8. Using Google drive

Using Google drive is just as helpful as your Google calendar. Google drive has features that you can use to your benefit of organizing your documents. The advantage of Google drive is that all your work is saved and mobile. By using Google drive your documents are in one central location and easy accessible considering you have access to internet. In this post I will explain what Google drive has to offer you and how you can use it for your work load.

Now that you have an Gmail address you have access to Google drive. If your signed in to your gmail account you have access to your google drive. You can get to your Google drive by starting at your google search and clicking on the "Drive" label at the top on the black bar. Below is an image of what you should be seeing when you access your Google drive.

- At the top of you Google drive you should notice a folder icon with a plus sign on it. When ever you need to create a new folder, click on the folder icon and a new folder will be created. Create a folder for ever class. Create a folder within each class for everything you will be graded on assignments, journals, blogs, also create a folder for your notes. As you progress with your work throughout the semester these folders will keep you organized.

- If you look to the left hand side you will notice a red "create" button with an upload icon to the right hand side. When you want to create a new document in a folder you can refer to the red "create" button. The upload button to the right hand side is there in case you would like to upload a folder or document from your computers hard drive. When creating a new document Google gives you the option of creating an document, presentation, spreadsheet, form or drawing. Throughout your academic career you will find use for all of these options.

- Below the create button you have four different labels; My drive, Shared with me, Starred and Recent. These labels are self explanatory.When you create a folder or document it will be saved to your drive. With Google you have the option to share documents or folders. Once you do so they will be saved in the shared section. The documents that you starred and recently worked on will be saved in the starred and recent section.

Now that I have explained your Google drive I would like to explain the features of  Google document and what it can do for you. Below is an image of what a blank Google document should look like.

- To the top of your Google document page you have the option to give your document a title. When taking notes or working on an assignment its important to write a heading to keep your work organized. Use that space to take advantage to write a title that best fits what the document represents. When I am taking notes I usually add the page number in the title as well as using a heading.

- To the right you will notice a grey folder. By clicking this folder you will be given the option to save the document you created into what ever folder you wish at the time. This is a great option because as you work, your work will be save on into that folder once selected.

- Below these options you have the necessary tools that you need when writing. You can undo, print, change font size, change font style etc. As you write papers for your professor there will be guidelines for you to follow, such as font size, spacing etc. You can use these tools to meet your professors expectations.

- To the far right you have the option of sharing a document. This is great! You can click on the button an a form will appear. In the share option you will be given a link. This link can be used for you to give to whom you wish.

- Below the link you are given the options of making the choice if you want this document to go the public, anyone with the link or private. As you work on documents you can decide which will be a best fit for you.

-Below the option of making your document private, public or anyone with an link you can also add someone by simply typing in their email address. To the right you are given the option to allow that person to edit, comment or view the document.All these options can be put to good use if your are working in pairs, groups, or if you need to work on a document with a friend. Students have very different schedules and its sometimes hard to plan to meet in person, therefore if you use these features you can still work together without having to meet in a certain place at a certain time.

Below is a picture of the form you are given once you click on to share a document.

- Editing on Google documents with your classmates can also happen in real time. Below is a link of a video to show you what live editing and sharing can offer you.


Have fun, be creative and experiment with Google.
See what its like to go Google!

7. Taking notes

During the semester when it is time for test, midterms or finals it can be really stressful if you are not prepared. If you are not prepared you may find yourself trying to read through the material given to you throughout the semester, meanwhile trying to contain the information and learn it in a compressed period of time. This causes cramming. Cramming hardly ever helps you. It's overwhelming, stressful and no way useful. In this post I will explain how to spread out your note taking through the semester so you are prepared for midterms and finals as they approach.

There are a few tips that I have picked up since I have been in university that has helped me with my reading and note taking.This process has made me more prepared for test, midterms and finals.

Step 1: 

When you start your reading it is important to start with a clear mind set. Read with the intention of only reading to understand the writers point. The writer usually gets his point across in a paragraph or sometimes two.By reading it once to understand the writers point you are giving yourself the chance to listen and learn.

Step 2: 

Once you feel confident of understanding the writers point, read a second time with the intention of highlighting information that you believe is of importance. If you don't want to, or can't mark up your text then have a clean sheet of paper to write down what you would have highlighted or marked with a pencil. By marking your text for important information you are taking the information from your text that you will use in the future to study for test, midterms and finals.

Step 3:

Read the writers point a third time. This time write down the information that you highlighted or marked with your pencil.If you already wrote down the information you wanted  then that is okay. Make sure not to loose those notes. Once you have pulled all the information that you want from your readings type it out in a word document (refer to my "Using Google Drive" post to type your notes). Don't forget to use headings and page numbers to keep your notes organized.

Step 4:

After you have typed the notes that you have gathered print them out and store them in a binder.Be sure to have a large binder. Make sure to use headings and page numbers to keep your work organized. You will be doing a lot of reading and writing and because of this your work can become easily disorganized.When the time comes to study, all you will have to do is refer to your binder to start studying for test, midterms and finals. Once this process is complete you now have what you need to know in a central location.

