and wi-fi capability, has been created just for them.

To meet grad students’ needs, administrators hope to extend the center’s hours, particularly into the late afternoon, said Jan Greenough, director of graduate programs for the College of Education.

The center is currently open from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. McGuire says that the center will probably extend its hours in the fall.

The center has been in the planning stages since January 2006 and was under construction throughout the summer and fall semesters.