It used to be the case that students had nothing more than a pile of books, a pen and paper to aid them with their studies, but now a huge amount of courses rely heavily on the internet and technology. From Blackboard to Turn It In, most universities, and even some schools, are using technology as a means of enhancing students’ learning experience. Aside from the programmes being used by universities, what technological devices will be most useful to you as a student?
Tablets
Lugging a laptop to your lectures isn’t the most appealing option, but handwritten notes can be difficult to revise from and are easily lost. Tablets are the perfect compromise as they’re small, light and particularly travel-friendly, and you can even attach keyboards to some of them if you find it difficult to type on a touch screen. They don’t have to be expensive either, and you don’t have to splash out on an iPad any more thanks to other brands brining out more affordable options. You can also download books onto them, meaning most days all you’ll need to take to your lectures is your tablet.
Smartphones
A smartphone is a university essential, especially if you’re on campus all day every day and not always sat at a computer. Receiving university emails direct to your phone is incredibly useful, as it means you’ll never miss updates about cancelled lectures or fun things going on around campus that day. You’ll also be able to contact staff and other students no matter where you are, so you won’t have to run around searching for a free computer just to send a simple email.
Blackboard App
If your university uses Blackboard – an internet-based learning platform – then downloading the app version on your tablet or smartphone could be the best thing you ever do. You’ll never need to print work sheets or slide shows when doing group work, and revision can be paperless meaning there’s less clearing out to do when you move house at the end of each academic year.
Obviously a laptop you can keep at home is still an essential and student bundles from somewhere like SCC Trade can help to keep costs down. A few extra pieces of technology for on-the-go use can really help to enhance your university experience though, so it’s well worth investing in some new gadgets if your budget can stretch to it.
