This past summer UW-Madison sophomore Clint received a letter in the mail detailing his removal from the university.
Originally enrolled in the nursing program, Clint had failed one class and barely passed his other three the second semester of his freshman year.
I had tunnel vision at the time,"" he said. ""I thought other things were more important than school.""
Instead, Clint put hanging out with friends, video games and his girlfriend at the top of his priority list.
But when Clint received his grades for the spring semester, he knew he had to change his approach to college life.
""There's that balance that every college student faces,"" Clint said. ""I had to learn that the hard way.""
UW-Madison senior Kevin Clutson said SparkNotes helped him get through all the reading material in his English classes.
""With two jobs and an internship, I just don't have time to read the books thoroughly,"" he said.
SparkNotes is a series of books and a website that provides free study guides for works of literature.
Though an easy alternative to reading countless pages, this timesaving tool could be hurting students' writing and reading abilities in the long run.
The harm in using SparkNotes
Associate English professor Sherry Reames has noticed an alarming trend throughout her thirty years of teaching that may be attributed in part to websites like SparkNotes.
""Students' vocabularies are much smaller in general than they used to be,"" Reames said, ""and their ability to make sense of long, complicated sentences has also declined.""
Clutson is aware of both the short and long-term consequences, and has learned to use SparkNotes carefully. ""I use it mostly for clarification ... OK, and half of 'Moby Dick,'"" he said.
""If it's [SparkNotes'] idea, I won't use it at all, but if it's a joining of ideas, I'll use it,"" he said.
Associate English professor David Zimmerman believes he and his teaching assistants can easily recognize plagiarized language and ""can usually tell when [students] have borrowed ideas and observations.""
To avoid being accused of plagiarism, UW-Madison sophomore Andy Kadlec never checks the website.
""The problem with SparkNotes is that you may transfer the ideas into your paper unknowingly,"" he said. And if caught, students receive a zero for their grade, and a letter of misconduct is sent to the dean of students.
""The risk far outweighs the possible reward,"" Zimmerman said.
To prevent the temptation of plagiarism and the consequences that follow, professors often make it difficult for students to rely on SparkNotes alone when taking tests.
""In my intro lecture exams I include 'analytical identifications' - short passages that students must identify and analyze,"" Zimmerman said. ""There's no way students could produce successful answers if they haven't read the book.""
UW-Madison junior Alexandra Leland recognized this technique.
""I just feel like if you don't do all the readings yourself, you're going to miss that one little thing that happens to appear on the test,"" she said.
The need for SparkNotes
Yet the pressure to read every chapter from every book discouraged Leland from continuing with her English major.
""Even if you do all the readings, there's no way you can stay caught up,"" Leland said. ""They cram in way too much material.""
Clint, who was readmitted to the university this semester, has experienced the same demanding expectations. In a Shakespearean drama class, his professor assigned one play every couple days, expecting students to read it two or three times.
On academic probation, Clint knew he had to get passing grades in all his classes, which meant dividing his time evenly between each subject. His approach: turn to SparkNotes for those second or third times rereading the plays.
""It's simply about efficiency,"" he said. ""SparkNotes is the smartest thing to do, time-wise.""
Perhaps this isn't just a matter of time management, but also the product of how today's youth have been raised.
""Everything in society is so fast-paced and using SparkNotes is just another way to get ahead,"" said UW-Madison sophomore Hannah Vakili. ""We're always looking for a shortcut.""
The interference in learning
Reames suggests students are turning to shortcuts because ""screen time"" is distracting them from schoolwork. She blames the Internet and television for taking up too much time in students' schedules. As a result, they are abandoning the reading habits of earlier generations.
""Reading is more of a chore than it used to be, even for the average English major,"" Reames said. ""It takes them longer, and they enjoy it less.""
Several students, however, look at technology as a positive resource to utilize when writing their papers. Internet sites like SparkNotes not only allow students to put more effort into other classes and extracurricular activities, but may also provide them with helpful explanations of the material. And with the click of a mouse, it's easy to see why students are tempted to visit SparkNotes while typing an essay.
""Why not get plot summaries and a second opinion from Google or SparkNotes in order to save time and get a better grade?"" asked Vakili.
When it comes to tests, however, most students acknowledge that reading the books completely is the best way to secure a good grade.
""If I would've just read that one part in Moby Dick, I could've gotten an A on the test,"" Clutson admitted.
Some students aren't willing to take that risk. Kadlec managed the reading intensity by fitting in his homework whenever he had a spare moment.
""There's always time to read a book; in between classes, before going to bed,"" he said. ""I enjoy finding arguments on my own. It's rewarding.""
After a semester of Shakespearean drama, Victorian literature and Romantic poetry, Clint had come to a similar conclusion.
""I love being able to read about others' opinions and have that shape my own view of the world,"" he said.
Ultimately though, Clint's new passion for literature wasn't enough to escape the convenience of SparkNotes.
""You know, if there were 25 hours in a day ... I'm not condoning SparkNotes, but it's just not practical to say you're going to read everything,"" Clint said.
SparkNotes may not be the conventional way to approach schoolwork, but as long as students use it only for assistance rather than answers, explained Vakili, then students should feel comfortable using the site just as they would any other instrument of knowledge.
