Technology is an increasingly integral part of all of are lives and no where is that more evident than college. A decade ago you could still get away without taking a computer to college with you, but now everything is available online and if you are not comfortable with a variety of digital skills it could affect your grade.
Here we run through five tech skills that all students need to have grasped before starting their college adventure.
1. Search engine research / Google-fu
Knowing how to narrow results and actually find the answers you need is not just a skill for college, but one for life in general. Google is always improving its search algorithm, but sometimes the results you get are not specific enough at first and you need to drill down to get the information you’re after. Google offers a variety of operators that let you be more specific in your search such as putting phrases with quotation marks or using a dash before a term to remove results including that word.
As a student you should also get the hang of Google’s research tool, Google Scholar, which will help you find authoritative and relevant sources from reputable journals to back up your arguments.
2. Typing
Essays mean lots of typing and those that are quicker and more accurate at typing will have an easier time. Dictation software may have improved massively in recent years, but it is quicker to type than speak and you have the bonus of not annoying those around you.
You can learn touch typing yourself using a variety of free programmes and tutorials available online or you can take classes. Typing is a skill for life.
3. Office basics
Whether you are using Google Docs or Microsoft Office tools like Word or Excel to complete your assignments – you need to be comfortable using the software you choose.
Content is king, but layout and styling is important for clarity. You need to know how to title, add sub-headings, references and more – and if you know the keyboard shortcuts then even better.
4. Email and messaging (Slack)
We all use email every day to communicate with friends and colleagues, but it is integral to college life. Email is often the only way notices and assignments are sent out to students and for you to contact your tutors. Make sure your email is setup on your phone with notifications switched on as soon as you get started at college so you don’t miss anything important.
Instant communication between peers is also hugely useful while at college as you learn to work in teams with your peers that may be working from locations spread out across an entire city. Slack is a great way to keep everyone updated on how your part of a project is coming along and has already found thousands of fans in businesses and on campuses around the world.
5. Find help when you need it
Your peers and your tutors should always be your first port of call when looking for help while at college, but the internet also offers a variety of options if you know where to look. Question and Answer (Q&A) sites like Quora or StackExchange let you ask for help from experts in their fields, while sites like Eduzaurus.com can be of help with your essays.
Photograph by Vadim Sherbakov / Unsplash