Troubles with studying? Never fear, Notehall is here

By Michael H. on November 30, 2011

You’ve probably heard about the collegiate trifecta of time management before.

A student has three options. They can get good grades and have a social life, but they sacrifice sleep. Likewise, they can have a social life and sleep well, but they sacrifice grades. Or, lastly, they can get good grades and that much needed sleep, but they won’t have a social life.

Every college student usually wishes that they could spend more time doing that third thing. In my case, and most of my peers, it is usually sleep that gets neglected.

from flickr.com, uploaded by http://www.flickr.com/people/nateone/

The Internet has given our generation innumerable resources that are right at our fingertips, especially while we’re studying. While there is no way to make absorbing the information any easier there are definitely ways to decrease the amount of time that you spend studying as well as make it more efficient.

Now, some students may be a little cautious to use it, but there are some online resources that allow students to buy notes from other students. Personally, I’ve had a couple classes that gave optional study guides that I didn’t feel like filling out. It would’ve taken hours to complete them. Instead, for just a few dollars (I prefer Notehall.com, but there are others) I can purchase a finished study guide from someone who has already spent the time.

There is a degree of uncertainty about doing this, because you obviously can’t preview every word that they have written. The best way to safeguard yourself is to always look for what has been purchased most recently, the most number of times and has the highest rating.

Another concern is the “academic dishonesty” factor. Most of the time, what will be posted on these sites are bundles of notes for the semester or the study guides for an upcoming exam. It would only be academically dishonest if you turned in someone else’s work and claimed that it was your own. Essentially, you can’t use the service if you’re getting points for the study guide.

Sometimes there have been a couple blanks that I’ve had to fill in, but in a pinch it’s better than nothing. Then all you have to do is read over the information. There really isn’t much point to wasting all that time hunting through the text just to find the answer.

What about those of you that absorb the information better when they write it out? Well, first, I’d suggest simply copying the information by hand if you’ve forgotten about an exam until just a couple hours beforehand. If you actually completed the study guide on your own, go ahead and upload it! You’d be surprised by how few people actually put one up, and you can make some money from doing so.

I’ve never gotten below a 3.0 on an exam after I’ve gotten a study guide and (combined with my notes from class) spent at least a couple hours reviewing.

Now, I’m not saying that this will allow you to skip all your classes and study for only a couple hours every time. That would be even more detrimental to your grade. The services will just allow you to use your study time more effectively. As most of us know, whether it’s getting some sleep or studying for an exam, every second counts.

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