Calvetica – Nice layout. Allows a different landscape view of what’s on your calendar. It allows you to pick which of your calendars you already sync with the native calendar show up here. Not only does it pull info from the native calendar, the native calendar is updated with changes you make so if you just need it for some reason, the info is there. Allows you to look at just a list of appointments for that day, an 8-5 day, or all 24 hours in the day. Turn it landscape and you can look at the whole week like it’s usually laid out in a planner (days side by side) or you can look at each day and just the appointments each day. You can also look at the whole month at once, send yourself notifications about events, etc. The bad? Hard to edit existing calendar items if you need to change anything other than duration, you can’t pick a custom repeat so stuck with the same ones in iPhone calendar, and it’s a little wonky when trying to do a multiday event (I tried to do a 2 day event that was all-day both days but if you do that, you can’t choose 48 hours, you have to choose less than 48 hours or it makes your event 3 days). Conclusion: Decent, but missing a few things I need. [the version that is available for free download is version 3.7. the newest version, 4.1, is $2.99]

Planner – Does not automatically sync with the iPhone native calendar. If you’re like me and already have a full calendar on the iPhone or with Google, it’s rather difficult to accept an app where you’ll have to re-enter everything. You also have to have the pro version in order to get notifications about things on your calendar or even set up repeating tasks. That being said, it allows you to view a whole month or a single day, to keep track of what you planned to do today versus what you actually did today, and to keep statistics on what you spend your time on. Conclusion: Great ideas, but again, not for me.

Organizer Lite – Similar to Planner, this app doesn’t sync with the native calendar. I also found it somewhat difficult to actually enter tasks, though the ability for free text, inserting pictures, emoji and linking tasks with contacts in the phone is nice. You can view your calendar by the day and by the month (default is by the day). Easy on the eyes. Conclusions: Decent, but missing a few things I need.

Planner& Lite – Very nice layout. This app allows you to set appointments, list tasks, make notes and set reminders. You can view your calendar by the day, week, or month. Very easy to access and change settings, export what’s in the app to google docs (or import), export via mail, or access a web server. You can also set a password for the app and search through all your appointments, etc for that one task you knew you had but didn’t remember when it was. Biggest downside is that the app does not sync with the native calendar or google calendars. Conclusion: Would be an A+ if it had a sync feature in free version.

Organizer – Pretty cool app. Lets you do your grocery list, calendar, to do list, add others to your calendar, see what others are doing, and chat with your family. It really is meant to keep up with multiple people at once, so great if you’re going back to school and managing a household or trying to keep up with several siblings, etc. You must register to even use this app, but it’s similar to Mom Planner (same company). This doesn’t automatically sync with the native calendar, but just like Planner & Lite, this would be fantastic if that feature was automatically available (or if I didn’t have to register to even try it out).

There were a few other free calendars out there like SnapCal and Pimp Your Calendar, but I’d just be repeating the same as I have already. I wasn’t truly impressed with any of the calendars enough to make them true replacements for the native iPhone calendar. If you haven’t used the native app yet, these might be really great to start with, but not expandable enough if you want to sync or move the calendar later.

Are there any apps I missed? I still haven’t found the perfect one for me, but for many students the native calendar or one of these will suffice. If you know of one that is amazing, share with the world by posting in the comments.

Related posts:

1. School Planner (or Life Planner) Organization 101
2. How to: Sync Outlook to Android
3. Web Design, Part Deux: Dreamweaver, Arachnophilia and Coffee Cup

Image from http://aonewayticket.files.wordpress.com

1. Listen. Yes, I know you’re tired of hearing that, especially if you have nothing but 8 am classes. But listening is the step before comprehending. Even if you’re stuck in a class where you never plan on using the material again, listen to what the professor is saying (or not saying) and ask questions. If you’re nervous about asking questions in class, write them down and ask them immediately after class. If you sit through class and never listen, you don’t know what’s important enough to look up after class!

