Brand Ambassador Spotlight- Zara

It’s that time again! Our Brand Ambassador spotlight is now shining down on our newest member of our team- Zara. She’s the BA from BU!

Her enthusiasm is unparalleled and frankly all of us in the office are impressed. We think her communications major and business administration minor really allow her to be one of the most productive Brand Ambassadors we have.  She’s a dedicated, goal-oriented student and we’re so thankful to be working with her at Boston University.

Zara is constantly busy with school, but she says she doesn’t worry about balancing time between school and her position at Flashnotes. “What people might not realize is that a lot of the time Flashnotes is interchangeable with school. Even if you might be making notes to sell on Flashnotes, your making notes for classes nonetheless.”

But there are a number of options out there when you want to pick up a part time job, so we asked Zara why she decided to use Flashnotes out of all the other options. She says, “It was really the interpersonal relationship that Flashnotes tries to build that made me feel immersed into the family and more motivated to further our brand name”.

We hope she enjoys a much deserved summer break; we can’t wait to start another semester with Zara! Welcome to the family!

Make the Most Out of Finals

It’s that time of the year- finals! To some, merely mentioning the word will send them into a panic attack. Others actually look forward to finals season. What kind of crazy human being would EVER look forwards to finals? I’m glad you asked.

Flashnotes users do! Finals time is the best time to gather up all those notes and flashcards and make a profit off of them. Want to spend your summer sipping lemonade and vodka by the pool? How about handcrafting a good ‘ol fashioned 30 foot long slip ‘n slide? Whatever you decide to do, you can pay for your extravagant college lifestyle by selling your notes!

Whether you’ve already finished finals or you still have 6 more to go, we can help you.

If you’ve already finished finals: Go out and enjoy that summer sun! Taste the sweet freedom because it won’t last long. I know you probably don’t want to think about this right now, but even though you may be finished with this semester, there’s no better time to start preparing for next semester.

If you’ve already signed up for classes next semester, check out the materials available on Flashnotes to get a good idea of what you’ve gotten yourself into next semester. Give yourself a little time to soak up the sunshine and enjoy a much-needed break from school, but just don’t forget that the earlier you can start preparing for next semester, the smoother it will go.

 

If you still have to take finals: Now is the best time to really put some effort into those flashcards and study guides (not that we didn’t have faith in your studying ability before- we know you’re always on your best behavior). However, now is your time to shine. Finals season is the perfect time to sell those comprehensive study materials.

The key to a successful Flashnotes experience is marketing your material. You can make the best study guide in the entire world, but how will anyone know it’s the best if they haven’t seen it? We’ve seen that the best way to market your notes is through Blackboard or Moodle (whichever system your school supports). Shoot your classmates a quick email, and you’ll be on your way to earning summer fun money and making friends.

The end of finals doesn’t necessarily mean the end of Flashnotes. We’ll be here all summer long to answer any questions you can come up with (even the ridiculous ones). Happy Studying!

Our 6 Favorite Apps to Help You Study

You’re in college and your life moves a hundred miles an hour. When the heck are you going to find time to study, maintain a social life, and (dare we say it?) get some sleep. Well, we noticed that you’re always on the go, so why not study on the go, too? Whip out that smart phone of yours and instead of texting Johnny about 50 cent wing Wednesdays, how about you peruse some flash cards or get started on that paper?

We know what you’re thinking “Ugh, atomic buffalo wings are so much more important than looking at flashcards right now”. Well we have good news for you! You can spend as much time as you want at the local BBQ restaurant because if you don’t study now, you’ll be working there the rest of your life.

If you wish you could just press the “easy button” instead of studying, unfortunately, that button doesn’t exist. However, we can sure give you the resources to make it a little less painful (unless you like pain, which, if you’re eating atomic wings, you obviously do). These 6 apps for your smart phone will have you organized and studying in no time!

myHomework- This is the mother of all college organization. Not good at organizing? Let myHomework take care of that. Keep track of you class schedule, assignments, and major tests all in one place. It automatically color-codes everything based on due date. All you need to do is pay attention in class!

