Did you know that, in a Pew Research Center survey taken last March, 67 percent of people between the ages of 18 and 24 said they have a smartphone? Two-thirds of young adults! And that’s not even counting the ones that are using iPads.
That means a whole lot of college students are carrying around mobile devices. But is there any educational value to this technology (other than the ability to Google answers and make your professor think you’re a genius)? Of course! Here are some of the best apps that college students can use to help them study and do better in class.
Dragon Dictation
Taking notes in class can be such a chore, especially when your professor talks like the Micro Machines guy. (YouTube it if the reference is too dated, kids.) The point is, it used to be that your only alternative to taking notes was to record the lecture and play it back later. That’s great, but sometimes you just want to be able to read what was said. Well, now you can, because Dragon Dictation is a free (!) iPhone and iPad app that will record your professor’s lecture and instantly transform what he or she is saying into text. Awesome!
Tired of writing flashcards out by hand or typing and printing them? StudyBlue Flashcards is a free app that works on just about any mobile device (Android and anything Apple), and it boasts lots of benefits that regular flashcards don’t. First off, you can access cards created by other users, so there’s no need to recreate common flashcards that a dozen people have already made for you. Second, you can set the app up so that you get study reminders. And finally, these flashcards actually keep score, so you know how well you’re doing and where to focus your studying efforts.
Much of college is dedicated to working on larger projects, and often that means teaming up with other people. Dropbox makes group work a breeze by allowing you to share documents on the cloud and choose who gets access to what. It’s also nice for when you somehow forgot to turn in that paper and can show your professor that you really are sending it while you’re standing in front of them instead of cheating and adding a few final touches.
Sign up for Dropbox with your student email and get double space!
Graphing Calculator
Okay, obviously not every college student is going to need one of these, but consider this. Before apps, anyone in math, science, or technology-related fields would have to spend at least $50 (and often $100 or more) to get a good graphing calculator. Want to know how much this app featured in Time magazine costs? $1.99. See, sometimes technology really does make things better. Except maybe for Texas Instruments.
For college students who do like to take notes or documenting things, Evernote is essential. It lets you record lectures, jot down information, take photos, store documents, and even “favorite” websites for research purposes. But the best part is that you can keep all of this information in a single, easy to find location so that when you’re studying for your essay on Chaucer or your Bio midterm, you can just access that folder and everything will be there waiting for you. Pretty convenient.
Samuel Clemens is a former educator who spends his time reviewing study materials for students. Click here to view the study guide he recommends for Shakespeare’s Macbeth.
Teachers are one of the most important class of people in our society because they are responsible for educating our future generations. And unfortunately in the United States, we don’t value teachers like we should. Purchasing school supplies and classroom products often falls on the shoulders of individual teachers.
Fortunately there are many places to find classroom products and learn about teacher education online. Some products include card sets, flip charts and flash cards to help students improve their academic success. You want to make sure that you are setting your students up for success by using the right teaching strategies. By using a critical thinking strategy guide, you will help your students learn through different styles, leading to an increased chance of success.
Flash cards and flip charts can also help your students improve their learning skills and allow you to learn better strategies for teaching. Vocabulary is one of the most important areas of learning for students and by using the right teaching tools, more students will do better in school.
You will recollect your college years long after your graduation. A wave of nostalgia will definitely wash over you at least once a month, whenever you pay your college loan.
Unlike employment and high salaries, college graduates can be certain of their loan debt. The extended repayment plan, for instance, can last up to 25 years. By that time, they are likely to need a new college loan for their children’s education. The college loan debt is like a deep scar on your budget that will take decades to heal.
Here are some simple, but effective suggestions to ease that burden: Read the rest of this entry »
As the world continues to sign up to the most popular social media outlets on the web, debt collectors (and others) are using this trend to their advantage. Social media sites are a new found gold mine for debt collectors trying to track people down. Just think of how much information people post to these sites. In some instances, significant information can be gleaned about someone simply from glancing at their profile. Debt collectors are looking for things like employment information, current residence, nicknames, aliases, and even information on the person’s family and friends.