2. Listen….just later. I will admit that I sometimes fell asleep or totally zoned out in class. Especially if it was early morning or after a meal. Even if you’re wide awake, remembering points your professor made can be difficult several hours later. Ask your professor if it is ok to record their lecture on a personal digital recorder for note taking later (and PLEASE don’t keep them after you’re finished or sell them to someone else. it can bring on major trouble). Some professors are ok with it and others are not. If you have a special learning need that really does make your learning better by being able to listen at your own pace later, find your college’s learning assistance center (confidential) and confirm the need. They have a lot of power to help you!

3. Rewrite your notes and merge with notes from class readings. The best notetaking tip I ever got was learning how to take notes in a way that helped me. Everyone doesn’t do well just scribbling on a page. Everyone doesn’t do well just reading a book. Sometimes you have to mix the two. I learned to do my class reading and take notes on half the page, then follow these notes and write clarifying notes in the other half the page during course lecture. It was magical! Of course this might not work for you, but check the web for different styles on sites like this PDF or check with your advisor – they may have plenty of tools to help!

4. Ask the professor if there are good references, tutoring services, or alternative help available. The professor is the “subject matter expert” (most of the time…I admit there are some that I don’t know how they got their job). They should be able to point your toward known university resources (which can include free tutoring) or existing help services. If it wasn’t for services like tutoring or extra help classes, I wouldn’t have made it through a couple of my large intro classes. You could also get or make study guides. If you know the important stuff the professor talked about, make yourself a test or quiz of sorts and use that as your basis for going back through class notes and the book to get as much info as possible before a test. If it turns out none of what he emphasized was on the test, talk to the prof to find out what you missed and do better next time.

5. Improve your reading speed and comprehension. The best class I took was an inadvertent try to keep from falling below full time. I took speed reading, learned several ways of reading and improving my comprehension of reading, and then was able to take that and do better in class. Just note – this class isn’t just for slackers, jocks, and folks that just can’t read well. I went into the class with great comprehension and reading more than 1000 words per minute and came out reading almost 1500 words per minute and increased comprehension.

What tips do you have for people trying to do better in class?? Did any of these work for you?

Related posts:

1. Back to School 2011! Get psyched!
2. School Planner (or Life Planner) Organization 101
3. 5 Listening and Note taking Skills that Work

Please post in the comments if there is an item you think I’ve missed or if there is something else that really helped you get ready for college.

General gift cards to places like Amazon, Chegg or visa gift cards (or cash) can be great so you can buy books online in the fall and save some cash. The bookstore is HORRIBLE for the most part price wise for buying books. Also check the library on campus if you need a book and can’t afford or are waiting on yours to arrive.

ramen noodles – staple of the college diet

Related posts:

1. Back to School 2011: Part 2
2. 6 Sites You Have to Go Back to School With
3. Making the Most Out of Your College Career

photo credit: allancaplan

It’s back to school time, and I wanted to share with you a great resource I put together for college students two years ago – the Back to School Series. You’ll find in this collection of posts great tips and tricks for heading back to school – college or high school, and even for a professional who has been on the job for a while.

Related posts:

1. Final tips for a great school year
2. Test Taking Skills that Produce Results
3. Reading Skills that Produce Results

1. Emurse is an online resume maker with features such as a quick resume generator, activity tracking, resume templates and multi-format download. This is great if you are starting early with your job search or looking for a job on campus.
2. Rondee.com is a free telephone conferencing service that is free and full-featured. Need to chat with your group members about your project? Want to get your parents and grandparents on the phone to beg for cash? This is an easy way to do it.
3. DailyLit allows you to conveniently read books by email or in your RSS reader, for much less than purchasing them, and without dragging yourself to the local library branch. Each book is broken down into segments of about 5 minutes reading time, so you can read a section a day and be well on your way to reading more classics and new releases than you ever thought possible!
4. imo.im keeps getting more and more sophisticated! This online instant messenger application allows you to instant message and video chat with friends on most of the popular clients – AIM, Y! Messenger, GTalk and more — and it’s free!
5. Newser keeps you on top of current news… forget going to multiple news sites to get your news, just visit Newser! This no-registration required site is full of cool features, such as mouseover popup summaries of articles and easy to navigate sections.
6. txt2day.com has replaced my cell phone as my favorite way to send text messages when I’m in class charging my phone. Not only is it free, but you can set your reply to address as your email address, for easy and speedy replies!