Evernote– If you are already mediocre at organizing, or just want a more user-friendly platform for organizing, Evernote if the app for you. All of your to-do lists, notes, and doodles are in one place. The best part? Evernote automatically syncs all of your devices. As long as you have a mobile device on you, you have organization in your pocket!

Flashcard Plus– Flashcards are probably the most popular way of studying for a test. If you walk into class before a big test, you’re bound to see students flipping madly through their decks and muttering to themselves. With F+, you won’t ever have to wonder where the missing flashcards have gone, and you don’t have to waste paper! This app is totally free, so you can start uploading and quizzing yourself right now!

Sleep Cycle– We could all use a better nights sleep. Sleep cycle monitors your sleeping patterns and wakes you up during your periods of lighter sleep, so you wake up less groggy. There’s nothing worse than stumbling out of bed and willing yourself to wake up even though every bone in your body wants to lie in bed.

Coffee Shop Finder- We all know what it feels like to have too much to do and not enough energy. Thankfully, Coffee Shop Finder can guide you to the nearest coffee shop in the world! Yes, that specialty drink that you’ve been craving is closer than you think!

Essay planner- Although this app isn’t free- it’s totally worth the $2.99. If you’re the master of procrastination, this app will help break you of that habit and have you well on your way to writing better. Contrary to popular belief, you can’t always just “wing it” the night before and get an outstanding grade. Writing is about practice and discipline. Why do you think you’ve been doing it your entire school career? Invest in your future, and become a better writer (or at least planner).

Although you should probably be studying instead of reading this, we appreciate your dedication to procrastination. Now, go download some apps and make good use of your time! See something we missed? Let us know, we’re always on the look-out for the next big thing.

The War on Finals Begins

Finals season is almost here. Prepare yourselves. Seriously, taking finals is like going to war. There are many enemies in this battle: sleep, social events, laziness, procrastination, and sheer, unbridled lack of understanding. The enemies are near, and they are ready to take you down. Good thing you’re preparing now.

• Let’s face it- finals are like waging a personal war against sleep. This enemy is both physical and mental. There are too many finals to review for and not enough time. If you take a good look around and see students in the library using their laptop as a pillow, they’re in trouble and they have already lost the war against sleep. Here’s how to defeat your enemy: Drink 5 hr. energy and speed-read every book you’ve ever been assigned. We like to call this efficiency. It’s a GRE word.
• You’re young, you’re fun, and you’ve got the packed social calendar to prove it. Every soldier needs a good plan; a plan to party is not what we’re talking about. The temptation is so strong to just pack up your things and go have “just one beer” at the bar across the street. This is a booby trap filled with car bombs, Jaeger bombs, sake bombs and other unmentionable drinks that make you regret ever stepping foot into a bar. Here’s how to defeat your enemy: remember that during finals season, if it sounds too good/fun to be true, it probably is.
• Laziness and procrastination are pretty much the same thing here- and you can prevent them both. This is an enemy that lives within you- scary, huh? You can say that you sat down in front of your computer to do research for that 10-page paper due next Wednesday, but we know you’re lying. Laziness has won the battle this time. It will continue to win again and again if you don’t put an end to laziness right now. Here’s how to defeat your enemy: List every single possible excuse for not studying and write it on a piece of paper that’s not in your notebook. Now burn that piece of paper (as safely as possible- we don’t want a bonfire here). Look what you just did- you got rid of all your excuses to not study. Now GO STUDY.

• A lack of understanding is probably one of the hardest enemies to overcome in the war against finals season. For whatever reason, you decided to wait until it was almost too late to recover before realizing that you have no idea what’s going on in class. We don’t judge-we’re just here to help. Good thing you actually want to learn the information. Here’s how to defeat your enemy: Talk to your professor and let him/her know that you need a little help understanding some key concepts. If he/she has a heart (and you haven’t pissed them off), you best believe that some help is coming your way. If you have managed to get yourself into a class that has a soulless professor, Flashnotes does a wonderful job at connecting students that understand the material with the students that want to learn.

If you’re in college and you just want someone to baby you and tell you that everything will be alright- you’re barking up the wrong tree here. You’re an adult and you have to make everything right for yourself. We can provide you with resources to help you help yourself, but this is a personal battle between you and your studies. We wish you the best.