How useful is it to buying upper years' notes and tests? I saw some people trying to sell them and I was just wondering.
In particular, I'm talking about psych 1x03 and psych 1xx3.

It is not recommended to buy notes and tests from other students as it is university property. It is considered as academic dishonesty.

Originally Posted by akikokoyoki

It is not recommended to buy notes and tests from other students as it is university property. It is considered as academic dishonesty.

Opps, thank you! I thought it was something regular with the way people were openly posting it on Facebook.

Originally Posted by lisar96

Opps, thank you! I thought it was something regular with the way people were openly posting it on Facebook.

People selling their own notes are risking for academic dishonesty charges if they are caught. I don't why they are doing it...

Originally Posted by akikokoyoki

People selling their own notes are risking for academic dishonesty charges if they are caught. I don't why they are doing it...

Because there hasn't been a single case where a person selling his note has been caught lol

there is a (small) risk of being caught. And yes for tests some people have been caught. Its usually kept on the down low tho. More importantly buying tests and notes is not the best use of your money.

The vast majority of previous tests will be available to you via Avenue (mcmaster's class managements software) or other class websites. Those that arent made available are usually because the tests are re-used year after year and students do NOT get these tests back. They are allowed to review them after marked but do not get to keep them.

As for notes... I find the process of summarizing and organizing in order to create the notes is far more beneficial than simply reading them over (which does very little). While it may not be as noticeable in first year ... uni is far, far more difficult than high school. Pulling off a 90 after looking at the content for the first time on the bus ride in used to be pretty easy. Not so any more. Improving the way you study is going to be crucial to your success and everyone has their own ways. But I guarantee you buying someones notes and putting some highlighter on it is not going to help you (and will make you really lazy for those times you should make notes)

People have definitely been caught for tests and labs. I remember one prof in particular who was absolutely livid that people were selling his tests; he made sure people got in trouble for it, then went and made his tests much harder (and they were pretty hard to begin with, hence half the class buying or otherwise gaining access to past tests that the prof had intended to keep confidential). He also sent a message to the whole class about how his tests are copyrighted, and nobody has the right to sell/distribute them except for him, etc etc.

Notes are a bit of a grey area, in my opinion. If you sell the prof's slides/notes/handouts/whatever, then that's definitely violating copyright and/or academic dishonesty, but if they're your own notes that you took from listening and reading the textbook and whatnot, then I'm not entirely sure how it works. But really, as was said before, it's not in your best interest to use other people's notes anyways.

I find buying notes to be pretty useless, personally.

The act of making the notes itself is studying for me. Looking at the material and writing/typing it out forces me to actual process it, even if a little bit. Too many times I'd find myself trying to read something and then 3 pages later realize I had zoned out the entire time.

Also, I find that notes are a very personal thing. When a person makes notes, they usually don't include every single little detail. Things will be excluded, usually the things that the note-taker already knows very well or understands already or thinks isn't important. But what they know/consider unimportant isn't what you would consider unimportant. If you use someone else's notes, there will be blind spots somewhere, even if it isn't obvious. The only way to get around that is to buy notes that cover literally everything, and if they do that you may as well just read the book.

Though I guess that's just my two cents. It's possible to do well in a course using past notes. I just don't think it's worth spending money on. Tests can be worth it if the prof is known to repeat questions and if you're willing to risk them suddenly changing it up.

I'm currently taking Psych 1XX3 in the summer and I have someone's notes from last year and I can't tell you how useful it is for me. With the majority of the content coming from the online modules, making notes can be extremely tedious because you're constantly stopping and starting the modules to write things down. If you have a copy of the notes, you can focus on just watching the modules and really understanding the material. It allows you to finish the modules much quicker so you can review the notes and pay attention to the small details that you might have otherwise missed if you were hurrying to take notes.

That being said, if you're the type of person who benefits from actually writing stuff out yourself then having someone else's notes may not be as beneficial.

I get selling tests, but selling notes is academic dishonesty? Since when? Notes are your own property, no?

Originally Posted by Kudos

I get selling tests, but selling notes is academic dishonesty? Since when? Notes are your own property, no?

I believe ppl were saying that selling/buying tests could mean academic dishonesty. Notes are a side note.

Edit: or maybe not. That was my intention tho. Selling personal notes is totally fine but I still dont see much benefit in buying them

Gee, I get why people buy notes as it saves them time from writing up the notes. But you'll eventually need to learn how to write your own notes anyways so might as well get started early.

In my old university some departments release their old exams on their website, so I think it really depends on the university and department.

selling notes isn't academic dishonesty unless there slides that the prof puts up with i-clicker questions in them, then it is.

Selling tests/quizzes is yes. Notes or slides from previous year no