Related posts:

1. 4 Sites you HAVE to Bookmark
2. imo.im – A Meebo killer?
3. Gmail’s new features are delightful!

This is the time to get to know yourself and determine what you want to do with your life. You will have time to think about what you want to do, whether it is become a doctor or teacher, travel to a third world country to volunteer, or start a non profit, and map out a plan on how to get there.

Good luck!

Below is a mash-up of some of the best posts on the web for college students. Enjoy!

• 10 Tips for College Students
• Perfect Your Presentations
• 25 Tips to Help You Survive and Thrive Your Freshman Year and Beyond
• Choosing a College Major: How to Chart Your Ideal Path
• Advice for Students: Slow Down and Read
• Students @ Lifehacker
• College Professor Pet Peeves and Positive Student Behaviors
• Learn a Foreign Language on the Cheap
• Advice for Students: Use a Wiki for Better Note Taking
• How College is Different from High School
• It’s Never Too Early — or Too Late — to Visit Your College Career Office
• 10 Tips for Getting Good (or Better) Grades
• What Good is a College Education Anyway? The Value of a College Education
• The Insomniac’s Guide of Things To Do When Failing to Sleep
• Tutorial: Colorful Waterfall Charts in Excel
• 18 Tips for Killer Presentations
• 10 Tips for Razor Sharp Concentration
• Six Ways to Start the Writing Process
• A Beginner’s Guide to Mind Mapping Meetings

Related posts:

1. Tips & Tricks for Heading Back to School
2. Writing Skills Every Student Needs
3. 5 Time Management Tips that Work

1. Wash only full loads of clothes. Don’t waste your quarters by washing only one or two items. Bonus: Don’t use the dryer to dry your clothes completely – hang them up while still damp to save an extra quarter or two.

2. Take public transit, bike or walk. Not only will you save money from gas or car costs, but you will get some exercise and fresh air!

3. Group your errands. Do all of your errands that require a car in one afternoon, and/or carpool with friends. This saves gas – which is a big money burner for college students.

4. Stop eating out. While it seems convenient, fast food and restaurants actually take lots of dollars from your pockets and add pounds to your hips. It is far less expensive to make your own lunch and take to school, or make meals with groups of friends.

5. Use generic medications. Even if you are just taking an antibiotic for a cold, select the generic version of your medication. It is less expensive. Many stores, including WalMart and Target, offer discounted generics for as low as $4!

6. Buy classically designed clothes with trendy accessories. If you have trendy clothing, it will be out of style by next season, and you’ll be having to spend your summer earnings on a whole new wardrobe! Instead, buy classic items that will last through many seasons. Spice them up with trendy accessories like funky jewelry, handbags or ties.

7. Go to beauty schools for haircuts and spa treatments. Not only will you pay up to 90% less than at a regular salon, but you are providing the students with valuable experience!

8. Use University resources. Most universities offer free or deeply discounted gyms, tutors, counseling services, career centers and more. Find out what is free on your campus and use it! Also find out if your school offers any discounts for students for electronics, car rentals or apartment complexes.

9. Stay away from credit cards. One of the top ways to get yourself into a budget crisis is to charge all kinds of stuff on your credit cards and then not be able to pay the bill off in full. Credit card debt can follow you for a long, long time. If you can’t pay it off in full within a month or two – without going hungry – then you probably shouldn’t get it.

10. Check online for better prices. While it may seem like a great idea to buy your books at the campus bookstore, or your computer at your local electronics store, 9 times out of 10, you can get a better deal online.

Coming tomorrow: Final tips for a great school year

Related posts:

1. Writing Skills Every Student Needs
2. Final tips for a great school year
3. How to Travel on a Budget

While campus gyms are often better than those off-campus, sometimes you may want to beat the monotony of going to the gym with these free exercise videos!

Yoga Instructor Marcia Langenberg provides short, but effective Yoga training videos for download called Yoga @ Desk, that you can watch and perform at your desk!

