StudyMode is a new resource brought to UC Davis. It aims to be the world's largest study community. The creators want to help students connect with each other, learn, and succeed. They designed Drive with that objective in mind. It's great for studying and swapping ideas, but it's also useful if you need to find lecture notes for a missed class, or if you want to look ahead and see the types of things other students are learning in a class you're thinking about taking. Drive is a very versatile tool for students.

StudyMode's founder Blaine Vess actually summed up their philosophy really well. He said, “StudyMode was founded on the idea that learning was meant to be social. The most successful students ask for help, and the most important resource is other students. A fresh perspective from a classmate, looking at a problem or theory in a slightly different way, is often the key to unlocking understanding."

It’s also extremely easy to gain access. Remember when you would try to get help for a certain class, and you would have to pay some website to access its materials? Pretty lame. However, StudyMode is free! Yeah. That’s right. Second, to be able to get materials, you yourself need to submit a resource. Easy, right? It is also a very user-friendly interface. Nervous about technology? Think it’s too difficult to upload your materials? Don’t worry. The creators kept all non-tech-savvy people in mind.

This is an exciting new tool for UC Davis students. It is time to get rid of the well known “fend for yourself” attitude and start working together as a productive learning community. Life happens, classes are missed, and you want to stay on track. Some classes you’ve heard terrible stories of, so wouldn’t it be nice to prepare yourself, not just by reading the textbook? This resource is for you.

I can imagine some professors being opposed to this. Many professors on campus (though not all) really dislike students to have access to their materials if not currently enrolled in their class. But why? No, it’s not cheating. It’s merely trying to gain as much knowledge as you can, because that is why you are in college, right? To gain an education.

So try out this new resource, and tell your friends about it too. The more people we can get, the more materials will be available to you. Spread the word; share some resources, good luck in classes, and happy learning!