By now, most of us have seen the new Google Nexus 7 tablet commercial. You know, the one where that kid is afraid to give a speech in front of his class, and the magical qualities of his handy-dandy tablet save the day? I for one think that commercial is pretty adorable, and would love to have a Google Nexus 7 to solve all of my problems. But being the broke college student that I am, I have to be more creative when it comes to things like preparing for speeches.

Luckily as a Penn State student, I don’t have to go much farther than the Sparks building. Because that’s the home of the Penn State Undergraduate Speaking Center.

The center, directed by CAS lecturer Lori Bedell, launched this semester after years of planning in the CAS department. It pairs students with a mentor to help perfect their presentation and public speaking skills.

Students first fill out a checklist to identify which areas of the presentation they need the most help with. The Speaking Center also suggests that you bring a copy of your assignment, a thesis statement, any research, a possible outline for the presentation, and any visual aids you plan on using. Then the mentor, a fellow student, guides you through the process of developing a successful speech. Though the Speaking Center is extremely useful for students enduring the struggle that is CAS 100A, the mentors are also prepared to help students with presentations for any other classes.

While tablets are pretty sweet screens for playing games and binge watching entire seasons of TV shows, I think I’ll stick to the Speaking Center for my presentation assistance. Their specific advice and educated mentors are unparalleled when it comes to preparing for a Penn State presentation. Plus it’s free. Sorry adorable Nexus kid, but you can’t beat free.

You can schedule an appointment using the center’s website.