These exercise videos are especially designed for people who work at their desks for most part of the day – such as students or computer geeks:

Part 1: Introducing the Exercises (9:40 minutes)

Part 2: Linking the Exercises to Your Breath (12:17 minutes)

Part 3a: Varying the Exercises (9:57 minutes)

Part 3b: Varying the Exercises (8:40 minutes)

Yoga is not as easy as it looks! The class I took this past school year helped me burn lots of calories, without a bunch of jumping around! You learn how to control your body and become more away of how your body operates!

Another fitness instructor has posted free exercise videos on YouTube for your viewing and exercise enjoyment. You can also search YouTube for other videos which have been uploaded by members of the YouTube community.

Additionally, you can find links to more videos at Digital Inspiration.

Not sure how to jump start your diet? Try these tips from g333k Living:

4 Healthy snacks to have in front of your screen (and a drink)
8 easy things you can do to lose fat

Miss hearing your mom saying, “Sit up straight!” every time you slouch? Check out Dumb Little Man’s 7 Postural Habits To Make Now To Increase Your Health

Be sure to consult with a doctor before starting any diet or exercise program.

Coming tomorrow: 10 Ways to Trim Your Budget

photo credit: Canadian Veggie

Related posts:

1. 10 Ways to Trim Your Budget
2. Test Taking Skills that Produce Results
3. Naked Alarm Clock

Though there are certainly the bigger name stores (which I’ll mention in each section), I’ll also turn you on to some smaller places to buy things and give you the vital information to protect your money and guarantee you get what you ordered.

Simple enough, eh?

Books

So you have that booklist for your classes and know which books are required and recommended. You’ve figured out which ones your professor will actually use (why blow $500 on books that you’ll never touch??) and go to the bookstore to price them (or use the online book price lists that many universities use now [check your university bookstore website]) and the prices are OUTRAGEOUS. So what to do? You need it quick fast and in a hurry and don’t want to pay much.

Check out Big Words first – it searches several places that sell new and used books and gives you the best prices by the quality and store. It points you in the right direction to get what you need and it’s a free service. Plus the jokes as you wait on it to compile an answer are great corny ones. Some sites Big Words overlooks are TextbookX, Books-A-Million, Borders, etc. Check them too, but considering that Big Words looks at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, half.com and eCampus.com among others, you’ve already got a pretty great bargain in front of you.

Do know the ISBN number for the book you are looking for as a general rule – with many texts having multiple editions and changes year to year, you want the exact copy your professors are asking for. If the booklist or syllabus doesn’t give this information, take the book name and edition and plug that info into Amazon’s search box.

Example: Principles of Epidemiology by Gordis, 3rd edition is the book; in the search box type “principles of epidemiology gordis 3rd”.

The search results will be pretty deep but the right one should be in the first five or six. Check the results with title and author and edition (year if you know it) and look in the book info section for the ISBN 10 number (you have to click the link to get to the info page on that particular result). Even if you were calling a book store, knowing the ISBN number is the best way to get the right answer fast.

Shipping is quick from most places online. Though they are rarely there, check Craigslist or Facebook or your college’s LiveJournal (LJ) community (or similar sites) for people who have had the classes you are taking and are selling their books – quick pickup and happy exchange. If you are a member of your college’s LJ community, create a posting and maybe you’ll come up lucky.

Don’t ever let anybody borrow your textbook(s). Especially if it’s one you want to keep for future reference because you’ll never see it again and they’ll claim they don’t have it or they have it and will give it to you later. However, if you have a friend or two you really trust and you have classes together, go in together and split the costs of the books. This works well for general classes you don’t care about (or that have so many books to purchase, you can’t possibly read them all), but if the course is of particular interest to you both, someone won’t have that book to add to their professional library later because one of you will be the one to keep it.

Decide ahead of time what happens to the books after the semester – if you’ll pay for the other half of the text so you can sell it or keep it or if you’ll both just sell it together and split the profit (not a great idea in the spring semester – you’ll both forget this over the summer). And don’t send a “friend” to resell your books – you might not see that money.

