March 12th, 2020 | Updated on June 16th, 2021
Are you a student trying to make ends meet? If you are great at taking notes during class and are studying well, then there is a money-making opportunity offered by firms like Thinkswap —selling study notes.
Why You Should Sell Your Study Notes
You’re not the only student who works hard to get better grades. However, some students need a bit of help trying to catch up on their lessons.
If you make good study notes, then you help other students to ace an upcoming exam, and you make money in return.
That is a total win/win for both parties, right?
This practice also helps you make your student notes more accurately. While preparing your notes for sale, you also get to review your class lessons, ensuring that you have every detail conveyed logically and in an easy to understand format.
On top of that, it hones your entrepreneurial skills. You serve the needs of other students and you get rewarded for your efforts in the process.
Some of the money that you make can also be used to purchase other student’s notes on the subjects that you may be having trouble with. Think of it as a kind of information exchange among students.
Making Note Taking Efficient
Before you start uploading anything to Thinkswap or some other note exchange site, you should first ensure that your study notes are, well, noteworthy.
It should be copious and very detailed. Make it as useful to you as it can be on the given subject.
Handwritten VS. Digital Note Taking
Wondering whether to write your notes on a physical notebook or to type it on a laptop/mobile device? It is all up to you.
Some people make more accurate notes with pen and paper while others do better typing them and uploading them to Thinkswap.
Just remember though, that the notes that you will sell to other students will usually be in digital format. Some sites may be willing to take photos of written notes but they will be hard to sell.
You see, the notes themselves should be well structured. On top of that, some people may have difficulty reading another person’s handwriting.
Digital study notes are also easier to format to make them more readable and organized.
In case you plan on taking handwritten notes, remember that you will have to type everything later on using your laptop or some other portable device.
Take Notes From A Variety Of Sources
After taking notes live from your professor during class, don’t expect to have all the details on that subject in just one sitting.
You can add more info and supplement the details from other sources like a textbook. Be diligent in your research and be sure to add value to the notes you sell.
How To Become A Better Seller
Here are a few tips that will help to increase your sales:
- Do your own marketing. After uploading your notes to a distribution site, don’t expect them to instantly reel in profits. You should advertise your work on social media and other channels.
- You can offer some of your notes for free for a limited amount of time. This will help students who are purchasing notes for the first time and the promo-price drop will help make you a popular author. You can always raise the price later.
- Get creative with what you have to offer. If a subject matter is too big for a single note, then offer them in a series. This will increase your sales over the entire set than just putting everything into one single note.
Selling your study notes can be profitable, especially since there will always be a market for such an immense student community.
One of the best things about it is you can use it to earn on the side to help finance your ongoing education.