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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Not to share my exam revision notes

181 replies

Fundayout · 03/03/2023 18:49

A group of us work colleagues are sitting an exam in the summer. I’ve worked hard to go through past papers and write up the questions and answers so I’ve got them to refer back to.
The pack is about 15 sides of A4 so it’s taken a while.
Colleagues saw me printing them off and asked for copies to give to the others too! I laughed and said I might but I felt really annoyed by it. It’s taken me hours and hours to collate this information and they’ll just have that side to work through without doing anything!

AIBU or should I let them all have a copy too? No skin off my nose if they all pass etc .

OP posts:
NumberTheory · 04/03/2023 03:01

To some extent it depends what the notes are:

  • If you’ve read the questions, read through your notes and precised them then I might be inclined to hand them over. The major benefit is in having precised them. When you read them over you recall the deeper reading you did. Some working from your notes is unlikely to get that much from them.
  • But if it’s a matter of having gone through 15 years worth of past papers, noted down the questions that recur, maybe done some analysis to predict what might come up this year, Then gone through your notes and cut and pasted the relevant bits next to each question - that’s a lot of work that anyone else would directly benefit from.

You could offer to sell them, cost out your work at a significant wage, divide by the number of people you think might be interested, add a mark up and name your price. Or suggest you’d be happy to in exchange for them doing similar work for you.

These are professional exams so it’s a competitive environment and colleagues pass/do better on the exams because of your work, that may well have a detrimental impact on your career, especially at your current employer. So I wouldn’t be overly free with help that isn’t reciprocated.

thaegumathteth · 04/03/2023 03:02

Tbh I would as long as they were generally decent people. I would never ask though.

Emptycrackedcup · 04/03/2023 03:02

maddy68 · 03/03/2023 20:49

I would. They are just notes. Unless you write them yourself they are meaningless.

It's a bit mean spirited not to in my opinion.

I'm shocked someone would think it was mean spirited. It's different if OP offered, but to want/expect someone notes that they have spent hours compiling is well ... being a CF

Morestrangethings · 04/03/2023 03:07

TotallyWhatever · 03/03/2023 19:11

I think the benefit of making notes is from actually doing it. Thinking about content, what’s key and relevant etc, and it seals it in your brain. I’ve never found Borrowing someone else’s notes/shortcuts remotely helpful. It’s like trying to give a lecture/talk using someone else’s PowerPoint. It looks familiar but you’re not sure of the points they’re trying to make etc. So I’d hand it over and not feel particularly pissed off. You’ll do better than them in exam!

I agree.

MyopicBunny · 04/03/2023 03:16

I do think they have a cheek to ask BUT I think you have to consider whether saying no will cause you any problems at work - that's the bigger picture.

Wouldn't everyone doing well have an impact on the grade boundaries anyway? You'd be helping to inflate their grades. Don't do it.

This isn't an A level though - it's an internalised work exam?

Lalalalalaaaa · 04/03/2023 03:35

I'm another one who absolutely would give them out but then as others have said, for me collating the notes is a major part of revision and my revision wouldn't be that useful for others as they concentrate on the stuff I need to focus on.

This assumes there's genuinely no impact on you how well they do, and that this is a colleague you like. If grade matters at all compared to others/ this isn't someone you like (or don't like but would be useful to have on side!) then I wouldn't share.

Jemandthehologramsunite · 04/03/2023 04:02

You said you felt annoyed about it, so don't. You probably will be even more annoyed after if you do! Unless you're someone who gets past things quickly (I don't), then don't do it

Nimbostratus100 · 04/03/2023 04:15

ThisIsWednesday · 03/03/2023 21:23

Imagine your notes have one specific wrong answer. Maybe the knowledge was updated since the originals you've studied and made notes on. What happens when several people from the same place all give that wrong answer and everyone is suspected of plagiarism? Yeah it's not likely but why take the chance?

I'd just decline their CF request (you do all the work and they sit on their arses and pass?!) by saying your notes are rough and not checked yet so you wouldn't feel okay sharing inaccurate notes. Pretend yours is shite and they won't want it.

revising from the same notes isn't plagiarism!

