If you are a student then you know that saving money is a crucial part of making sure that your education does not end up hurting you in the future. College students often acquire huge amounts of student debt, but one way that you can cut back on student debt is with technology. Technology has the potential to drastically mold and change our education system. It already has changed the way that teachers are teaching their classes, and it may be able to not only help you save money but also to learn more and retain the information that you do learn. A few ways that you can save money while attending school are by taking all your notes online, buying or renting your books online, and by using online study resources.
Online note taking
Taking your notes online through a laptop or some sort of tablet for either a college or high school class can save you a ton of money. Of course, it requires you to have a laptop or some sort of tablet, but in today’s digital age many people have them, and if you do not then you can easily find one just to take notes on for a couple hundred bucks or less. Taking notes online means that you can have all of your notes right there in one place, and you don’t need to carry around journals to each class. While a single notebook might not be all that expensive, having multiple notebooks per year will add up, and there is so much more utility that you can get out of a laptop or tablet for notetaking. There are programs like Google drive where you can access all of your documents and notes for free online, or simply using Microsoft Word and storing them locally on your laptop can also be very easy to do for your classes. If you are someone who does not have very good handwriting then this can also be very beneficial because you will be better able to read your notes following class to cement your knowledge. It is important to make sure that your teacher or professor is okay with you using your device in class, of course.
Buying Books Online
Ask any college student and they will tell you that the textbooks are often one of the most expensive parts of your class; however, eBooks are often cheaper than their hardcopy counterparts. In some instances, you may know someone who took the class before you and they could simply give you their digital copy of the textbook. An article by Forbes also realizes the benefits that buying or renting a digital textbook can have. In many circumstances having a digital textbook is cheaper because you can either get it for free, or purchase the digital version from Amazon or from your college’s website for cheaper than the physical copy. Many textbook resale companies offer you a slight discount for a used physical copy, but often times this still is not cheaper than the eBook. Always be sure to do extensive research and find the cheapest textbook you can from a trustworthy source.
Using Online Study Resources
One of the most commonly known way in which education is being drastically shaped and altered by technology is by the ability to learn and study at home. An article by the Washington Post talks about just how necessary and promising the technological advancements can be for future students. Students no longer have to rely on all of their instruction coming from inside of a classroom. There are websites like Khan Academy where you can get free, high quality videos that teach lessons on many subjects. On top of learning materials, you can easily find practice testing materials to see how well you comprehend the material discussed in your classes. Things such as Kaplan free MCAT practice test and many other such online practice tests all allow you to test your knowledge on something before you take the actual test so you know what your knowledge level is and what you need to study. Not all sites will offer tests or resources for every class you will be taking, but you would be surprised at just how many resources you can easily find for many of your classes that can play a big role in how successful you are in that class.
No matter what classes you are taking or where you are taking them, technology is rapidly shaping and changing the classrooms of today. There are many effective ways in which you can use technology to save money as a student.
