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Solution to Introduction to Collegiate Notetaking

Author: Dan Katz

The colored writing most likely draws your eye first, but the way into this puzzle is the "course notes" written underneath them. Some of these courses are rather strange, alluding to the urinary tracts of wolves, intersections between economics and marine biology, and the different aerodynamics applying to people of different genders. Searching enough of the clued phrases should hopefully reveal that these courses are all episode titles from the sitcom Community.

Once the episodes are identified, some knowledge or research of each episode leads to recognition that the colored phrases describe things or characters from the episode. "(FN)" denotes first name, "(LN)" denotes last name, and the "My" refers to different main characters depending on the color of the writing. These colors are in rainbow order moving counterclockwise around the characters' regular seats in the study room, as follows:

  • Red = Jeff
  • Orange = Britta
  • Yellow = Abed
  • Green = Troy
  • Blue = Pierce
  • Indigo = Shirley
  • Violet = Annie
(The violet is admittedly a bit pinkish, but the actual violet in a rainbow is closer to pink than deep purple.)

Each of the clues has an answer with a length equal to the number after the slash, and the number before the slash indicates the desired index from this answer. Taking these indicated letters and sorting them in episode order gives the following results:

  • 1.7 - Introduction to Statistics - Beastmaster - T (Pierce's outfit, blue, 5/11)
  • 1.17 - Physical Education - billiards - R (Jeff's game, red, 7/9)
  • 1.20 - The Science of Illusion - frog - O (Britta's animal, orange, 3/4)
  • 1.21 - Contemporary American Poultry - Money Man - Y (Pierce's function, blue, 5/8)
  • 2.3 - The Psychology of Letting Go - baby - B (Abed's delivery, yellow, 3/4)
  • 2.4 - Basic Rocket Science - SANDERS - A (Pierce's tormentor, blue, 2/7)
  • 2.7 - Aerodynamics of Gender - trampoline - R (Troy's secret, green, 2/10)
  • 2.9 - Conspiracy Theories and Interior Design - Professorson - N (Jeff's teacher, red, 12/12)
  • 2.10 - Mixology Certification - Farscape - E (Abed's conversation topic, yellow, 8/8)
  • 2.22 - Applied Anthropology and Culinary Arts - handshake - S (Troy's sale, green, 5/9)
  • 3.2 - Geography of Global Conflict - Annie - I (Annie's rival, violet, 4/5)
  • 3.3 - Remedial Chaos Theory - Indiana Jones - D (Abed's diorama, yellow, 3/12)
  • 3.4 - Competitive Ecology - Todd - O (Pierce's partner, blue, 2/4)
  • 3.5 - Horror Fiction in Seven Spooky Steps - Beetlejuice - L (Annie's invocation, violet, 5/11)
  • 3.10 - Regional Holiday Music - Happy Birthday Jesus - I (Shirley's song, indigo, 7/18)
  • 3.11 - Contemporary Impressionists - Schwartz - Z (Jeff's target of jealousy, red, 8/8)
  • 3.17 - Basic Lupine Urology - Spider-Man - E (Troy's tie, green, 5/9)
  • 3.20 - Digital Estate Planning - blacksmith - S (Annie's victim, violet, 6/10)
  • 4.3 - Conventions of Space & Time - Thoraxis - H (Jeff's double, red, 2/8)
  • 4.7 - Economics of Marine Biology - Splingles - I (Britta's snack, orange, 4/9)
  • 4.10 - Intro to Knots - Macallan - M (Jeff's drink, red, 1/8)
The resulting letters spell (one word per season, not counting the inevitable fifth and sixth seasons and a movie) TROY BARNES IDOLIZES HIM. Troy's idol is LEVAR BURTON, who knows a thing or two about rainbows.