How a Bit of Technology Can Get You Through Finals Week with Successful Grades

Every year, no matter how hard I try, a fit of procrastination always seems to rear its ugly head around this time of year. The time I spend on research papers, projects, and even homework seems to pale in comparison to how much time I end up spending watching Netflix, visiting YouTube, or playing video games as soon as Finals Week rears its ugly head into my life. That said, technology doesn't just have to help you procrastinate. In fact, there exist a multitude of applications, extensions, and websites designed to make you more productive. I've listed a few of my favorites below that'll hopefully put you on the way to getting that 4.0 GPA that we all desire.

GOOGLE CALENDAR
There's no better way to stave off procrastion than getting organized. Although you can use a large amount of calendar tools to jot down final dates and due dates of important assignments, Google Calendar has always been one my favorites. Google Calendar easily allows you to sync your calendar to your phone and allow changes made on your phone to sync back as well.

QUIZLET
Flash cards are one of the oldest, most effective ways in the book to study for multiple choice exams, as well as to learn definitions that you'll need to understand greater theories and concepts. Quizlet is a modern interpretation of these flash cards. It does require a bit of work, as you'll have to type out your own questions and answers into flash card form. Once finished, though, Quizlet not only allows you to test yourself, but also keeps track of the questions you missed most often and also has an iPhone and Android application that can be downloaded easily and linked to your website account.

COLD TURKEY
Cold Turkey is designed to temporarily block specific websites, games, and applications on your website that can lead to procrastination. It allows scheduling, allowing you an allotted time (say 5 minutes every hour) for a study break that you can set yourself. Additionally, it also allows you create a white and blacklist, for when you still need to access JSTOR, but don't want to waste any time on Twitter. Although the application is only available on windows systems, Self-Control is a similar program for Mac OSX.

GOOGLE DRIVE
Crowdsourcing might seem like just another one of those buzzwords that marketing executives use to make a sale, but it's actually a valid way to study for class. Google Drive, which used to be named Google Docs, has been around for a while, but is still an amazing way to create a comprehensive study guide that professors will sometimes not provide. All you need to do is create a study guide document and share it with your class through ANGEL. Although the plan could be a hit-or-miss depending on how much information you eventually end up with, as long as you provide some of your own notes, I've found students are usually eager to fill the gaps for any classes or chapters you might have missed.

FACEBOOK
Yes, Facebook can be a valid study tool. Since a majority of college students are practically tethered to their Facebook, there's no better way to get answers about the class than by creating a Facebook group dedicated to discussion of topics in the class and things you might have missed when you were out sick. You can even post your Google Drive study guide here to get even more collaboration going. 

Louis San Miguel can be reached at louis.sm@gmail.com