Technology
by Jacob Elspas, Staff Blogger
MommyBlogExpert.com
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Beyond text books, the smartphone is now the most essential tool for a college student to own. Most only see these smart devices as a way to check email, share and view Snapchats, post to Instagram, take selfies and photos of friends, and surf the web. Yet, there are so many more ways beyond the obvious that these can help you survive and thrive in college.
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| Photo by Raphael Elspas, MommyBlogExpert.com |
Getting Homework Assignments
You might not have thought of this one before, but it has been a real lifesaver for me plenty of times. As a current college student, I like to schedule my classes so that they are basically back to back. That way I don’t have to wait around for my next class to start. The problem is I'm often rushing from one class to the next and I don’t usually have time to copy down the homework my professor writes on the board at the end of class. So instead, I pull out my smartphone and snap a quick photo of the whiteboard on my way out of the classroom. Then I can actually multi-task as I walk to my next class, skimming over what the night's assignment will be so I can start thinking about it. Later in the day when I'm ready to hunker down and attack my work assignments, I can simply refer to my saved photos and voila, there they are.
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| Photo by Raphael Elspas, MommyBlogExpert.com |
This smartphone idea comes in handy if you go to school on a very large campus and need to get somewhere you've never been before quickly between classes. It's also good when you first start going to a new community college or university and don’t know the layout of the school very well yet and have trouble finding your way around. And if you’re like me, then you are too shy to ask someone, but also don’t want to look too conspicuous like a newbie carrying a big paper map around. Look savvy instead by just downloading a map of the campus onto your smartphone ahead of time. Then, when you do get lost just whip out your phone and use the map to find your way. No one, but you, will be all the wiser. Besides, it is much easier to have everything you need in one place on your smartphone rather than to have to worry about carrying around extra things like a campus map.
In Case of Emergencies
Hey, emergencies can and do happen to college students. Maybe your bike gets stolen or you miss the last train or bus back to school and you find yourself stranded somewhere off campus at night in an unfamiliar neighborhood. Or maybe you are involved in a car or pedestrian accident. Maybe you even get robbed, attacked, or you are in the area when a fire starts suddenly. A smartphone is the best and fastest way to call 911 and get help in a true emergency situation. Even under less dire circustances, it makes it possible for you to quickly get in touch with your parents, authority figures, or someone else who get help you assess the situation and figure out what to do next.
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| Photo by Raphael Elspas, MommyBlogExpert.com |
When the Stress Just Gets to be Too Much
Stress is a natural part of of being in college and students have many different ways of dealing with it. However, stress can also appear at some pretty random times and a smartphone is a great way to help you cope. That's why it's so great when you just need a temporary escape from the chaos around you, to be able to open up a favorite game on your phone or plug in some headphones and listen to some music to unwind. Either way, it is a great device to use to relieve some of the stress that comes with the territory of being a college student under academic pressure throughout the school year.
Help With Your Social Life
Having a life beyond the classroom isn’t just about going to parties and talking to people in person. Nowadays, more than ever, the bigger part of making friends and making time to hang out is done via smartphone -- whether it's through phone calls, texting, Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp or other high tech ways of connecting. You really need a smartphone on campus, both so you can contact people and they can contact you. If you're home sick or find out you can't make it to class at the last minute, it's an efficient way to reach out to get a friend to take notes for you. Besides, how can I get a cute girl's number if one of us doesn't have a smartphone?
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| Photo by Raphael Elspas, MommyBlogExpert.com |
This is just the tip of the iceberg of the myriad of ways for college students to think outside the box and take advantage of all that smartphones have to offer. What other innovatives ways can you think of to use a smartphone at college? I look forward to reading your comments and hearing what you think.
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My stepson is off at college and he's working 20 hours a week in addition to f/t classes. He would be lost without his phone.
ReplyDeleteI love smartphones for staying productive. You can get all kinds of word processing software for them these days.
ReplyDeleteSmartphones really do make everything easier. Now that you can write notes on the screen, they've become even more useful.
ReplyDeleteMy cousin relies on her smartphone for Uber and ride share connections to get around the host town. I agree, having a smartphone on hand is a crucial tool for college students!
ReplyDeleteI have a while before my son needs to go off to college, but he will have a phone I want him to be safe!
ReplyDeleteI use the trick of snapping a photo instead of copying down instructions all the time with my phone! It is just so much faster! And then I don't have to sit and try to figure out what i wrote down with my scribbling in such a hurry!
ReplyDeleteThese are great tips. I don't have kiddos heading off to college yet - but when I do these will be great tips! - Jeanine
ReplyDeleteYou know, I'm not sure of all the ways my daughters used their cell phones for while they were in college. I know my daughter would use it to call me when she would walk through the parking lot at night.
ReplyDeleteThese are great tips. Smartphones have so many uses for students. It's hard to imagine kids going to college without them!
ReplyDeleteI tell you, I wish that I had a cell when I was in college. These tips are so right-on and so helpful. :) Thanks for sharing
ReplyDeleteYou can also use the voice recorder on your smartphone. I don't know what we did before we had smartphones. I would be lost without mine.
ReplyDeleteThese are great tips! I use my camera to snap photos for later remembrance too. Great tool when you don't want/or have time to write things down
ReplyDeleteWhy did I never think of snapping a pic of the night's homework instead of writing it down? I finished attending on-campus classes about 5 years ago and it was really popular to take notes on computers and stuff. Me? I stayed old school with a notebook and pen. I could have saved so much time if I just stayed with the times, haha.
ReplyDeleteI could use a new phone. I will need to look into this one when I go to buy one.
ReplyDeleteThose are great ways to use a cell phone. I need to get my son a cell phone soon!
ReplyDeleteNavigating your way around a new campus can be so overwhelming! A smartphone is a smart tool to use to get around.
ReplyDeleteMy kids are both attending university right now and they use their smartphones daily for their studies. I wish their were smartphones when I went to school.
ReplyDeleteSmartphones can really make campus life easier! I'm glad there's been such great advances in that technology!
ReplyDeleteIn college I would have been lost without my phone! I was involved and on the board of several different organizations and was also a student athlete. To say my phone was my lifeline would be an understatement. Without it I never would have known where to be.
ReplyDelete