Clothes

First off let me say ONLY buy clothes online if you actually know your sizes as they run in that particular store. This means get someone to measure you (no offense, but your roommate may not be the best choice). This person could be a parent or an actual seamstress (what is the male version of seamstress??) or someone who works in a clothing store – these people know what they are doing and it’s generally a free or very very cheap service. Reputable online stores will have a sizing chart somewhere on their site so make sure to match up the info. There are flaws in the online sizing charts (and in real life ones too) especially for plus size women and taller people.

Note the return and exchange policies before you buy if you haven’t purchased from that store before, just in case it doesn’t fit. If they don’t allow returns or exchanges, don’t buy if you aren’t sure. The XXL tshirt you thought you were buying might be a tube top or a toddler’s tshirt– and wearing that in public would be HILARIOUS.

There are some bargain websites for clothes – sierra, ubid, ebay (in bulk only) – but I suggest going with quality before cost here. If you are wanting something that will last, cheap won’t get it. Do look for sales and coupons and ways to get discounts (short of a credit card – don’t fall for that trap when it comes to clothing stores). Signing up for mailing lists is a sure way to get a coupon every week. I’ve been flooded with 20-70% off coupons the last month.

If you want something just cheap to wear, hit up Walmart. During undergrad I shopped at Walmart for clothing religiously. I could find nicer clothes, grunge clothes, some workout clothes (I’m really picky about workout clothes so that was the drawing line), chill clothes and stay under budget. I still wear Walmart jeans (faded glory!) all the time because they are cheap but take a beating for at least 2 years and fit and look good.

I’ve started to pay a bit more for some other items like career clothing, but as I’m still a student, my budget is on the low low. Buy clothing in cycles – don’t buy everything at once because they all end up wearing out at the same time and you’ll end up spending a lot at once. If you buy a few pieces each month or every few months, it spreads the cost out and ends up making it more affordable and you well dressed.

When it comes to shoes, hands down my favorite place to shop online is zappos.com – free shipping and returns plus awesome prices and a wide variety of styles and color and sizes (I can wear anywhere from a women’s 11 to a 13 depending on the shoe style and maker and they have my size). I’ve bought running shoes, dress shoes, winter boots, etc there. If they don’t fit, send em back with the printable prepaid label from their website and you’re done. Exchanges are easy as well.

Others to look at are shoes.com, Rockport and Neutralizer. Find a style you like in a store or elsewhere online and find places that will give you a price match or guarantee so you can get the best price and have them quickly. If you like New Balance shoes, check out Joe’s New Balance Outlet – they’ve got all the types of shoes New Balance makes and are always having awesome deals on shoes and clothing plus accessories.

Electronics

I’ve gone into a lot of the offline and online buying for electronics in a previous post, Technology for Students, that you might want to check out if you are a new reader to Soulville. There is a Part Deux of that tech post here.

Random Items For Room/Apartment

There are lots of things you truly need and things you want for your room or apartment. Some you’ll go buy in a store but others you’ll think of as the year goes by. I trust places like Bed Bath and Beyond, Walmart and Amazon for buying online pretty much all the items I’ve needed (microwave, bed in a bag, dishes, painted wine glasses, etc), though I buy some of my toiletries on drugstore.com (I am a fanatic for adidas women’s body wash and I have a women’s electric razor) and some specialty stores that I’ll probably never shop at again.

I used PriceGrabber to find the cheapest price for my noise proof headphones and will never buy from that guy again (except maybe for someone else as a gift) [and yes, noise proof headphones are a must if you live in a dorm room or like to study in Club Library (whatever happened to being quiet in the library????) or just really like to actually hear your music while flying].

Some stuff you can get for free: Check classifieds and freecycle.org. Some house items and fun items you might want to search for online –

• Musical instruments (Musicians Friend is where I buy all music gear online, guitars and basses and amps etc. a friend of mine who uses synthesizers and keyboards buys his stuff here. When I buy my new trombone, I’m getting it here)
• Home surround sound system (Walmart’s got a 1000W system for $200 online and it’s not durabrand)
• Printers and scanners
• Cameras
• Furniture (craigslist is a first stop – I bought a HUGE desk, a couple of chairs, and a smaller desk on there for way cheap)
• Storage shelving
• Air conditioners
• Backpacks (eBags is my favorite place to find all types of bags, wallets, luggage, etc)
• Posters and tapestries
• Software
• Planners (Payne Publishing is who I always buy from…I’ve used the same type planner for the last 5 years)
• Sports gear
• Stuff to show your school spirit – get that team flag on eBay, some shower curtains that rep your team, the garbage cans, the koozies, etc; the options are limitless!

