CliffsNotes
If you happen to be taking a class that is intimidating, challenging, or just down-right foreign to you, you might want to check in to the possible use of CliffsNotes as a study tool since the guides present and explain literary and other works(ranging from math and science to biology and psychology) in pamphlet form or online. As a caveat you should know that detractors of the study guides claim they let students bypass reading the assigned literature. In contrast, the company claims to promote the reading of the original work, and does not view the study guides as a substitute to the reading.Originally started as an aid to understanding literature from authors such as Shakespeare and Chaucer, the company now offers over 250 titles and includes more modern authors such as Barbara Kingsolver and Amy Tan. Also, unlike the original pamphlet-only format requiring a trip to the local bookstore (with the hope and finger-crossing that they had your needed title in stock), many titles are available to read online in PDF format or downloadable to an iPod. Also available online are guides specific to literature such as a literary terms and poetry glossary as well as a grammar, usage, and style cheat sheet.If test prep is your thing, CliffsNotes also offers help to prepare for whatever standardized, professional, or proficiency test you need to take and include: AP Test, College Entrance Exam (from strategies to building your vocabulary), Grad School Entrance Exam, High School Entrance and Exit Exam, Professional Exams (such as Military Flight Aptitude test and Police Sergeant Oral Exams, and Proficiency Tests (such as the GED and U.S. Citizenship tests).Students from junior high to graduate school have been utilizing CliffsNotes to save study time since 1958. And now, with topics such as accounting, foreign language, and professional development, the useful resource is not limited only to the currently-enrolled student.If you’re after a method to make your learning experience a smarter, more resourceful one, then tap into the offerings provided by CliffsNotes. You most likely will not regret it.
