Being a student can be harder than ever in our high tech world. While some would think that having the internet would make life easier as a student, the demands being placed upon students have risen incrementally with the technology. Many of the student’s books have the textbook answers in the back while many others do not. This can be especially frustrating in the middle of the night during a cram session.
Having access to the textbook answers allows students to study with more confidence. They can work through the text, answer the questions, and then can check their answers if they have the textbook answers. If not, they may be left wondering if they are on the right track. Having the textbook answers can save time by keeping them from researching answers that were right to begin with.
If the textbook answers are not there, alternatives do exist. Websites such as cramster.com can provide a quick and easy resource to double check work or to find answers when the student is unsure. While regular internet searching may provide the answers eventually, cramster.com can do it much more efficiently. Efficiency is the name of the game in hard core studying and this can pay off in a big way on the grades.
Other alternatives to having the textbook answers are out there. Working together in study groups can also be an efficient method for students to pool all the needed answers. Study sessions guided by an instructor are also extremely effective. However, these options often mean scheduling study time at times not conducive to an individuals schedule. Ultimately most students do better with flexible study that can be worked around other time requirements.
While our high tech world has increased some demands on students, there is also some efficiency gained as well. With smart phones that can surf the internet, textbook answers can often be found online via these phones. Also, sites like cramster.com can be accessed from virtually anywhere with the extent of wireless coverage. This means those textbook answers are never far away in a virtual world.
On the other side of the argument, some believe providing the textbook answers lets the students be lazy and simply study the answers. However, few teachers test on the same questions as the textbook so this argument is not valid. The important thing is that the questions in the book reinforce the major points in the chapters and guide the students with how much time to allocate to studying each chapter. This allows the students to focus their study and increase the overall efficiency of their time.
Overall, by providing answers in the textbook, we help to guide students in their studies and time use.