Top 5 Must Have Gadgets for use During College Lectures

Growing up, I’ve always heard “you work hard, you play hard”. (Sigh) Then as I grew older, I heard “work smarter not harder” (whew!) That’s a start, I mean smarter should always mean easier or at least more efficient. But you know what, here is a much better one from me to you, “play hard but work smarter”-oh yeah! Now that’s a cliché we can all apply to our lives and which better place to start than with school and those extensive college lectures. With the dominance in technology today, the right kind of electronic gadgets, if authorized, can add increased learning potential to the classroom. So now, smart technology gives us the “The Top 5 Must-Have Gadgets for Use during College Lectures”.

A suitable voice recorder for use during college lectures doesn’t have to be anything flashy or distractive; just a small device that is durable for at least two hours. It is near impossible for a student to retain everything that is being discussed during college lectures-most will retain only a very small percent. The rest of what was spoken, more than likely went through one ear, greeted the brain for about five seconds and then flushed itself right out the other ear before the brain even got a chance to say “hello!” Lectures in general, require individuals to be active listeners, a skill that many still struggle to master and one that is hard to execute if the student is not interested in or comprehending the subject matter. An approved voice recorder would be an ideal solution in such instances. Students get to record, raise more questions and participate more in discussions instead of writing and playback at anytime convenient to them to review and make appropriate notes.

Indeed, smartphones made the list of must have gadgets, not for social media or taking selfies, because I guarantee people will not forget what you look like if you don’t post selfies every ten minutes. Instead, smartphones are on this list because their noble and smart mechanics have made them hosts of a variety of college education related apps. So you don’t have the required class text book just yet, but a classmate does, you can use your smartphone to scan a few chapters to read in your spare time with special document scanners customized for your smartphone. No more need to run to the library for scanners or copy machines anymore. But it doesn’t stop there; use your smartphone’s smart resolution camera to grab visuals from the board!

Of all the things smart, you probably never thought of a pen and I am not talking about the ones you use to navigate your phablets and other gadgets. I mean really smart pens. Pens that have built in audio recorders and synchronization abilities which enables the user to record everything they hear, write and say. Smart Pens that uses regular or special paper, Smart Pens that utilizes SD cards, Smart Pens that vibrate when the user makes grammatical or other errors, Smart Pens that enable users to scribble notes, then upload them to a PC or smart device and convert to editable formats and even import to MS Word. Wow! The list of Smart Pens could go on and on. But guess what?! You may never run out of pen inks and pages again. These digital devices have truly proven to be amongst the must have gadgets for use during college lectures.

Laptops are already a very popular gadget choice for students during lectures but still worth mentioning in this post. If effectively utilized, laptops can be an extremely handy tool for in class projects and assignments such as making videos or other graphic presentations. Furthermore, if you are a Physics or other Math related subject major, you should take advantage of the desktop versions of the many educational related or more specifically Math or Calculus related apps. These apps provide step by step instructions to solve equations and some may even provide alternative problem solving methods which in the end will help you to get ahead and stay ahead of your group.

A combination of voice and video is ideal especially when a Lecturer decides he is detailing that extensive problem solving equation for the last time and you better get it right this time or else you will be left behind. Make sure you capture this moment on video, that way you can go home and catch up with some practice! You may also use a video recorder to capture important presentations including lab experiments, practical activities or any other educational experience worth noting.

Know of any other special devices or apps that you think will help students during lectures? Leave it in a comment below so we may all benefit!

Now, let’s join together to infect our social media populous with a little something interesting enough for them to say “hmmmm”. It’s easy too……just like and share. As they say, sharing is caring.