An online service in the United States is paying students to take lecture notes, which are then made available on the internet within a day.

So if hangovers or lack of sleep get the better of students, they can catch up on the lectures that they have missed.

The service, available from Student U.com, is gathering lecture notes from over 60 universities, across a range of subjects.

Launched this week at the start of the new academic year, the internet site already contains a series of lecture notes, which can be accessed without charge by registered users.

Transcripts from Texas

For instance, there are already transcripts of 35 lectures given at the University of Texas this term, on courses ranging from criminal law to architecture.

This includes a record of last Thursday's history lecture on the Reformation in Europe, which is reported on the internet site, complete with authentic mis-spellings and mis-hearings.

The reporting service also covers the administrative details of course life. For instance, another Texan student records a lecture: "Nothing much happened ... Suggestions: try and find books on the list at half-price books, or split them with a classmate."

Students will be paid several hundred dollars to take notes through the term, building up a record of the lecture courses presented by academics.

The lecture notes are listed by date, subject and lecturer, offering a snapshot of what is being taught in campuses across the country.

The site also provides detailed study guides on a range of university courses, which can be used as reference material to back up the lecture notes.