Hello my field daisies!
First off, I am not sponsored by Apple. I just really love Apple products. This could easily be modified to “tablet.”
*But I mean Steve Jobs invented the iPad. That’s what he called it, so much like how Sharpie is the colloquial term for permanent markers, I will be using iPad throughout this post* (Apple nerd info) RIP TO THE GREATEST MAN THAT EVER LIVED.
Anyway I digress. What I want to talk about in this blog post is how high school students should transition from paper to iPad when they go to college. It is a good investment, easy to use, and light! (No more heavy backpacks and broken backs)
I’ve come to realize my audience is full of youngins (teens if you will), who are just as confused as I am. My dream as a high schooler was to one day be a beacon of light for all those awkward teenagers like me. And now as a senior about to graduate from UC Berkeley, I definitely fill some seniority rights to give good advice. So here I go:
How to Transition from Paper to iPad (students’ edition)
Step 1: Buy an iPad.
Lol a bit of a joke first step, but seriously you can’t do any of the stuff I am about to show you on your phone. I mean you could, but your eyes will be so strained by the end of it. Now parents I know buying an iPad may seem like a waste, but TRUST ME your son/daughter will appreciate it to pieces.
iPads come in two sizes. The mini and the regular. I have the mini and it suits my needs just fine. That being said, I have pretty dainty fingers, so those who like bigger things get the regular. I like my stuff cute and mini.
The minis run about $400-$600 depending on what memory you get. I have the lowest amount, 16 GB and it hasn’t been a problem yet. Although I’ve owned two iPad minis. By my sophomore year, I had so many readings and things downloaded, and I was running out of room fast.
If this is out of your price range, go for a samsung tablet or something. I don’t feel like doing the research, but they are pretty much the same, just less nicer in my opinion.
Step 2. Download these apps:
Yes the beauty of an iPad is the plethora of apps designed for it. Here are the ones that have saved my life as a college student.
-Pdf Notes: This app is great if your professor assigns readings that don’t come from a textbooks. Oftentimes you will have a kind hearted professor that knows textbooks are hella expensive. So they give you a tons of readings from multiple textbooks. The annoying part about Pdf Notes is that there are little, bitty ads on the bottom, but the functions you get are well worth it. You can highlight with a variety of colors, and the width of the highlight is adjustable. You can also post sticky notes, write with a pen, or even type notes if needed. It’s absolutely brilliant.
-Evernote: You need this. Even if you are taking notes on your laptop. Get Evernote. It will save your life in terms of note taking. It’s easy to use and organize your notes by class. The screen is a blank white page, and it feels good on the eyes (that sounds weird I know but true). It also has a whole color wheel, so all of you with synesthesia can go nuts. And the best feature? Being able to search through past notes. For example, as a Media Studies major, the names Marshall McLuhan, Foucault, and Adorno come up often. I can search these names across multiple classes from past and current years and tie their main ideas together.
-Kindle: This app is useful for professors who like to assign loads of textbooks to buy. Now not every book will be on Amazon Kindle, but the a lot of books used in colleges are. I think I mean don’t quote me on this. But in my experience, I’ve only had a one or two books per class that I actually had to buy a physical copy. (and I usually just rent those). The best thing about Kindle is that it cheaper than the print version, and it is download instantly onto your iPad.
All these apps are free, amazing and totally worth it. Honestly eventually the iPad ends up paying for itself.
Step 3. Buy a bluetooth keyboard.
Lastly, you should definitely have a keyboard if you want to take notes properly. I recommend a bluetooth keyboard because they are just the coolest. You can detach the keyboard with ease if say you want to write 10 feet away from your iPad. Here is the one I have had one year. One of the keys broke off, so I am going to need to buy a new one. Given the fact it was $20 and it lasted me a year, I say it was a good investment. But I probably won’t buy it again. It was really cheap quality and the sucky part was the edges of the screen got covered when you propped it up.
That’s it for today my cute little field daisies!
Love ya’ll and thanks for reading!
Hope you have a daisyish day and a great first day of college!