Four Great "Back to School" Tech Tips

As summer winds down, it's time to start thinking about heading back to school.  Whether you're in high school, grad school or are long out of school but have a student in your house, we have some tips for what to pack, download or buy to make this year the best yet.

How to tackle group work: If you're working on a group project, here's a great way to make sure that everyone's on the same page. Create a Dropbox for your group, which will house all of your files or main document "in the cloud."  This way, when Sally changes your project for the hundredth time, you'll be able to see the newest version instantly.  To start, create a Dropbox account for free.  Take it a step further and install a shortcut onto your Desktop, which will allow you to instantly access your shared files without having to log onto the website.

Keep cool: If you're like most students, you work on a laptop.  Nowadays, laptops can be quite pricey, so how do you protect your investment?  One great way is to purchase a laptop stand.  Not only can a stand help you ergonomically, it's also a great way to keep your laptop cool.  When you're burning the midnight oil, know that your laptop won't be burning up.    

Save on the Go: While saving in the cloud may be the way to go, there's still a strong argument for purchasing a flash drive.  These easy-to-use mini-hard drives are great for saving documents to pass to a professor for review or to a friend for help, especially if you're a design student whose files never seem to fit in an email.  Most flash drives can even be attached to your key chain, always coming in handy and never leaving you without a place to store your precious files.

Time for a Tune Up:  Before you put your computer through the stress of a school year, it's best to take it for a "check up."  A professional at Computer Troubleshooters can examine your computer for any warning signs, like a hard-drive on its last leg or a screen that's about to go dark.  There's nothing worse than a computer issue when you're writing a paper - at 2 a.m. - that's due tomorrow, so get your computer tuned up and sleep easier this year.

With these four tips, you'll be more likely to have a tech-friendly semester.  Best of luck to you - or to the student in your life - this coming academic year. 

Contact your local Computer Troubleshooters about going back to school or for any of your technology needs.