How To Use Cliff's Notes The Right Way

A custom term paper assignment can be tough to complete for the modern student

, who must deal with modern distractions while being asked to write on topics that are often holdovers from classical education. It can often be the case that a freshman college student will not possess the critical thinking, writing skills, time and concentration to digest a great book and write something intelligent and intelligible upon it. While there is no easy answer for this troubling trend, I can point out one area where a study guide- if used the right way- can improve both custom term paper scores and the student's understanding of a great work of literature. I am speaking, of course, about Cliff's notes.

Cliff's Notes are great because they are written by dedicated scholars and phDs who are deeply in love with their subject. These scholars know their Great Books inside and out, and it may have even changed their lives or added some valued bit of perspective to them as people. Thus, they are seriously relating every important bit of plot development while describing what it all means to the society at the time, the writers other works, etc. You can draw from this knowledge (in your own words, dont copy their words or their ideas!) You can use their ideas, throw in a little here and there to your own argument, but do not make a straight linear transition of their doctoral thesis to your custom term paper. That will not sound right to your professor.

Instead, just sit back with the Cliff Notes, and pretend you are reading a novel. A really fast moving novel that gets right to the point, and doesnt waste any time on setting the scene as great writers are wont to do. If there is something important about the setting or time period that is vital to the larger work as a whole, or perhaps symbolic of something, you can be sure the Cliff's Notes will not hesitate to tell you. They love that stuff, really they do.

So if your are in an English class but you are limited in time/energy, go get the Cliff's Notes and give them the serious, tender loving attention you would give to the book if you were a wealthy aristocrat with a huge library and infinite leisure at your disposal. There is no shame in it. The glaring yellow savior is NOT a hack or slackers tool, if it is truly used with respect and discretion. The WRONG WAY to use Cliff notes is to read them as fast as possible and try to throw their ideas into a random mishmash of hackneyed prose. You still have to make a thoughtful outline for your custom term paper and you still have to know what you are talking about.

Just please, before you begin on the yellow and black booklet, say a prayer to the Lords of the Great books and let them know that you do perceive their truth and beauty. Just mention as an act of contrition that like the great poet John Keats, you are really pressed for time.

by: Lawrence Booth

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