What’s the Deal With Flashnotes?

What’s the deal with us anyways?

I’m glad you asked. I’m sure you’ve seen our website and our tag line of “Flashnotes is the #1 marketplace…” I’m not going to recite it: you’ve seen it before and I’ve written it a hundred times. What you haven’t heard is our side of the story on why we’re so controversial. Below are 2 common misconceptions about us.

“It’s like, cheating right?”
No. I cannot say this enough to everyone who asks. No, we do not help students cheat. What we do is provide the marketplace for students to connect with other students. We’re connecting the kid in the front of the class with the kid in the middle of the class.

Example time: Rachelle is sitting in the front of the class and has a comprehensive understanding of the material. Aiden is in the middle of the class and takes notes; the problem is that when he gets home from class he doesn’t understand his notes or how the professor explained a certain theory. This is where we come in: we introduce Aiden to Rachelle so that Aiden can see how Rachelle thought about, interacted with, and learned the material. We don’t just let Aiden copy Rachelle’s notes.

“My professor/teacher/TA says that I can’t use Flashnotes. It’s like, cheating right?”
We know professors worked hard to create materials and lesson plans for the classroom. Flashnotes isn’t trying to replace the classroom environment. We’re creating an interactive learning community outside the classroom, so that students can continue to learn even after the lecture is done. Students are paying big bucks to learn this material, so it’s only fair to level the playing field. We help struggling students and student who “just don’t get it” by providing them with another resource to learn the material other than absorbing a lecture. Everybody learns differently, and Flashnotes understands that.

Copyright infringement seems like the biggest issue to overcome when dealing with the distribution of class materials. Here’s what lawyers say:

“class notes taken by students during lectures are each student’s originally authored works and as such each individual student has the right to disseminate their own authored materials as they see fit ”

Students are completely within their right to share the notes that they are paying to take.

It is proven that students DO learn better from other students. All Flashnotes is doing is providing a reward for those students who understand the material, and preventing struggling students from falling behind.

We know that maintaining academic integrity is a huge issue for students who are seeking our help, so we’re here to tell you that we’re totally kosher! If you have any questions, feel free to ask them! We’re all about supporting the learning environment and there are no “stupid questions”. Chances are there are other people with your same question!

4 Ways to Get Free Coffee

Wake up? Coffee.
10 am? Black tea.
Lunch? RedBull.
2pm? Vanilla Latte.
What am I drinking right now? Coffee.

If you’re a busy person and need to be on your A-game all day long, it’s only a matter of time before you start buying coffee by the gallon. I like to rationalize it this way: Coffee helps me do my job. Doing my job helps me afford my coffee. So really, I’m investing in my future. There’s only one MINOR problem with this plan, I’m not made of money. So, how do I get your caffeine fix without scrounging for quarters? I’m glad you asked.

1.Starbucks Gold Card
I am unbelievably thankful for my Starbucks Gold Card. Every 12 transactions, I get a free drink/ food item. Know what that means? I buy twelve coffees at 1.65 and I get my 13th transaction FREE. Maybe today I want a quad venti iced caramel macchiato that would normally be $6. Oh but what’s this? I have a free reward! Let me just tell you, it is a great feeling getting something for free. Want to know the best part? There’s an app for your Starbucks Card. It’s like these people are inside my head.

2.Dunkin’ Donuts promo page
Dunkin’ Donuts also has an app. When you register online you get a FREE medium drink just for signing up. Awesome. Is today your birthday? BOOM. Another free drink. What I love most about Dunkin’ Donuts is that they update their promotion and contest page based on location. For example, “If you’re in the greater Boston area and we find you with a refreshing Dunkin’ Donuts Iced Coffee in your hand, you could win tickets and other great home team prizes” Would you like free tickets with that coffee? Yes, please.

3.Peet’s coffee Facebook Page
This is a gold mine. Not only do you get to see pretty pictures of coffee, you get coupons! Everyone loves a good coupon. I wish Starbucks and Dunkin’ Donuts made coupons. Coupons= FREE stuff!

4.Local Coffee Shop Frequent Buyer Stamp Cards
Stamp Cards are completely underrated. Major coffee chains have created digital stamp cards, but don’t forget about the ones already in your wallet! Most local coffee shops will give you a great deal like, “Buy 5 and the 6th one is on us!” Let’s put this in perspective: that’s a free drink every 6th time that you visit your local spot instead of every 12th time at Starbucks. I’m sold.
Free stuff and coffee, my two favorite things. I’m going to leave you all with one final nugget of information: I also like to switch up which coffee shops I go to. You know you’re in trouble when the barista knows your name!

4 Tips For Studying

If it’s only February and you don’t want to look at your textbook ever again, you, my friend, need to read this blog. We promise we’ll make it short and sweet!

1. Take a break! Seriously. If you want to rip the pages out of your book (but can’t because it cost you $175 to buy in the first place), it’s time to walk away from the book. Set it down gently (or not) and get outdoors! Spend some time away from the books and grab coffee with a friend, go for a run or download some new study music!

2. Make a list. This is pretty much the same thing as “get organized”. When you make lists you can prioritize your life. Even better, when you finish a task, you can viciously cross out the things you have accomplished. It’s very therapeutic, believe me.

3. Find a study buddy. Seek out someone who knows this material like the back of their hand. If they can explain the material to you in words you actually understand, you probably won’t be as frustrated anymore.

4. If all else fails…. Put your head down and work. This option kind of sucks, but you can console yourself with the fact that plenty of people have gone through the same thing  and made it out alive. Some people have actually gone on to be successful in the real world. After you’re all done with studying make sure to reward yourself! Side note: making Siri call you “textbook slayer” is very rewarding.

Congratulations, now have the tools to deal with college! Even better, Flashnotes can help you get through this semester (and the next semester, and the one after that). Our video tutorials are just for you: you just want to learn the material already so you can stop cursing at your textbooks.

Up next: We learn all about the joys of COFFEE!

What We Stand For

Hey Everyone!

We’re Flashnotes and we’re a crazy mix of young, driven individuals and we’re out to help make a difference in the world!

If you’re thinking that we sound like superheroes, then you, my friend, are correct. We believe that everyone has an inner superhero deep down, and today we are going to show you how our inner superhero is going to help you. Flashnotes is here to save your day with our awesome skills of understanding, organization, and communication.

We believe in actually understanding the coursematerial in the classes you are paying for. Crazy, we know. We are here to connect the kid in the front of the class who easily understands the lectures with the kid in the back of the class who just can’t seem to understand exactly what the professor is saying.

We believe in a student driven marketplace to buy and sell notes. Why should adults who haven’t taken a specific course have any say in the content of notes or how valuable they are to a student? With our approach, each student can decide the best set of materials for their studies. Students choose the notes they want at a reasonable price? Once again, crazy, we know.

Finally, we believe in open communication. No, we’re not in a relationship with you. We just believe that the only way to get you what you want is to keep you in the loop. Crazy!

Flashnotes is here to save the day! Although we don’t have a shining beacon of light in the sky, we do have an amazing website (We’re working on the beacon of light thing, check back soon for updates).