6. Spread out your readings

As students of higher education we are constantly given required readings from our professors. Reason being, as students we are being taught to read, comprehend and give and educated response in regards to the material being covered. It is critical to keep at the same pace of your professor.I have used Google calendar to help me manage multiple readings throughout semester. I would like to share in this post the steps that I take in the beginning of the semester to be well prepared.

If you take a look at your syllabus you'll notice that you have required readings due on certain dates. By week 1 you may be asked to complete a chapter of reading. In this post I want to explain how I have spread out my readings to have them completed by the due dates asked.

By this point make sure you have all your required reading due dates marked as an event on your calendar. To spread out your readings count the amount of pages you have to read by that due date. After you count the amount of pages you have to read, count the amount of days you have until your required readings are due. Take the amount of pages you have to read and divide it by the amount of days you have until your due date. The number that you get is how many pages you will read per day until your due date. Now create an event for every day that you plan on reading. In the description box write write the amount of pages you have to complete for that day.

Example:
By week 1 you have to finish one chapter of reading. The chapter equals to be 50 pages and you have five days to read the chapter. In this case you will be reading 10 pages a day to complete the required readings.

> You can complete this process for all of your required readings for all of your classes. 

5. Plan out your syllabus

Now that I have explained how to create an email, build your calendar and plan event we can finally put it all to use. At this point we can be creative with our syllabus and calendar. Keep in mind that every event that we plan is preparation as a hurdle runner in the race this semester. In this post I would like to share a few steps that I take before the semester starts.While you read through the rest of this blog you can use your syllabus for each class to imitate what I am mentioning. Remember that I am keeping the goals simple throughout this blog, that way I can be clear and to the point. If you have a journal, blog or volunteer service for a class that is required then feel free to manage your calendar accordingly.

The steps explained below can be applied separately for each class. If you have four classes complete the steps below for each class. Don't forget when you create an event be sure to change your calendar settings to the calendar of that class.

Step 1: 

Make an event to represent when your classes are in session. So, if you have a philosophy class every M,W,F from 9-10 am then plot an event for every philosophy class from now until the end of the semester. Do this for all of your classes.This step will give you a visual of the time that you are actually dedicating to class. I have noticed since I made this calendar that class time is not enough. Its enough for the professor to teach you and to answer questions you may have. The rest of the time is the effort that you put outside the classroom.

Step 2: 

Due dates. A due date represents the stick in the way along your race as a hurdle runner, whether it be a paper, assignment, test or required readings. Create an event for all of your due dates. Most of the time your due dates will fall on the day that your class is actually in session. That is okay. In this case open the event that you made to represent when the class is in session and write in the description box what will be due that day.

4. Plan an event

In my last post "Create your calendar", I mentioned that to prepare yourself throughout the semester you will be creating events on your calendar to keep yourself on track. I also mentioned that you will have to click on the red "Create" button to create an event. Once you click "create" a form will appear like the image below. This form will be used for you to resort to day by day. It will contain information of what you need to do and when to do it.In this post ill show you what this form has to offer you and how you can apply it to your studies throughout the semester. Below is an image of the form which will appear when you plan to create an event on your calendar.

- At the top of your form you will have three options, to either go back a step, save or discard.  Below the three options, you can give your event an title. As a name for a title, I suggest you use the name of the class that this form represents, i.e: German, Math, Philosophy, and Political Science. Reason for using your class as a title is because each event will contain information for that particular class, as well as the date and time you will be working on the event scheduled. In the future you will be creating an event whether it be for required readings, assignments, due dates or even meetings for group projects.

- Below the title you have the options of planning the time and date you plan to work on the event that you created. This is important because when you schedule yourself you are making a commitment to yourself and to your studies to accomplish the preparation you need to do to keep up with the work of the semester. At this point I think of it as if it was my job. When the event starts I am reporting for work and when the event is finished I know I can leave from work.Sometimes I have to do some overtime. When you plan an event and you are not ready to plan a date and time you have the option of check marking "all day". Google saves the event on your calendar as an "all day" task, therefore in the future you have the opportunity to plan a time and date that best fits you.

- Below the time and date you have the option of where you plan to work on the event scheduled. I mostly use this option if I am attending a presentation in a certain place, meeting with a professor or when I am meeting with a group for a group project.

- Below the "where" option you will see an option that is labelled "calendar" with a drop down arrow to the right. As you click on the drop down arrow you will see a list of the sub calendars that you created for each of your classes. As you plan an event for each class make sure to change your calendar settings to the class that the form represents, that way when it appears on your calendar it will appear the color you color coated it as. For example, if I am creating an event for Philosophy ill change my calendar setting to Philosophy because that is what the form is representing.

- Below your "calendar" settings you have a description box. In this description box you will write notes to yourself of what goals to accomplish in the time frame of the event you have given yourself. This is where your preparation comes into action. The description box will be there to help you plan your steps to successfully make a leap over the stick ahead of you.

