College Being

Students now have it so much easier than those that were in school 12+ years ago. Technology has made it so much easier to do online research, stay organized, keep up with deadlines, collaborate with classmates and have online discussions; even 1st graders get to have iPads in the classroom. It’s only inevitable that soon laptops or tablets will be a part of the required school supplies for most grade levels.

With the advancement in technology also comes an abundance of online tools and services for students. The top-notch tools listed below will help any student whether in grade school or college. Let’s take a look at the top 7 online tools students should use.

Notely

Notely is a great time management tool that helps students stay organized with notes, to-do lists and a course and assignment calculator. It’s great for those who need help keeping track of assignments and due dates. Each time you login you’ll get to see which deadlines are approaching. With the calendar, schedule builder and homework planner students can take control of their hectic lives and make time for studying and assignments. The Word-like note taking interface doubles as an online word processor with formatting options that are very similar to Google Docs.

Backpack

Backpack is just what the name insinuates: Click to continue reading…

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In primary school, it is more or less impossible to effectively avoid teachers that are known to be awful. You either get assigned to their class or you don’t. Once you’re in, you’re stuck. Although many a parent has complained about a teacher being “unfair” to their child, it is the policy of most schools that unless there is abuse of some sort, a kid will stay in the classroom they are assigned to.

But now you’re in college and things are a bit different. You not only get to choose the classes you want to take, but even general education courses that are mandatory often come with several time slots and teachers to choose from. And once you get to your major study, you’ll be limited to a smaller department and faculty, but you still have some latitude when it comes to selecting the classes and teachers you prefer. So how can you tell which teachers to avoid? There are actually several ways to find out. Click to continue reading…

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Image by Ben Rollman

Trying to balance the cost of living with tuition, car payments, and basic living needs while you are going to school can be tricky. With all of the different expenses students are responsible for, it is often necessary to cut back on some items and get creative with your budget. Setting ground rules and goals is imperative to putting away some extra cash.

The first rule of thumb is to eliminate excess. Excess can be defined as any extraneous or unnecessary items that you can live without. For example, do you really need cable TV? With programs like Hulu, Netflix, and YouTube, you can often stream television on your computer for free or with a small fee.

Additionally, reduce the number of times you eat out during the week. Eating out can cause an enormous drain on your budget. Get creative with your meals and try new things. If you have a stove available in your dorm or rental, host an ethnic foods night. Foods like lentils, rice, and beans are very cheap and easy to prepare. Sharing with other people means you won’t waste anything and you may be able to get your friends to host on other nights saving you both time and money.

Shop at discount stores. Hit up thrift stores for vintage clothing or discount racks for reduced price items. Look for bulk bins at grocery stores or co-operatives or try to buy non-perishable items like toilet paper and paper towels in bulk. You’re going to use it at some point, so you may as well buy it at a good price.

A car can be a source of major financial drain. Click to continue reading…

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