The Barometer Online

Issue date: 11/3/09 Section: News

By Ryan Gunderson

The Daily Barometer

There's a new alternative for students who miss a class or feel they need extra help in a particular academic area. Launched in 2008, Notehall.com offers class notes and study guides for a fee for students who are in need.

Students in need might include those with undiagnosed learning disabilities who find it difficult to focus in class, students who are sick and miss classes, and students who just want extra material to study.

"(Notehall) is changing the university system into a market economy," said Brian Lodwick, the OSU liaison for Notehall.com. "This is like eBay for notes, but with only the 'buy now' and 'sell' options."

The service has only recently been opened to OSU students in the last two weeks, and as of now there is very little available for students to purchase. Due to the fact that the site's success relies on students being involved and uploading their own notes, the site offers students money to upload their notes that other students can then buy.

Notehall was founded at the University of Arizona by four students, one of which was Sean Conway, who said he first got the idea when he noticed that other students around him were having the same problems he was. Professors would go too fast during their presentations and he could not comprehend the lecture while also taking accurate and useful notes.

Although anyone can post notes on the OSU Notehall Web site, customers can be sure that the notes and study guides will be useful and valid before purchasing anything. Unlike other note-sharing Web sites, Notehall offers its users a sneak peek of the material before they buy it. "The one differentiating factor that has made Notehall more successful is that you can preview two thirds of the material you buy," said Lodwick. "You can see the quality, formatting and how accurate it is. After previewing the material, you can then decide if you want to purchase those notes."

The site's mission is stated as hoping to enhance the overall academic success of college students nationwide and to provide a forum accessible to all students for the free exchange of intellectual dialogue and information. The site does not condone cheating.

"This sounds a little too good to be true," said Alex Jensen, a senior majoring in mechanical engineering. "It seems like students would take advantage of the system and use it when they really didn't need it."

However, Lodwick stresses that is not the point of the website.

"Just because you buy a study guide, that doesn't guarantee you're going to do well on a test," said Lodwick. "I want to stress that we are not selling test scores."

Lodwick believes this new opportunity will actually increase studying for students due to the availability of materials to all students as well as the incentive of money for students who already do a good job studying.

"Those who need study guides can pay a small fee and get them and those that have already made those study guides can make money off of them," said Lodwick. "This is a win-win situation."

The creators of Notehall.com are 2009 Finalists for America's Best Young Entrepreneurs and are currently planning to further expand their site to include more universities.


Ryan Gunderson, staff writer

737-2231, news@dailybarometer.com

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