Way back in 2007, about the time social media and the so-called “conversation” really took off, Miriam Webster’s definition of the term really was about as archaic as it gets. Using “Forms of electronic communication” to intro social media was and is about as useful as the word “explosion” is to describe a thermonuclear blast. Fast forward to today, and using Facebook plus some social networks, apps and so forth, there’s a lot out there to empower students this Fall. Those forms of electronic communication have now become near necessities.
Yep, you can hook up before the semester begins via a virtual maze of school groups and tools. Here are a few tips to help guide you through the educationalist’s various digital innovations for everything from homework to ranting on that evil professor you just can’t stand.
1 - Groups for Schools
This Facebook community and directors allows students to connect and exchange notes, assignments, and just about any sort of announcement or data you can imagine. Unique to each school, the service requires that users at each institution posses their own dot-edu mail addy to sign up. On a personal note, it would be great if I could remember my old College of Charleston mail address so I could mess with some of my professors there (most of whom are artifacts now).
2 -For Rent - Books (You read that correctly)
Yet another semi-social tool for the collegian headed back to campus, Amazon’s popular Textbook Rental service can really put money back into the college student’s pockets. Or at least not take so much out of them. The advertised 70% savings, and the method behind the madness here, just makes sense for anyone who attends or ever attended a university. $100 for a history book reduced to $30 sure buys a lot of beer and pizza. Students just search their required books, then pay the fee, then at the end of the semester, the student returns the book Amazon - get this, they even pay the return shipping. Sweet, huh?
3 - Rate My Professors
Okay, you have to admit it, the idea of “kissing up to” or bashing your college professors has occurred to you. This interesting take on the old review theme puts those pundits of wisdom and profundity on the block to show which intellectuals really make the grade (pun intended) where the student body is concerned. This site/service has been around a while too, but for those of you undecided on which class to take, the benefits seem pretty obvious. I can tell you this, my civil liberties professor never gave out an A - in his life - important facts like this can help that GPA, you know? Beware however, the site has launched a section entitled “Professors Strike Back”, so the idea behind this is no longer one sided.
4 - Did You Say “Prezi”? I Could Have Sworn...
Well, the name makes a lot more sense if you consider Prezi has pretty much reinvented the presentation, at least how a student might prepare for one anyway. IF being inter-connected, having some flexibility, and the capability to create some real Hollywood, eye popping creativity matters, then your classmates and professors may be in for a surprise this Fall. Not new “neither” Prezi has had about a quarter of a billion views online since co-founders Peter Arvai, Péter Halácsy, and Adam Somlai-Fischer launched the popular platform. You need this, really.
5 - When Not Just Any App Will Do - Any.do
When you get out of college you'll probably get into a lot of things associated with “dos” and “do nots”, donations to honey-do lists what comes after college can get a bit cluttered and disorganized. That is unless you’ve master your time scheduling, gotten a handle on handling your life, so to speak. And as the Fall Semester approaches, every college bound digital adapter out there knows, it’s high time they got their act together now. To solve this and later day pains associated with disorganization, Any.do becomes one potent remedy to an anemic organizer’s life force. All profoundness aside, it’s a must on either iOS + Android smart devices on their way to campus. You'll have to wait on the newest web variants though, the platform is still in private beta.
And...
While the list of helpful tools designed to make returning to college has not taken on a life of magnanimous proportions just yet, there are a great number of tools like the ones mentioned above to pick and choose from. This is particularly true where mobile apps are concerned. Just to show the range of things social media users can depend on to help out with college, the infographic I found below speaks of even hooking up with your college roomie for the Fall. Check out this functionality, and also let me know of more I may have missed which you find useful.
Brought to you by ForRent.com