Special Committee
These types of problems have gotten so bad that the FTC had to establish a committee in August of 2011 that was created to deal specifically with these collectors’ use of social media. In fact, Betsy Lordan, a spokeswoman for the FTC, even said that “The FTC receives more complaints about the debt collection industry than any other specific industry.” If you can’t already tell, these debt collectors are vultures and seem to stop at nothing until they can contact the indebted to collect. Read the rest of this entry »
MindMaple is a mind mapping software that can be used in a variety of creative ways. Mind mapping allows users to organize thoughts and ideas in a visual map. This helps you to make new insightful connections between ideas and creates a great opportunity for collaboration and team brainstorming. Mind mapping is also a great tool for note-taking, organizing schedules and projects, and more.
This image, made using MindMaple, illustrates how mind mapping can be used for organizing notes and outlines:
MindMaple just launched a free version of their software, called MindMaple Lite. MindMaple Lite features the same intuitive interface and essential features as the full version of Mindmaple. Best of all, it’s free! You can download MindMaple Lite from the MindMaple company website, www.mindmaple.com.
To celebrate the launch of MindMaple Lite, MindMaple is sponsoring a mind mapping contest and offering a $250 Amazon.com gift card to the winner. To enter, send an original, creative mind map made using Mindmaple to office@mindmaple.com and like the MindMaple facebook page (www.facebook.com/mindmaple). A winner will be announced on June 15.
The full version of MindMaple offers additional options for design and export, and is available for a $9.99 annual subscription or a $49.99 lifetime license.
Even though you’re a young, healthy adult you still need health insurance in case you get sick or injured. Some college students don’t get sick often, but having insurance means paying less for everyday prescriptions like birth control, and gives you a financial cushion in case you break a bone or get into a car accident.
Luckily as a college student, you can stay on your parents’ health insurance until you’re 26, thanks to President Obama. But if you can’t or don’t want to go through your parents, you can still find affordable health insurance on your own.
Many universities offer their students health insurance plans, but sometimes they aren’t the best policies you can get for your money. Finding affordable health insurance is easier than you think since you can get quotes online. It’s also easier once you have your own health insurance policy to continue it when you get older if your employer doesn’t offer their own.
Finding student health plans is a simple matter of comparison shopping online. There are plenty of websites available to help you find the best health insurance policy, that will fit your lifestyle and your budget. Find quotes for affordable health insurance here.
Over the years, scientists have been discovering new and improved ways to reduce the amount of bacteria and disease in hospitals. From cleansing the hands every few minutes, to changing the entire medical uniform, drastic changes are constantly being made with the nursing and hospital staff to ensure the safety, health and well-being of all the patients that enter the hospitals and surgeries on a daily basis.
Nurses have been known to wear uniforms for years; however, surgeons would perform operations in the everyday clothes. The beginning of the 1900s saw the introduction of nursing scrubs, which came about as an attempt to “scrub up” the medical environment and make it a cleaner and more hygienic place for everybody.
Whereas uniform was once not a very big issue in hospitals, it’s now one of the most important things. Doctors began wearing masks in the early 20th century; however, it was more for their own safety than for the safety and well-being of their patients. Now, doctors, dentists and nurses are required to wear masks, gloves and other necessary equipment that will keep both them and the patient as hygienic and as safe as possible.
If you visit a hospital, you’ll find that you need to wash your hands when you come into the hospital, before you leave and possibly at various intervals during your visit. While this seems tiring and tedious most of the time, it’s a very important factor in helping you, the medical staff and the patients remain clean.
Although we take nurse scrubs for granted, the history behind them is really quite fascinating. The materials used and the nature of medical scrubs are the ideal things to use for staying hygienic and as clean as possible whilst in the hospital.
