by NancyN

Created on: February 14, 2009

Cliff's Notes can serve as an excellent secondary source of learning when the primary source is confusing, or unclear in scope or content. Using Cliff's Notes is only academically dishonest when it is used exclusively, in order to avoid reading the assigned literary piece.

Education is not so much about memorizing facts as it is about learning how to learn. This is the skill we must take away with us when school is finished. We must discover how to gain understanding in resourceful and creative ways. Cliff's Notes and similar publications such as SparkNotes can help tremendously when the original work bogs us down and we cannot proceed.

Studying the older classic works can be intimidating. There are issues of dialect and of understanding the cultural or historical placement of the work. Ancient vernacular can be foreign to us even if it comes from the past of our own language. It can be even more daunting if one speaks English as a second language.

One advantage to having this second source of information is that, armed with a better understanding, the reader might discover a real love for the works of a particular time period. Many a Renaissance fan originally found the genre while studying a Medieval classic, and has turned that love into a very satisfying hobby by participating in clubs and Renaissance fairs with other enthusiasts. Some students have been surprised by the depth and breadth of emotion found in poetry, and once exposed to it have discovered the satisfying pleasure of writing their own poetry.

Learning involves a certain amount of outside assistance. When you are assigned a research paper you must exhaust many reference sources in order to get a complete view of your subject. Comprehending all there is to know about a classic literary work demands the same. Instructors can supply a head start, but the value of learning comes from gaining as much knowledge from as many sources as possible. The student should take careful notes when the instructor speaks and listen to what he or she emphasizes. Any assigned papers or exams coming from this instructor will cover what is important to that instructor. Understanding what the instructor is telling you is easier when a secondary reference increases your points of reference.

The best way to use Cliff's Notes is to read the introductory part first so that you have some overview of the classic you are studying. Then attempt to read the real' classic. When you have finished the first chapter (or act if it's a play) consult Cliff's Notes to see what you might have missed, or to clear up anything you might have misunderstood. Take your own notes and then go back to see how your new understanding helps when reviewing that first chapter or act. When you feel you have a grasp of the first chapter or act, go to the next.

You might discover that you get' what you are reading after a while and can discard your Cliff's Notes and progress on your own. Or, you might need the help all the way through the work. If using Cliff's Notes increases your understanding, if you read the classic itself all the way through, and if the actual work you turn in for grading is your own, then you have not been dishonest by using any study guide.

Learning, in and of itself, is an excellent thing. Any untapped resource could mean the difference between fostering a distaste for anything in print, or influencing a lifelong love of reading.

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