Quick Tips for Everything:

1. Buy from a reputable dealer – if the website looks shady or doesn’t use some kind of secure checkout, don’t touch it
2. If the site needs your social security number or whole birth date, just say no!
3. Use paypal when you have the chance – it keeps your info secure
4. If using eBay, read ALL the details in the listing before buying. There’s nothing like buying that “new phone” and it’s just a toy phone they use for displays.
5. Look at the shipping time and method before you hit “purchase” so you’re not sorry later – You might like USPS but I wouldn’t trust them to get anything to me on time (their time frame must have been developed by Greyhound because neither has one that makes sense in practice)….look to find someone that has 2-3 day shipping and/or cheap FedEx and or UPS shipping with the purchase. Some of the places, booksellers especially, can have 4-14 day shipping policies for general shipping or the ‘free’ shipping that generally happens when you buy X amount of merchandise. You might need the book faster than you need the money you’ll save by just using their free shipping (aren’t first week assignments great??).
6. Don’t be afraid to shop from multiple stores. Your parents do an awesome job of bargain shopping for groceries and clipping those coupons – you can do a similar thing online buy grabbing the best overall price with your items. If you can get both books from site A for $60 but can buy a book from site A and one from site B for a total of $50, which one would you choose? That $10 could be a pizza or four loads of laundry. You choose.
7. Speaking of coupons, many online stores have discount coupons that you can use for a percentage off of your purchase price before taxes and shipping. If you’re on their mailing lists, you’ve probably gotten one via email but if not, just Google “coupon STORE X” (where STORE X is the store or website that you’re shopping). That percentage off could be about what their expedited shipping cost is, meaning all you are paying is the cost of the books (essentially).
8. Some online stores have no tax and some have tax. The ones who actually have land stores in the state where you live or are being billed will charge tax. Others won’t. Sometimes it makes no difference. But on big ticket items this can be a deal breaker. However, do remember that some stores (Frys for example) has deals all the time, but sometimes their online deals are even better than in the store even with the tax still added in – advantage internet.
9. If you’re buying used and it’s in “good” condition or it’s a book “with cover damage” or “highlighting”, beware that you might end up with a less than satisfactory product. Learn how to read phrases between the lines – cover damage could mean water damage, doodles, broken spine, pages separated from the spine, etc; highlighting could be slight or it could mean the last owner thought the pages should be yellow. Find an item that has the least amount of damage that you can deal with and go for it.
10. RESELL – Unless you’re obviously going to need it again, or you just really liked it, resell what you buy online. If you resell textbooks on campus or even at a local bookstore, you are almost never going to get anything back for them ($15 back for a book you paid $130 for and they are going to resell for $120 is not a good deal). Some websites allow free listings and I recommend those ahead of paying to sell (the point of doing it is to save not spend) – half.com, ecampus marketplace, textbookx marketplace, etc. Watch what their cut of what you sell is – some places have extremely high cuts (read: fees) for selling there. Only sell if you agree with the amount they will take. And be competitive with your pricing – if you bought it for $80 and never opened it, yeah list it for $80 or a price that is at the high end of what they are selling for in similar quality. But if you bought it for $80, used it and all the others are selling for $40 and are in similar condition, list it for a price that is somewhere in the fray of everyone else and give it some attributes in the listing that will make it stand out. Many sites give you a few bucks to mail the item so it’s not totally out of pocket for that (you can set up direct deposit into your bank account which usually takes a few days after the sale is completed to make it there or get a check via snail mail…read previous comment about USPS and opt for the direct deposit). The more you resell and make back, the more you have to spend on the next semester’s books or on those “other” college necessities (don’t even act like you don’t know what I mean).
11. If you are a bibliophile (and technophile) like me, you’ve already got memberships at big booksellers and places that sell things helpful to students. If you don’t have one, please think about it. True they cost you up front, but I can’t tell you how much I have actually saved because I use them so much. If you’re only going to buy 1 or 2 items, it’s not worth the cost. But, for example, I buy textbooks every semester (and fun books), my sister buys textbooks every semester, two of my brothers buy textbooks every semester and I LOVE getting my tech stuff online (and occasionally cereal and candy) – so I got the Amazon Prime membership for $75. With that I get free 2 day shipping and for the number of books we’ve purchased in the last year, it would have cost over 300 bucks for shipping alone (you can share it within a household….loose definition on household). Compare that to $75 and there is no question it was the better choice.

