POMONA — The first thing Cal Poly Pomona graduate student Claudia Constancio did after her last final exam was relax - by running six miles on the treadmill at the university's new Bronco Fitness Center.

"In a way, it was to celebrate" finishing finals and graduating, the 24-year-old human resources student from Mexico City said. "Ever since this place opened, I've been coming every single day on my lunchbreak."

As finals week winds down today at Cal Poly Pomona, hundreds of students have been using the university's 11,000 square-foot, membership-based fitness center to help ease exam jitters. Many say the two-story facility is the best part of the Bronco Student Center expansion, which opened to students in April.

"We've seen a huge increase of people coming in to use the amenities because of finals," Bronco Fitness Center manager and instructor Megan Smith said. "From morning to afternoon, people are coming to take classes, to use the weight room and the group exercise room."

The center also offers a number of group exercise classes such as Pilates, spinning, body conditioning and aerobics.

Out in the student center, pockets of sleep-deprived students attempted to squeeze in a few last-minute study group sessions before their final exams.

With only 10 minutes before her chemistry exam, a frazzled student - too absorbed in her notes to give her name - was scrawling on a well-worn sheet of lined paper.

"I'm studying," she said in a soft voice, never looking up once.

Three years in the making, the $25 million Bronco Student Center expansion features the 11,000 square-foot fitness center, an 800-seat multipurpose room, a theater, 15 meeting and study rooms, an outside terrace and a mall-style food court with menu options including Chinese fast food, a coffee and smoothie bar and a sandwich shop.

Fifth-year business major Michael Penalosa said a lot of students have been taking advantage of the new facilities, as it's quickly becoming a better alternative to the library.

"The seats are a lot more comfortable and if you wanted to do a group study, this place is a lot more (accommodating)," the West Covina resident said.

Inside the Wellness Center, where students can take CPR and first aid classes, get health assessments and learn about stress management, the atmosphere was much quieter.

"It's pretty dead in here during this time," 22-year-old Javier Licon said. "Most people come to us for class assignments. We usually have anywhere between 28 to 125 visitors during the week. It depends."