A lot of fuss is being made over mobile devices and studying, but mobile devices are sometimes more limiting than they are helpful. People claim that they are good for creating things such as mind maps, but is not desktop computer going to be able to create mind maps easier and with more sophistication? Here is a list that has tried to keep modern fads out of the picture and concentrate on gadgets that are actually useful for a student.
1 – A desktop computer
Be it a laptop or a PC, you are going to have a lot of success studying with one. It gives you access to the Internet, to a massive amount of online tools and resources, and it has to processing power to take on some very sophisticated software. All of these factors may be leveraged in order to make your studying easier and more effective.
2 – A mobile e-reader
A tablet that allows you to read digital text is convenient, and is going to make reading digital text easier. Even if you are not buying kindle books or digital text books, you can still read a lot of digital information a lot easier on e-readers. It means that all of those online journals and PDF books may be read at the students’ leisure, without having to do it from a digital screen.
3 – Noise reduction earphones
These are fairly common and come in two varieties. There are the ones that block out most of the noise without any music playing. And, there are those that block out the external noise if you have music playing in them. Either way, if the student is forced to live in noisy conditions, then this gadget may be useful.
4 – A stop-clock timer
This is actually to help the student’s studying productivity. The idea is to set the alarm clock for 5 or 10 minute intervals. The intervals are used to dictate a change in topic or task, and are used to check up on the student’s activity. An easily distracted student will realize that he or she has been distracted when the alarm dings and they realize they are staring at the ceiling. The timer will also help the student set out his or her study breaks, to help avoid burnout.
5 – An LDC writing pad or a white board
Either one of these is going to help the student to plan or study. They are good for creating study lists and for creating mind maps. They may be used to write down research notes or to make a checklist of studying related things that they must do.
6 – A smart pen
You can buy the expensive one that uses a camera to record everything that you write on a piece of paper. Or, you can buy the pen and pad that allows you to write/draw on it and have the text come up on the computer. Both are good for creating study notes that do not need to be scanned or copied onto a computer.
7 – A digital camera
It may be used to create photo comics of the things that are relevant to your studies. For example, you could photograph design elements for your interior design course, or photograph inspirational nature scenes that you would like to use for your art coursework. You may photograph areas or articles for your study into archeology or history, or simply photograph the life cycle of a fruit fly for your ecology classes.
8 – A scientific calculator
This is ideal for any student who is learning a math subject, or who is learning a scientific subject. They are also allowed in to some exams, so it may be essential that some students own one.
9 – An MP3 player
With this you may record your own notes and play them to yourself as you walk around or are driving in your car. Better still, you can buy audio books and audio lessons on things such as other languages. Learning other languages via audio is far better than learning from books, and your MP3 player means that you are not limited by your location (unless you are swimming).
10 – A tablet device
This devices uses are limited when it comes to studying. Its best function is probably the fact that you can create flashcards with it. The act of creating the cards helps to reinforce the information in your mind, and you may then study the cards when you are out and about.
This guest post is written by Sonia Jackson from http://www.cool-essays.com. She writes essays on different topics and can give you useful advice.