It's that time of year again, and students are preparing for a week of sleepless nights, gallons of coffee and Olympic-style cramming.

The stressful period of finals week can leave many students feeling overwhelmed and discouraged. However, help is just a short walk away -- and dressed in red.

The brightly colored Nittany Notes seen in the hands of students across campus have become increasingly popular due to finals week.

Christian Smith, Nittany Notes store manager, said finals week is the busiest time of the semester.

Smith said Nittany Notes, 234 E. College Ave., which was started by a Penn State student 15 years ago, is not a business that is solely beneficial to individuals who have not kept up with their studies.

"A lot of good students use [the notes]," he said.

Smith suggested using the notes as a supplement, not a replacement for attending classes.

Mark Freilich (senior-mathematics) agreed, adding that contrary to popular opinion, "you still have to go to class."

Freilich, who has used Nittany Notes for religious studies and anthropology courses, enjoys the comfort they offer.

"I use them instead of furiously scribbling notes during class," he said.

Freilich added that the quality of the Nittany Notes depends not only on the employee who takes notes for Nittany Notes, but also on the professor teaching the class.

"If the teachers put everything on the board, [the notes] tend to be much better," he said.

The notes, which are written by fellow students and organized as detailed outlines, are available for more than 350 classes that are offered this semester, Smith said.

Smith said the Nittany Note takers are qualified for the job.

"All of our note-takers have an average of a 3.5 [grade-point average]," Smith said. He said there is a minimum 3.2 grade-point average to be hired.

Brittany Yorgey (sophomore-Spanish education) was a Nittany Note taker during the spring 2004 semester for classes in education and anthropology.

Yorgey said deadlines around finals time are especially strict.

"Finals week is always busiest because a lot of people wait until the end to start studying," she said.

Yorgey said she will most likely be taking notes again next semester and enjoys more than just the discounts and paychecks that the job offers.

"It was a great experience ... a little frustrating at times," she said. "They have a template that you always have to use, so I always went to the computer lab and typed up my notes, and then submitted them by 5 p.m. the next day."

Dave Santoliquito (junior-communication arts and sciences) said although he does not use the notes often and considers himself an average note-taker, he has taken advantage of them in the past for geology and economics.

Nittany Notes are most helpful for classes that do not have coursework listed online, Santoliquito said.

"If the instructor has Power Point slides, you can just view them on ANGEL," he said.

Jason Pullman (sophomore-advertising and public relations) said he found Nittany Notes to be helpful for his Russian, sociology and psychology classes, especially before tests.

"I take notes in class, but if I miss a class or if I think I missed something, I use Nittany Notes," Pullman said.

"You might be a better note-taker [than a Nittany Notes note-taker], but they may have heard something you didn't," he added.

The notes, always printed on red paper as a means of preventing illegal copies, have become known for their color and are widely recognized by Penn State students.

Pullman especially appreciates Nittany Notes' unique look, adding that, if nothing else, "it's exciting to study off of red paper."