Quitting Quizlet

Quizlet wants its users to pay up. Now, students and teachers are looking for new ways to study.

BY CARLY WITT ’23

Quizlet has always been a popular study tool for students, with its easy to make ashcards, and features such as Learn, Write, Spell and Test. Students and teachers are able to make their own sets of ashcards, and share with classmates. In 2018, Quizlet added a Premium feature, allowing students to have access to textbooks and other resources that made ashcards easier to make and more accurate. “Over the years I’ve utilized Quizlet and the Learn feature to help learn Spanish vocab, and study for quizzes,” senior Chloe Friedman said. Recently, Quizlet has made more changes to its Premium content. Users can pay $7.99 for a monthly subscription, or $2.99 every month for a yearly subscription, totaling $35.99 for the entire year. Some of Quizlet Premium’s features include being able to scan handwritten notes into premade ashcards, ad-free studying, textbook solutions and feedback on concepts. Students are also able to customize your sets with diagrams, add visual cues to help memorization and download sets for of ine studying. Quizlet is a staple in many classes at UAHS, especially in foreign languages, as ashcards are extremely helpful when learning new vocabulary and grammar. “My German teacher has Premium, so during her class we are all able to use Learn and the Premium features, but for other classes like my stats class, I don’t have Premium so I don’t use it,” senior Paige Parker said.

Many teachers use Quizlet as well, providing ashcard sets to their students so they are able to study direct de nitions and terms for class material. Teachers also use Quizlet Live in class, a feature that is still available for free. Quizlet Live lets students compete against others in the class on teams to test their knowledge on the selected Quizlet set.

“I think it de nitely puts certain classes or students at a disadvantage if one student in a class isn’t able to a ord it, while others can,” Friedman said.

While Quizlet has become more of a selective, costly program, there are many Quizlet alternatives that prove to be just as e ective, and less expensive for the average student.

ANKI is another ashcard program that makes memorization and studying easier, while also being free. You can embed videos, photos and have unlimited amounts of cards allowed in a set. It is downloadable on Windows, iOS, Mac, Android or anything with a web browser.

Another Quizlet alternative is Knowt. Students are able to import Quizlet sets into Knowt to make the switch easy, and Knowt prides itself on being the “free Quizlet.” On Knowt, the program creates ashcards right from students’ notes, instead of having to make them manually, and students can even apply to be a Knowtaker and make money for writing notes and ashcards.

At the end of the day, everyone studies di erently. Some like to write out paper ashcards or have a family member quiz them, while others prefer to use an online program. Some students may be able to a ord paying for Quizlet’s premium features, while others may need to nd a good, free, online alternative.

PAY TO PLAY? ▶

When selecting a premium feature on Quizlet, students are prompted to purchase a Quizlet Plus subscription.

PHOTO BY CARLY WITT ’23