Stay in Tech-Top Shape This Spring

By thedldiary on January 18, 2017

Houston Community College’s Gen Z, millennials, and extra busy adults can no longer deny the modern-day technology advancements that have been constantly added to our curriculum in our higher ed classrooms.

This complex direction of emerging college technology often leaves us feeling overwhelmed with all the options made available to us. Numerous software and the infinite amount of mobile apps found in the Apple Store and Google Play areas — and extremely large words written out on your class syllabus — have you wanting to vent to your BFF or start searching for the Advil for that headache that’s starting to settle in.

Worry no more students; just sit back and relax with a few snacks. Ready? We are going to cover a few tech tips to keep you in-the-know this new Spring semester!

Credits: pixabay.com

1) Make a checklist of what system requirements you will need to perform on your laptop, future notebook, tablet, and technology bundle.

This checklist includes your mobile phone, your tablet, and your laptop or desktop. Now is the time to tackle the registration process, prepare for online and in-person courses and your individual virtual study path. You MUST set aside a few hours this week to download all the upgrades and schedule in weekly system cleanups.

Also, you may want to consider signing up for an introduction to computer course so that you’ll be more prepared for your classes and stay updated with the technology requirements your school asks that you have.

Credits: pixabay.com

2) Ask yourself and plan as soon as possible — Do you know what school and area you wish to study in for the next few years?

This self-assessment is specifically for the high school seniors, transferring students, and students still in the “planning for college process.” Are you financially capable of the living costs and want to better understand the student body’s perspective from your future college? Are you planning on transferring after this spring semester?

Make time to complete a comprehensive search and customize the search for schools to your liking at Niche.com to know the application deadlines. This website is so helpful and full of great tidbits to assist in preparing you for the next step of your college life. You can also check out the hundreds of reviews left by current and alumni students from the list of schools you have zeroed in on for your future. Don’t be afraid to reach out to the amazing team behind Niche.com for assistance with any questions you may have!

3) What’s the best textbook engine out there for you, you ask?!

You DEFINITELY need to visit uloop.com’s Textbook search engine.

It’s absolutely awesome! With this unique textbook feature, you are able to sell, rent, or purchase textbooks at your leisure. On the right side of the page, you will find your textbooks categorized not necessarily by major, but by the theme of the textbook. If you have not ordered your books for this semester, don’t fret. Go to check the syllabus of the class you are interested in or have already signed up for and check for the name and ISBN number of the textbook(s) required.

Open a new tab at the top of your taskbar in Google Chrome, Internet Explorer, or Mozilla Firefox, and visit the Uloop Textbook search engine. Type in the title, author, and edition number of your textbook and proceed to type in the ISBN number as well. Select the magnifying glass to search the list that pops up and have fun in your thorough textbook search! You will see the pricing and full details of the textbook, and have the options to purchase the textbook or to sell yours.

Be sure to read the reviews of the buyer and write your own reviews after you have used your wonderful textbooks! If you are registering to become a member of the Uloop site, be sure to sign up for the newsletter and email updates found on the right side of the homepage and follow Uloop on your social media outlets!

Credits: pixabay.com

4) Microsoft Office and Outlook will be your best virtual buddies throughout your college life.

The Microsoft Office package is often FREE at participating colleges and sold separately at a discounted price for you as a college student. By downloading this technology for higher education, Microsoft Office is the most convenient way to create and share with your professors your visual presentations, pages of freestyle writing, data entry projects, and to exchange emails with your professional contacts.

Just head on over to Microsoft.com and search on Google for “Office 365 2016 Student Edition,” read about the download process, and match the system requirements before downloading into your hard drive. You may need to have some snacks handy while waiting for these downloads to take their place on your systems.

Credits: pixabay.com

5) More free-to-download technology tips include downloading on home sites — Adobe Acrobat Reader, Skype, Evernote, and MyFitnessPal.

Adobe Acrobat Reader is the most convenient software used for file conversion for PDF files in case you need to submit a digital assignment as such. Skype is for when you need to make national contact using a digital camera or to participate in a virtual interaction for an interview into a campus program, for example. Skype is the new AOL Messenger or student chat app to connect with your study buddies from around the globe or if you’re planning on studying abroad and want to call home.

Evernote is the convenient way to organize your to-do checklists and notifies you of what is next to complete in your daily routine. MyFitnessPal is the virtual preparation way to document your fitness journey which is extremely important to keep up with in college, as you will soon learn.

Remember, health (and free, resourceful technology) is wealth!

Have a wonderful first week back and feel free to leave any comments below about your fresh school year.

Cheers to your new beginning!