Study habits going blue after spike in absences
In light of the attendance issues due to the H1N1 virus, the emergence of one academic-based Web site has caught attention of students nationwide.
Jessica Coates
With the fall semester wrapping up, the H1N1 virus affected college campuses as many students found themselves missing class. In light of the attendance issues, the emergence of one academic-based Web site has caught attention of students nationwide. Studyblue.com has joined the ranks of collegiate Web sites aimed to guide students through classes and studying by providing quick and efficient notes that cannot be lost or damaged.
Studyblue works as an academic social networking site. It allows students to create an account with pages for their class sections. On the class pages, students can upload notes and PowerPoints that are available to other students in the class. “Studyblue.com fills the gap for students and makes it easier to access other people’s notes in case of an absence,” said Amanda O’Neal, a theater education major and a frequent poster on Studyblue.
Compensation is offered to Studyblue users. First, a student uploads notes and earns 50 cents. Then, for every three classmates that positively reviews the notes, the poster will earn an additional 50 cents, with a limit of $50 per week, as long as there is money in the individual university’s cash pot with the Web site. O’Neal said she was concerned about the payment method but has received compensation through Paypal.
Studyblue.com was created by college students at the University of Wisconsin at Madison in 2007 and has since expanded to high school and college campuses. Currently there are more than 350 users registered as VCU students. Alternatively, students can take Studyblue notes one step further and seek free, traditional tutoring services from the campus learning center. According to Michal Zivan Coffey, director of VCU’s Campus Learning Center, when students come into the CLC, they can connect with a real person-not a computer screen.
“It’s not just someone they can get the notes from but whom they can discuss things with,” Coffey said. At the CLC, students can sign up for a one-on-one session with a tutor or join a group of classmates for supplemental instruction lead by an SI leader. When students come to the CLC they meet for a session that is centered around their learning style and focused on the desired subject.
