Apps That Make University Life Easier (Part 1)
Image from Esther Vargas via Flickr (CC 2.0)
University life can be frantic and exhausting, particularly for foreign students. There’s so much to do, and so little time! From attending lectures and making notes to just unwinding after class, it’s sometimes difficult to stay on top of things.
Don’t fret though, because mobile technology is here to save you. Here are some applications that can be useful, both inside and outside classroom.
- Evernote
This is the ideal platform to manage whatever information you collect at university, in the form of “notes”. These can be pieces of text, handwritten notes, excerpts from web pages, images, or audio files. What’s more, Evernote supports most operating systems, so you can use it on a device of your choice.
Among other things, it also lets you create to-do lists, set reminders, and even share your stuff with others. And the best part – you can locate any piece of information with ease because there are different ways to search for the notes you’ve made.
- Google Drive
A file storage service provided by Google, this is one place where you can store all your documents. In other words, it’s this huge online cabinet that can hold a lot of virtual files of different shapes and sizes. Once uploaded, files can be viewed, edited, or shared instantly. Google Drive for Education, a later version designed for schools, offers a set of tools for classroom collaboration.
Considering that Google apps are widely used in the workplace, being able to use them fluently will help students build career readiness.
- Wikipedia
An online encyclopaedia that’s available absolutely free, Wikipedia, or Wiki, has something on just about everything under the sun. At the last count, it had over 5 million English articles, and that number continues to grow. So, as part of university work, if you need to have some generalised information on any topic, Wiki is the place to visit.
GLOSSARY
| frantic | ||
| Form | : | adjective |
| Meaning | : | done quickly, especially in a way that is not well organised |
| Example | : | The firemen made a frantic attempt to save people from the fire. |
| unwind | ||
| Form | : | verb |
| Meaning | : | to stop worrying and start to relax |
| Example | : | After a long day’s work, Sam likes to unwind for some time. |
| on top of (something) | ||
| Form | : | phrase |
| Meaning | : | be in control of what is happening |
| Example | : | It’s important to stay on top of things when you manage a large team. |
| lend a hand | ||
| Form | : | phrase |
| Meaning | : | to help someone |
| Example | : | Can you please lend me a hand with this bag, it’s very heavy? |
| readiness | ||
| Form | : | noun |
| Meaning | : | the state of being prepared for something |
| Example | : | Schools can help build career readiness in children by teaching them computer skills. |
| under the sun | ||
| Form | : | phrase |
| Meaning | : | used to emphasize that something includes a large number of things |
| Example | : | He has tried everything under the sun to lose weight, but it just hasn’t happened. |
| at the last count | ||
| Form | : | phrase |
| Meaning | : | according to the latest information regarding the numbers of something |
| Example | : | He had hit 47 goals for the season at the last count. |