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IMs pinging, cell phones ringing, iPods jamming -- distractions are everywhere. But with the right skills and a twist on tech 101 basics, you'll be right on track for downloading some A's and efficiently making the most of your study time. Here's how to transform technology from distraction to academic edge.

Facebook Flava
If you think Facebook.com is just a social network, think again. "Facebook is definitely a powerful tool," says Lisa Jordan, junior class president at Quinnipiac University (Quinnipiac, CT). "I use Facebook to find friends from the past and to find people in my classes."

In fact, the Class of 2010 at Quinnipiac used Facebook to connect with each other about their summer reading assignment, "The Color of Water" by James McBrice. Instead of individually IMing one another, they used discussion forums in virtual communities to share their thoughts.

The site isn't just used by students, either. "I know two faculty members who asked that their students create Facebook accounts if they didn't already have one," says Sean Duffy, associate professor of political science at Quinnipiac. The purpose? To learn the names and faces of their students for class discussions.

Post-Its, Outlook, and BaseCamp, Oh My!
While Lauren Thomas, senior at Roanoke College (Salem, VA), uses Facebook to remind classmates about peer tutoring and upcoming times for study groups, she's also a big fan of virtual Post-It Notes, which can be downloaded online. "The Post-Its are arranged on my desktop," she notes, "which allow me to write in 'to-do' lists and quick reminders that help me remember my daily assignments."

Another way savvy students keep track of assignments is by using the Outlook Calendar on their computer. Not only can you jot down due dates, but the calendar will also remind you when important items are coming up via email or whatever notification system you set up.

Babson College (Babson Park, MA) senior Jason Reuben, saves loads of time by synchronizing his Outlook Calendar with BaseCamp and his PDA. BaseCamp, says Jason, is his "secret sauce," a Web-based shareware project management tool he uses for any group project on which he works; it allows members to assign to do-lists, post messages, share files, add milestones, and track everyone's time usage. "All of my appointments, class schedules, and meetings are listed in different color codes," he explains.

Outlook also has organizational features for e-mail that allow you to set up rules to streamline your incoming mail. If one of Jason's classmates sends him a message, for instance, it's directed to a Babson folder he created. If it's for a group project, it appears in his "Project" folder. If it's for his emerging Business (Paragon Lake, a fine jewelry e-retailer), it will be in his "Business" folder. Says Jason, "I might sound like I have an overly organized life, but the truth is my digital life is the only thing organized."

Travel 101
While organizational skills and time management are key to navigating your way through college, so is the ability to save time via the click of the mouse, instead of having to go anywhere. According to Eden Hartwell, junior at Mansfield University (Mansfield, PA), it's smart to check out your school's online library prior to physically going there. "Our school Web site has a direct link to the library. I love being able to go online in my Dorm room and finding the book or article I need from the library. I can see if we have the book, or if it's on the shelf or checked out. If it's on the shelf, then I can just go over to the library and pick it up without having to search the stacks."

Becoming familiar with computer facilities at your school is key, says Kate Wastergard, senior at Wartburg College (Waverly, IA). "I studied abroad in Italy this past winter semester and I was able to do my registrations -- academic, housing, and parking lot -- all online," Kate says.

By being able to do everything through the campus' Web site and directly communicate with professors and advisors through e-mail, being off campus, or even in another country doesn't have to become a complication. "We have an interactive Web environment called my.wartburg, where professors and students can communicate and share information," adds Kate. "I've used it to print the syllabus and other class hand-outs, e-mail classmates, have group discussions online, and communicate with the professor."

Profs Weigh In
Classroom technology is also changing the way and speed with which we learn. According to Vicky Sarkisian, linguistic coordinator at the Academic Learning Center at Marist College (Poughkeepsie, NY), incorporating technology into her courses helps with time management. "Lectures, activities, assignments, and discussion questions are available 24/7 to students. They can learn anytime, anywhere, as long as they have Internet access," she explains. "They can then focus their attention and time to course topics in which they need further enrichment."

In a distance learning writing course Sarkisian teaches to incoming freshmen, composite videos allow students to read the lecture text, take quizzes, and chat with her. They can even download videos to their iPods, so they can have portable eLearning wherever, whenever. Duffy uses technology to streamline his class as well.

Using discussion boards via BlackBoard (a Web-based application in which professors can facilitate classroom exchanges online), he sets up a structured journal arrangement and a few days prior to the next class, asks each student to respond to a question as it relates to the reading. "I've found that this is very good at getting students to do the reading in an organized fashion, to think about the reading a few days before class, and to engage in some preliminary discussion."

Choose Your Tech Wisely
Keep in mind that some of the same time-saving tech tools could be used for evil as well, namely procrastination. The secret to your scholastic success then? Focus, focus, focus.

Laura Young, a Marymount Manhattan College (New York, NY) junior, admits the temptations exist: "The computer labs are often clogged with MySpace and Facebook checkers while other students are waiting in line to work on a paper. I will admit, I've been guilty of it once or twice, too!"

Quickie Tech Tips

• Create folders in Outlook.


• Keep e-mail free of clutter and junk mail.


• Get classmates' screennames in case you need to reach out in any way.


• Use chat rooms to discuss academic topics.


• E-mail documents to yourself from a home or school computer when you can't save them on a hard drive or disk.


• Check that e-mail -- some professors will send messages as a reminder for an assignment due date, or a note that class is canceled due to snow


• E-mail classmates to set up study groups.

http://www.vickisalemi.com
Vicki Salemi is a frequent contributor to The CollegeBound Network. Learn more about finding a school that's right for you.

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