StudyMates is a chat app that allows university students to get immediate help from peers on course-related questions. It addresses the problem of long wait times for office hours by facilitating real-time conversations between students. The app provides a platform for students to discuss and solve issues they are facing, unlike discussion-based apps like Piazza that do not enable real-time collaboration. A persona example is provided of a computer science student named Jimbob who needs last-minute help on a project deadline but cannot attend office hours or get timely responses on Piazza. The app aims to help students like Jimbob who cram and need quick assistance without waiting in queues.