Learn it, match it, test it; Quizlet has it all, except now there is a price to pay for the once free educational app used by students across the nation. 

     The groundwork of the app allows for students to receive help through the shared use of study sets. The function of using study sets that aren’t one’s own is what made the app different from competitors like Kahoot and Quizizz. 

     Students should not be charged for the functions that were original to the Quizlet app before it acquired Slader (a company that provided textbook answers for students).

     Quizlet owes its success to students because it is students who provide the app with the study material. However, instead of the company recognizing how it came to be as successful as it is, it decided to penalize its users by charging them for the study functions. 

     Currently, for free, students can only get one practice test and five rounds of the learning function which help students learn and memorize what they are studying. Once students have used all the available free functions, they are then given the option to upgrade to Quizlet premium which allows for unlimited access to the study functions. 

     Previously, the app allowed unrestricted access to all study functions. But now the app charges $7.99 monthly or $35.99 annually. So why did the company start charging? After buying Slader in 2021, the app grew, giving students access to more material related to school textbook answers, and standardized tests. With the new resources available to students within the app, Quizlet decided it was in its best interest to start charging for its features. According to the CEO of Quizlet Matthew Glotzbach, the company hoped to accomplish its goal of expanding its outreach from fifty million active users to ultimately 1.4 billion users. However, a reasonable number of students have shown a strong dislike for the charges enacted by Quizlet.

    Monte Vista sophomore Zain Edam said, “I used [Quizlet] it last year…I wouldn’t use it anymore since it costs money.”

     The choice Quizlet took to start charging for its functions may prevent the company from reaching its goal of being the go-to study app for students worldwide. 

     Whether to use Quizlet or not can be quite a debatable decision. Whether or not you believe the app should be charging for the study functions, one thing remains true: some students will not be returning to the app unless the company stops charging. Many students have been using Quizlet to study especially during finals week; so what will students use now if they decide not to pay for Quizlet? 

     Monte Vista sophomore Guia Shi Bone said that to study for finals she will “probably go through all my course material and skim through them, going over anything I need to work on.”

     In case that study method seems unfavorable though there are many other options that don’t involve paying for Quizlet.

     “They [the teachers] make us make notecards so I’ll probably do that,” said Monte Vista senior Arlene Pham.

     No matter how you study you better start studying soon. The time for finals is coming close and being prepared is a great way to get an A.