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.
Being a college student is expensive – tuition, fees, books, housing, food…all these things cost money and sometimes we need a little extra spending money. Opening an online store is a great way to make extra income as a college student. Read the rest of this entry »
New bargain websites have made even the most meager salaries seem like a lot more, which can be essential in today’s economy. Bargain websites have helped many people find deals and save money of necessary purchases. If saving money is the goal, bargain websites can help consumers of every income level. The recession woes will be a distant memory of the past.
Learn how to locate the bargains. This guide will provide you with some of the best bargains available. Read the tips and apply them in your daily life for the best results.
1. Sign Up for Email Lists
When you are on the list for your favorite companies, they will often send information on discounts to entice you to make purchases and to retain loyal customers. Customers who are not on the email lists may not receive access to these discounts. Email lists are one of the best ways to really save money on items nearly everyone needs. Travel companies such as TravelZoo.com offer some of the best travel rates available.
2. Sign Up for Free Quotes
Sign up for free quotes online to compare prices of insurance products, home loans or other big ticket items. InsuranceQuotes.org is a great example of a website that helps consumers obtain free quotes. Consumers should sign up for as many quotes as it takes to find the best product for the lowest price. Comparison sites save money and time and are usually relatively easy to use.
3. Sign up for Daily Deals
Daily deals are often sent to the recipients email account. Within the email, consumers may have a certain period of time to take advantage of the deal. The discounts are tremendous and are often as much as 80 percent. These are considerable savings for people who are accustomed to paying full price for everything. Businesses welcome daily deals because the deals generate traffic and create opportunities for larger sales. YellowPages.com, and countless other websites, feature daily deals.
4. Sign Up for Coupon Lists
Coupon lists can help you save on grocery items, beauty items, electronics and other merchandise. Coupons are available for nearly every item on the market. Searching is required to obtain the best deals. Every month, bargain hunters save hundreds simply by clipping coupons and obtaining free samples. Coupon lists can get you the items you need and the savings you want. Common coupon lists include SmartyMarket.com or CouponCabin.com.
5. Sign Up for Online Discount Shops
Online discount shops often offer merchandise cheaper than the original manufacturer. Some shops offer prices at wholesale to generate traffic for businesses. Online discount shops offer incredible savings. These websites may have a wide array of products offered to consumers. Furniture, computers, toiletries and other items may be featured in online stores. Amazon.com offers considerable discounts to consumers looking to save money.
More and more employers are requiring a college education, but with the rising cost of tuition, it’s hard for low and middle class students to afford one. There are many financial aid packages available and some are contingent on your school, but some of them are only about you.
Scholarships are one of the best ways to get help paying for college because you don’t have to pay the money back. Something many college students don’t realize is there are scholarships out there for almost everyone. You don’t have to be the best student or a star athlete to qualify.
There are many different types and categories for scholarships and one of the most popular areas is minority scholarships. You can qualify for one of these by simply being a part of a minority group. There are also career-based scholarships if you already know what career path you want to take. Other areas include religious and military scholarships.
When looking for scholarships, first talk to your school(s) of choice and their financial aid department. They can point you in the right direction and hopefully give you some guidance. Many universities offer scholarships from endowments or alumni programs. Another way to find scholarships is the internet. There are many search engines that will help you find the right scholarships for you.
Textbooks are one of the most expensive costs for a college student, especially if you’re going into a major that is heavy on reading. If you’re a broke college student, finding cheap textbooks is a priority. It’s also not hard to do.
Do I need this book?
The first step is to figure out what books you need and how much you actually need them. I haven’t always used my textbooks, which led me to start asking the professor if the book is really needed. Most professors will be honest and tell you how much you need it. Sometimes you can get away with borrowing a classmate’s book if you only need the book a few times.
eBook or real book
Once you know you need a book, decide whether you want to buy a real book or an eBook. The upside to an eBook is obviously price and the downsides are that you have to read it on an electronic device and you can’t resell it at the end of the semester. Depending on your needs, make a decision.
Renting or owning
If you’ve settled on a real book, the next step is to decide if you want to rent or own the book. The upside to renting is it’s cheaper, but the downside is you can’t sell it at the end of the semester. If the book is going to be worthless at the end of the semester and you know this, go with renting. If you can sell it back to Amazon or another online marketplace with a textbook buy back program, own it.
Finding the best price
Throughout your search for a book, you will need to compare textbooks and find the best price…and the Internet is here to help. The easiest way to find cheap college books is to search websites for the ISBN and compare prices. There are tons of websites out there for you to compare prices easily and having the ISBN is the best way to do it.
In the world of the internet and ebooks, another avenue to earn extra money is to self-publish books. If you are a decent or good writer, this can be an easy way to supplement your income.
Write Your Book
The first step to self publishing is to write your book. Figure out what kind of book you want to write. Start with an outline and then fill in the gaps. Niche books do a lot better because you will have less competitors. Once you’ve finished writing, review and revise. Then send it to some friends to get their opinions.
Publish Your Book
Once you’ve finished writing your book, it’s time to publish it. There are many book publishers online that offer self publishing for ebooks, including Amazon and Lulu. Do some research and decide which book publisher is the right one for you.
Promote Your Book
To get the most out of your self published ebook, you need to promote it. There are ways to promote your ebook for free, on message boards and blogs, and ways that cost money, like search engine ads. If you don’t want to spend money promoting your book, you will need to spend some time. Look for blogs and websites that are relevant to your ebook and post comments with links to your book.
If you want to take it a step further, create a niche blog and link to your book. If you are good with websites and search engine optimization, you can get traffic funneled to your self published ebook with some up-front effort and little maintenance down the road.
When I think of a metal detector, I often think of a retired fellow combing the beach looking for buried treasures and old coins. But actually, they are much more useful, even for a college student. If you’re looking for extra ways to earn cash that are unique and interesting, try investing in a metal detector.
There is a pretty large market for metal detectors and there are different ones that specialize in different metals. There are small metal detectors for children, detectors specifically for coins or gold, and ones that work underwater. You can also find a lot of resources to become more efficient and effective with your detecting. This is a fun hobby that can net you extra cash without too much effort, especially if you already like walking or hiking.
