Van Gogh was a post-impressionist and painted “Starry Night” in 1889. Guess what I had to do to learn this? Take a nap. There was no Internet or textbook involved. All I needed was a pillowcase. Well, not just any pillowcase but a pillowcase that was created by Barry Weinstein, founder of Pillowcase Studies: Homework you can sleep on. Weinstein makes pillowcases that have the core concept of (un-)popular college subjects printed on them. It’s a bit like spark notes for your bed instead of your bookshelf. Thanks to Pillowcase Studies, you will never have to worry about waking up with ugly marks in your face and drool on your textbook.
After studying for hours, pulling all-nighters and still failing a test in Financial Accounting, Weinstein decided to write the notes on his pillowcase and look at them for a few minutes before going to sleep. At the end of the semester he was not only well rested but also passed the class. And because Weinstein is studying Business Administration and Entrepreneurship he did not rest on his pillowcase but decided to start a business: Pillowcase Studies released a line of pillowcases last August and students can now learn about and sleep on Political Science, Corporate Finance, Biology, Drama, Psychology and Art History. Music Theory and Economics will be available soon.
Weinstein is currently the only full-time employee of Pillowcase Studies but he has help with the design, the printing and shipping. For Weinstein, the business has become a full-time job – and not just because part of said job is to test his products in his sleep. He constantly looks for new ideas, networks with students and future business partners and oversees the production and shipment of his products – all while studying and sleeping. After finishing his degree, Weinstein wants to make Pillowcase Studies his full-time job and significantly expand the available products and designs. Soon, students will be able to not only learn in their sleep but also while they’re eating – with study plates! Thanks to Pillowcase Studies it might soon be impossible to find an excuse not to study – but to be honest, I can’t think of a more comfortable way to do homework and pull all-nighters. Another advantage of having a fluffy study guide: Whenever you feel like your brain is about to explode and you suffer from information overload: Pillows are much more pleasant to throw at someone than books. Weinstein’s top pick for a pillow fight: Political Science.
Isabelle Mitchell is from Switzerland (not Sweden). She loves coffee and chocolate and she can talk about movies and the weather for a very long time. Isabelle went to Film School in Denmark and Canada and is a Sound Designer, but she’s currently working on getting her BS in Advertising at the Art Institute of Pittsburgh (Online Division). She’s planning on slowly taking over the advertising world one tagline at a time. When she’s not doing homework or studying, she works as a Marketing Assistant. You can find her on Twitter @isabellesagt or if you have a longer attention span, her blog.