The length that some students go to make up for lost class time is befuddling.

It's often said that when creating a business plan, if you understand the people you'll be catering to and are really in tune with their tendencies and preferences, marketing your service or product will be a piece of cake.

In my opinion, there's no better example of this than "Review Session Gurus," as I like to call them. There are guys that previously attended my university who make an inordinate amount of money by helping under-prepared college students cram for exams.

Their service isn't anything special; in essence, they teach the testable material in a condensed form, provide their own notes and practice test and shoo students out the door to prepare for their next session. These "reviews" last anywhere from two to four hours, cost $60 a pop and are attended by up to 100 students.

$6,000 in one night for what? Using your old lecture notes to teach notorious class-skippers what happened over the past month? Man… I should really consider a career refocusing.

The point of this entry is to tell you to avoid these sessions. You'll constantly hear rave reviews about how a said review session "saved someone's life." Keep in mind that, without a crash course in everything that was covered in class, these people would have likely failed the test. So if they walk away with a C that has to be considered an accomplishment.

Secondly, last time I checked, studying for tests is a way to get a leg up on classmates. Most math-based courses are graded on a curve and thus the goal is to be more prepared than girl A and guy B. Sure, the students who attend these review sessions might be learning material and gaining insight on test-taking strategies, but they are learning the same material and same strategies as everyone else in the room. Maybe it's just me, but I don't want to pay $60 to be placed on the same level as 99 other students taking the same test.

Lastly, skip out on these sessions as a testament to your rationality and pride. Going to class really isn't a formidable task. You win out on all fronts by attending class in lieu of going to these paid review sessions as a last ditch attempt to make the cut.

Besides, $60 is a lot of money! Take it and go see a game, or use it to treat your significant other to a nice dinner. Heck, utilize the aerodynamic force of U.S. currency and enter a paper airplane throwing contest.

Now THAT is money well-spent.

Thought and/or comments about these types of review sessions? Sound off!