Nimbostratus100 · 04/03/2023 04:17

PretzelKnot · 04/03/2023 02:58

Here speaks all of the other animals from The Little Red Hen.

Show quote history

I have no idea who the little red hen is, but I just assume colleagues help each other out, as the default position

StClare101 · 04/03/2023 04:43

I’d say I’m open to swapping. Let me see yours first though. Oh, you are not offering any assistance in return? That’s a no then.

Oblomov23 · 04/03/2023 04:45

No way. How cheeky to even ask. And the pp's suggestion of selling them for a tenner can jog on! Doing such revision I'd priceless and worth a lot more than a tenner.

laroisenoire123 · 04/03/2023 05:07

NO.

If she asks again, just laugh and say "No, these are notes on things I feel I don't understand. I'm not comfortable sharing them. I think your owns would be better than mine."

laroisenoire123 · 04/03/2023 05:08

Also, revision notes are personal. She might focus on certain areas. If the colleagues rely on OPs notes,and don't do well, guess who they will blame?

DifferenceEngines · 04/03/2023 05:35

KievsOutTheOven · 04/03/2023 00:59

So op should do this in the vague hope someone marries them? 😂

Put it on Patreon and have them pay you for it.

Show quote history

You totally missed the point.

GloriousGoosebumps · 04/03/2023 05:49

I wouldn't spend weeks producing detailed revision notes and then hand them over to colleagues. It would be different if they were offering something of comparable value in return but that's not the case here. There are so many users in this world, and dare I say it, on this thread, give them an outright no or if you can't bring yourself to do that, simply don't hand the notes over. I, for one, will salute you!

GloriousGoosebumps · 04/03/2023 06:15

I should have added that most professional exams have pass and merit grades, let you be the person who passes with merit since you have put the hard work in and your colleagues who are not prepared to make that effort in be awarded an ordinary pass in the exams. I'm sure your employer will in be very interested in seeing the results and give appropriate credit for your results.

Wallywobbles · 04/03/2023 06:39

I'm in France and the answer here would be fuck off and do your own.

Palomabalom · 04/03/2023 06:39

Say sure no problem then make “ alternative “ sets for them which have “ do your own fucking work you lazy cheeky fuckers” written on each side.

Bagwyllydiart · 04/03/2023 06:49

Of course you should. £200 per slide, cash in advance.

Ylvamoon · 04/03/2023 06:50

They are your notes. The biggest question is how clear are they?

I know when I make notes, they have a lot of random words and cross references to the papers/ sorce. They also heavily focus on things that I am not confident with. So some content will be missing or just have a sentence or two. These wouldn't be good to anyone who just wants them for exam revision.

Scoobydoobywho · 04/03/2023 06:51

@Nimbostratus100

you have got something that can help other people, to no cost to yourself - I don't get why you wouldn't. Surely that is the default, to help out your colleagues.

But it did cost o.p something, her time and probably some sanity.

Fraaahnces · 04/03/2023 07:14

Send them all a link to past papers and tell them to go their hardest.

Butitsnotfunnyisititsserious · 04/03/2023 07:18

It'd be a no from me. They can make their own notes. If they can't be bothered to make their own, that's their problem

Escapefromcolditz · 04/03/2023 08:00

I’d love to know if there’s any relationship between academic ability and the willingness to share notes!

DanceMonkey19 · 04/03/2023 08:02

Wishihadanalgorithm · 03/03/2023 20:45

As a PP suggested, I would amend the notes so there’s so wrong information in them and then pass them on.

If it was an essay you had written with the grade already awarded I wouldn’t mind so much but as you haven’t even taken the paper yet, it think this is just a bit off.

The lazy fuckers should do the work themselves.

I looked at a housemate's marked essay before writing my own (many years ago). He'd got 40%. I submitted mine (had an extension, hence why I was able to see his before writing my own) and got 72%. He was really pissed off. My essay was very different to his, but his feedback was useful in structuring my own. I don't blame him for being annoyed really.

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