- Below your description box you have the option of changing the event color. Don't worry about changing the event color because when you change your calendar settings to the class the form represents the color will change to the color that you associated with that class.

- Below your event color your have an option to "add a reminder". This is useful because Google will send you an email reminder within either minutes, hours, days or weeks before. Whatever best suits you. If you are on a computer, have a smart phone or a tablet you can use the "pop up" option to send you reminders minutes, hours, days or weeks. I usually use the pop up option while I'm studying throughout the day to keep me on track of the timing of my studies.

-If you take a look to the right of the form you will notice that you can add guest. If you are working on a group project and your classmates also use Google calendar you can add them as a guest. You have this option to the right side of your form by simply typing in their email and adding them. Once you add them and they have accepted the event will appear on their calendar.

3. Create your calendar

The most important tool that you can use throughout the semester is a calendar. Your calendar will keep you on track and give you a visual of what you have to complete. I recommend using an online calendar that you can easily update. An online calendar is important because of easy access, organization and presentation.
In this post I plan to explain the features Google Calendar has to offer you. In future post I'll go more in depth about how to put these features to use.

Once you have created your gmail you will have access to Google Calendar. You can access your Google Calendar by starting at your Google Search page. At the top of your Google search page you should see a black bar with labels that read from the left to the right starting with, Search, Images, Maps, Play etc. Eventually you should see a label that says "Calendar".Once you click on the label "Calendar" at the top of your Google search page you should see a calendar similar to the image below.

Above is a screen shot of new calendar that I created. In this post I will explain the features Google calendar has to offer and what they can be used for.

- Starting at the top left hand side of the page you will see a red button labelled "Create". Clicking on the "Create" button will give you the opportunity to plot an event on your calendar. The events that you create will represent required readings, study periods, class times, groups meetings and due dates for each class.You can create a event for anything that you feel its necessary for. By creating these events you are constantly preparing your self as the semester unfolds. Remember you are a hurdle runner in this race and by creating these events on your calendar you are timing your steps to successfully make a leap over the stick ahead of you.

- Below the "create" button there is a smaller monthly calendar. This is useful to have a visual to see where you are in the month and to see how much time you have left.

- Below your miniature calendar you will notice a label that reads "My Calendars" with a drop down arrow to the right side. If you click on the drop down arrow you can create a sub calendar for each class, which will eventually be inputted into your larger calendar.As you can see from the example above I have created sub calendars for each class. Now that you have a calendar created you can create sub calendar for each class that you have. After you create a calendar for each class you also have the option to color coat each calendar that you create by clicking on the drop down arrow on the right side. Go ahead and create a calendar for each class an color coat it.

- The last few features that I would like to mention are the different viewing options Google provides you. At the top right side of your calendar you have five different views that read from the right; Day, Week, Month, 4 days and Agenda. As you use Google calendar you can experiment with the best view option that fits you. When I plan an event that is usually a week or more ahead of me ill change my setting to "month" view. During the week ill usually leave my view settings to 4 days. When I am looking at my calendar in the beginning of the week (usually Sunday) i'll change my settings to "Week". When I am studying throughout the day I'll usually put my calendar settings to "day" or "agenda".

2. Create an email

In my postings I will use Google as an online tool that can be used to organize your studies. My logic is to use Google as an online resource to help become mobile, organized and alert of ones studies. To use Google it requires that you have a gmail address. Below I will give a few steps of how to create a Google email. I will also explain how to forward your emails from an previous email address to your gmail address.If you don't have an email but would like to create a new email, this is your chance.

- How to create a gmail address:

> Go to your Google search page
> Click on the grey "Sign in" button on the top right hand corner.
> Click on the red "Sign up" button on the top right hand corner.
> Fill out the information on the right and click on the blue "next step" button.
Tip: When you create your email aim to make an email that is simple and professional.

- How to forward your emails from a previous email address to Gmail: 

I understand that most students have an email address before they go to university, or they have an email provided through their institute. Just because you already have an email doesn't mean that you have to stick with that email. It is possible to adjust the settings in your gmail account, so the emails that you receive from your previous email address are sent to your gmail address. This is a good decision because you are allowing from here on out for all your emails to be in one central location. Here are a couple steps to forward your previous emails to your Gmail.

> Sign into Google with your gmail address.
> Go to your Gmail page. You can access your gmail by using the link gmail.com or by clicking gmail label at the top of your Google search  page.
> Click on the settings image on the top right hand side, below your gmail address in your inbox.
> Under the labels "comfortable, cozy or compact" click "settings".
> In your settings page you should see different tabs with different labels. From the left the labels should read General, Labels, Inbox, Accounts and Import, Filters etc.
> Click on the "Accounts and Import" label.
> Below the "Accounts and Import" tab, headings in bold should appear. To the right of the "Import mail and contacts", label should be a blue bold link that says "Import mail and contacts".Click on the link and follow the steps to forwarding your emails from your previous email to gmail.

Here is an image to show what your page should look like before you click on the blue bold link titled "Import mail and contacts".

> Follow the steps in the new window to complete the process.