Followup

Thanks for reading this week and I hope this info helps. Take a good look at the places you spend your money online – everybody isn’t honest or fair, even some of the sellers on half.com or other marketplaces. Know the rules of where you shop (read the FAQs and help forums they offer before buying – if you don’t find an answer, message them). I’ve written another post for this week as well as a makeup to Ellie for being late with last week’s post – it’s an addendum of the previous technology post I wrote a couple of weeks ago, or as I’ve dubbed it Technology Part Deux.

I’ll be back next week (August 30) with a how-to for using a planner for class/being organized and keeping up with school and everyday life. I’ll delve into different types of planners and how everyone can benefit from five minutes of planning and followup each day to become more productive.

Here’s the schedule for September:

September 6 will be a how-to on planning a service project then September 13 I’ll be writing on doing library research. September 20 & 27 will be a two part how-to on website building (HTML & CSS + an overview of some programs).

I’ll post the October schedule in a couple of weeks.

Thanks for reading and keep up the comments! If there are any topics you would like to see addressed, stick it in the comments and I’ll get to work on it.

Related posts:

1. Mastering the Art of Grocery Store Shopping
2. Be a Techie – Part Deux of Technology for Students
3. How To Buy Retro – Computers with Win XP

Typically, you will be asked to write essays or papers that communicate your theories and understanding of a particular topic. It can be difficult to get organized, but with these tips, you will quickly be on your way to becoming an excellent written communicator, as well as earning high grades!

Perhaps the most important and best advice that I can give you is to create a schedule and stick to it when preparing to write an essay or paper. If you know you have a paper due in 6 weeks, do a little bit of it at a time, instead of waiting until the last minute. See Back to School: 5 Time Management Tips that Work for tips and tricks to getting papers done efficiently and with less stress.

These articles from lifehack.org are VERY helpful for providing the advice every student needs for becoming successful writers. Bookmark, print or save these pages to your computer. Refer back to them when you need some direction!

• Advice for Students: How to Write Research Papers that Rock! – Research can be tricky for many students, but these tips will help you get prepared for doing research online or at the library.
• Improve Your Grammar With These 40+ Tips – As a former instructor, I’ve found that grammatical errors often take away from the strength of an argument.
• Advice for Students: 10 Steps Toward Better Writing – These 10 steps are good ways to continue to improve your writing skills.
• A Guide to Becoming a Better Writer: 15 Practical Tips – Again, these tips will help you continue to improve. It is amazing how many things on this list are things I do already!
• Advice for Students: 10 Steps Toward Better Research – Improving your research skills can lead to better grades, employment and even graduate school admissions!
• Design Better with CRAP – While targeted mainly to bloggers, this method works well for formatting papers.

Additional articles of note:

• The Impotence of Proofreading – from Daily Writing Tips
• Back to School with the Class of Web 2.0: Part 1 – from Solution Watch; pay special attention to the section on “Learning and Research”
• Back to School with the Class of Web 2.0: Part 2 – from Solution Watch; this article features great information on Diagrams and Mindmapping – good ways to sketch out your ideas

Coming tomorrow: Welcome to Soulville’s Back to School installment #2

Related posts:

1. 5 Listening and Note taking Skills that Work
2. Test Taking Skills that Produce Results
3. Reading Skills that Produce Results