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The web is your best friend. That’s right, I said it. But, like any other acquaintances, the internet can be unreliable. When using it to help you with research, you should always make sure you are viewing creditable sites. You’ve probably heard that thousands of times already though. What we have to tell you today is very important—so don’t forget it.
In college, do not make the mistake of under-using the web. Obviously you’ll need it to work on those long research papers, but the internet can help you with so much more! Get your bookmarking button ready because these sites should be in your favorites.
Okay, I know your college’s library website isn’t very exciting, but trust me, it’s important that you get to know it and learn how to navigate through all the databases and catalogues. In college, you’re probably going to have to write a few papers and this will usually mean doing some research. Your college will have access to a lot of books and online databases (like JSTOR and EBSCO). Get friendly with your library’s website. If you have trouble figuring it out, try getting an upperclassman friend to help you out or even email one of your librarians. That’s what they’re there for!Word Reference (http://www.wordreference.com/)
Normally, this website is used by foreign language students but I used it for most of my classes too. All you do is enter a word and select the dictionary that you want to use. I had Spanish so I used the English to Spanish/Spanish to English option. There’s also an option to just look up the regular English definition. You hit enter and it will bring up a page that will let you ‘listen’ to the word (to hear how it’s pronounced!) and will give you all the definitions you would need to know.Spark Notes (http://www.sparknotes.com/)
Reading a book that you don’t quite get? Need a little push in the right direction? Click over to Spark Notes for an outline of the novel and articles discussing its major themes. Don’t rely solely on this site though! Be sure to read the book itself.eHow (http://www.ehow.com/)
This is a site made up of easy to understand how to articles and videos. With a large variety of topics, it always comes in handy. You can browse through tons of categories, including Careers & Work, Education, Food & Drink, Legal, and Personal Finance.Video Jug (http://www.videojug.com/)
VideoJug is another collection of how to articles and videos, and it’s completely free! You can also post questions for feedback and answers.Learn That (http://www.learnthat.com/)
This website is a collection of online tutorials that primarily teach you about software and technology. But yeah, there are also other tutorials that can help you develop a business plan, resume, and so on.Instructables (http://www.instructables.com/)
Build it, learn it, use it! Instructables will help you do whatever you need or want to do. This site also includes craft tutorials and the channels like Apple, Camping, Decorating, Recipes, and Wii.InPics (http://inpics.net/)
This site offers you computer and technology tutorials in pictures, instead of words.
Quizlet (http://quizlet.com/)
After a month or so, I got really tired of making flash cards, keeping track of flash cards, and running out of note cards to make them on. Quizlet was a flash card lifesaver! You go to this website and, after you log in (you don’t even have to make an account if you have a facebook!), you can make flash cards online and save them. Quizlet even gives you some fun ways to study. You have the regular ‘show me one side and let me guess the other,’ or you can play scatter and match the terms, Space Race, Learn by reading one side and typing in what you think is on the other, and then take a test to see if you know your stuff!Forum Network (http://forum-network.org/station/wgbh)
Forum Network provides you with free lecture videos from around the world and around the big campuses. View free videos from public stations, community partners, and world-class speakers.Wikipedia (http://www.wikipedia.org/)
In high school, this site is black listed. In college, it can be a good resource. You still can’t cite it for research papers and shouldn’t rely on it for all your information, but when you’re in a bind and can’t find a good place to start, start here.Rate My Professors (http://www.ratemyprofessors.com/)
The name says it all. Students go to this website to rate their professors on levels of easiness, helpfulness, clarity, textbook use, what their attendance policies are, and even if they’re hot or not. You just search for your school and then look through the alphabetical list of professors until you find yours.Koofers (http://www.koofers.com/)
The best thing since instant coffee! Koofers is college simplified, providing you with professor ratings, other student’s notes from previous classes, and example exams. Get connected with you school and classes through Koofers.Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/) or Twitter (http://twitter.com/)
Ah yes, facebook and twitter. First, it’s a great way to keep in touch with friends and family when you’re away at school. Second, in college, a lot of people we met had a facebook or twitter account. When it came time for group projects, we actually used the social networking site to communicate. Surprising? Yes, but it was also helpful. Plus, I will admit, it’s something fun to do when you’ve got a few seconds with nothing else to do. Just don’t let it take over your life!
July 10, 2010 at 1:49 PM
I would say that keeping your school email page bookmarked would be a good idea. A lot of people check their email regularly, but now you have an extra school email to keep track of. Even if you're the type of person who checks their email religiously, you may not necessarily remember about your school email (which might rarely have any important information in it). Besides, this is the method that most professors (of mine, at least) will communicate with you outside of class. And in the event that you miss an important email they send out to everyone, it is your fault. Not theirs. An easy way to cut out this problem is to have all your school emails forwarded to your main account, but that might only be for those of you who are a little more tech savvy.