Sites rescue last-minute studiers
When it’s 2 a.m. and you have a 17-page research paper due in the morning, research should be the last thing on your mind.
Instead of heading to the library, hit up the information super-highway. It’s full of pre-packaged tidbits of knowledge that, combined properly, can make you look like a professional. And when you’re just too desperate to plagiarize from a variety of sources, whip out your credit card – the perfect paper is on its way.
But before you steal a full term paper, hit up some real educational resources. SparkNotes.com was created in 1998 by some school-crazed Harvard students, and has expanded from standard, CliffsNotes-style book summaries to a huge library of study guides. The references cover subjects from astronomy to economics to Shakespeare – we’re still waiting for a guide on phys ed – and have become so popular that they’re now available in paperback. The books mimic the CliffsNotes by which they were inspired and sell for about $5.
SparkNotes’ extensive reference catalog and esteemed reputation has spawned imitators that hope to cash in on the market those clever Harvard kids created. The questionably titled PinkMonkey.com advertises essentially the same service as SparkNotes, but its MonkeyNotes are buried beneath layers of blinding, pink text and absurd animations.
Sometimes, though, a gentle nudge towards success just isn’t enough. When it’s crunch time, there’s only one place to turn – the dark, seedy underbelly of the online paper-writing industry.
Plenty of sketchy sites offer full, pre-written papers disguised as ‘study guides’ – the trick is slipping them past your TA. But if you’ve got the cash and aren’t afraid of getting caught, these sites could be your savior. Papers from NoCheaters.com sell for $9.85 a page, and EssaySite.com will write a ‘custom essay’ for you for just $19.95 a page. And since paying someone else to do your work could land you in some serious trouble, this shortcut could cost a lot more in the long run.
If you’re up for the challenge, though, plagiarize away – it’s dangerous and expensive, but it beats the hell out of studying.
Game of the Week: Spear Toss
games.alentus.com/games/makai/games/speartoss.asp
The lost art of the hunt is resurrected in Shockwave form with Spear Toss, a seemingly simple game that requires precision, skill and an intimate knowledge of video-game physics. A simple click of the mouse determines the trajectory of your javelin and the fate of your miniature hunter, so aim well. A week of practice, and maybe you can evolve to the Bronze Age.
Site of the Week: The Big Shocker
Just when you thought sporting events couldn’t get any more obscene, some strapping young lads have introduced The Big Shocker. It’s a slightly altered and significantly dirtier version of the giant foam ‘No. 1’ hand. We won’t get into the anatomy of the shocker, but rest assured that the student section will appreciate the implications of this sexually explicit fanfare. Comes in blue, yellow, green, purple, maroon – and, of course, orange.
Published on November 10, 2003 at 12:00 pm
