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Using Technology to Maximize Your Time
By Amber Harding
Technology is often considered a distraction for college students, especially in the world of social media, which often ends up being a way to waste time. However, other forms of technology can help you stay on top of things when life gets hectic, and offer a quick way to stay organized.
In a recent Student Health 101 survey, over 65 percent of respondents said they use computer, tablet, or smartphone apps to monitor their time. The majority of students say digital calendars are the main apps they use.
“Technology has helped me make sure all of my work gets done in a timely fashion. I always have my phone with me, so it’s great to have reminders right at my fingertips,” says Megan H., a psychology major at the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga.
Electronic calendars and to-do lists, especially those that can link, are especially useful when trying to maximize time. For example, Any.do is a task manager app for smartphones. It allows users to sort their tasks and to-dos by date or by customizable folders. Re-I C., a senior at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, explains, “I have been using color-coded calendars for each of my classes and extracurriculars. You can set up alerts and reminders, too. They have really helped me sort out what I need to do when.” For more calendar and task management suggestions, CLICK HERE.
To find out more, start by asking friends what they find useful. You can also get suggestions from instructors, library staff, and your school’s information technology department, and find out if your professors utilize online document sharing or Web-based course management software. In this day and age, technology can be both a help and hindrance. The right apps can help you stay on top of the many things pulling you in different directions.
AMBER HARDING is a recent graduate from the Thompson Rivers University journalism program.
More Tech Savvy Time Management
Many schools have formal relationships with companies (like Google) which provide email services and productivity tools. Contact your school’s information technology department to find out what’s available on your campus.Dropbox offers secure storage for documents and other files so that you can access them from any computer or mobile device, without wasting time emailing and saving to various places.
Googledocs is a similar service, as is Evernote—which offers a place to work on documents, to-do lists, or projects—from a range of devices.
Google Calendar can be used online and also syncs with smartphones. Dean M., a student at University of Ontario Institute of Technology in Oshawa, Canada, suggests sharing calendars with other people. “It’s a way to organize amongst friends, family, and business schedules,” he says.
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