When you think about technology and devices like smartphones and tablets, what comes to mind? Probably the fun stuff like social media. What you probably didn’t know is that you can actually leverage technology in your academics, too, making your life in college much more bearable.
But how can you do that? Here are five smart things you can do with tech as a modern-day college student:
Record or Write Down Notes
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Do you hate the tediousness of writing down notes in class? Note-taking is an integral part of learning. It is how you remember things you learn in class and act as a point of reference when you need to prefer for exams at the end of the semester. That said, the most tedious part of writing notes has to be carrying notebooks around for all your classes.
Modern apps like Evernote offer a much easier and more convenient solution for note-taking. With your smartphone or tablet, you can write and organize your notes. If you want to look up something from your notes, you can do so instantly. You can also share these notes across multiple devices, making access so much easier. As a plus, you don’t need to worry about losing your book or your note along with it.
You can even take note-taking to the next level by voice recording lecturers so that you can go over them slowly later. This way, you can focus more on listening and learning.
Collaborate with Other Students
Studies have shown that collaborative learning develops higher-level thinking skills in students and maximizes the educational experience. That’s why professors like group projects so much. But finding the right time and location to collaborate with other students on projects or assignments isn’t always easy as everyone is probably dealing with their own busy schedule. Luckily, tech has made collaboration so much easier. You can share documents, edit and exchange ideas in real-time, have group video discussions, and more without being in the same location.
So, it is not only easier to get people together for a discussion, but you’re also not tied to one physical location. Also, you’ll be achieving group milestones so much faster.
Write and Edit Your Assignment
Let’s face it; college assignments aren’t fun to do. Most, if not all, take a lot of time to research, write, edit, and reference. And, if you have a lot on your plate, it can be hard to make time for all these tasks. So, how exactly can technology help?
For one, there are many apps that perform a variety of post-writing tasks for you. These tasks include proofreading/ editing your paper, checking for plagiarism, and generating citations for you. These things can take hours of your time. In this case, you’re left with the task of researching and writing the assignment.
Say you need help with the entire assignment, from gathering ideas and writing to referencing and proofreading. You can hop on the internet and hire an essay writer. These professionals usually possess academic qualifications and experience in particular topics who help students tackle complex and urgent assignments.
Understand Concepts Better
The days you needed to follow your professor after a lecture to clarify concepts you didn’t understand are long gone. While consulting is still integral to learning, the sheer vastness of online academic resources has made it easier for students to look up more learning information online. There are numerous scholarly books, journals, articles, papers, and other materials you can find with tools like Google Scholar.
The good thing about this information being readily available is that it’s made it easier to find resources for assignments. So, fewer trips to the library.
Add Fun to Your Learning
Part of the reason performance among students differs so much, despite being in the same classroom and having the same educators, is that people learn differently. There are basically four different kinds of learning styles, that is:
- Auditory
- Visual
- Reading and writing
- Kinesthetic or hands-on
Now, the conventional classroom is not always accommodating to students’ preferred learning styles, making it harder for some students to pay attention or grasp concepts. However, with technology, you can customize learning to whatever you want. For example, you can use your notes to create flashcards, diagrams, or even audio. This way, learning becomes more fun.
Make Technology Your Friend and See Learning Becoming Easier
These six ideas aren’t the only way you can use technology to boost your learning. You can come up with dozens of creative ways to do so with little to no cost. Just remember, as much as you can leverage technology for good, it can also be detrimental to your learning if you don’t use it correctly.
