When I was in college, I always wanted to work with the latest technology for note taking and project creation. Actually, that hasn’t changed since I graduated a little over a year ago. I’m mildly obsessed with technology trends and always look for the latest updates to what I own or purchases I should make in the near future.
My latest obsession, especially for students, is the cloud. I know the cloud isn’t exactly a new concept… but being able to store, update, manage, and share files anywhere still makes me so happy. There are tons of great cloud-oriented products out there – they’re incredibly useful for college students – but no matter what stage of life you’re in you should use them.
However, there’s a clear problem with having so many cloud software options. Developers all seem to have their own cloud system…which means, for example, if you’re an Apple freak, you don’t care about Microsoft’s latest product, and vice versa. So I’m here to tell you about several of these cloud products, and you can skip over the product reviews you don’t want to read without hurting my feelings. Kumbaya, baby!
SkyDrive
The first product I want students to know about is Microsoft’s SkyDrive. This is definitely a tool I wish I had during school. All you need is a Windows Live ID to sign up – the entire service is free. With SkyDrive, you can access, share and edit files virtually anywhere. If you’re working on a PowerPoint presentation, you can easily collaborate with your team members on slide design or content. The same rules apply to Excel spreadsheets, Word, and OneNote. SkyDrive can be accessed on either a PC or a Mac, which means you can avoid the stinky, stuffy computer labs!
iCloud
You guessed it… iCloud is Apple’s baby, and one I’m completely in love with. Not geared specifically towards students, iCloud focuses less on document collaboration and is positioned as your next favorite storage solution. With iCloud, you can easily store music, photos, calendars, contacts, documents and more, from any of your devices.
When that pesky group member (you know who I’m talking about) is bothering you to send them the latest document updates and you’re not at your computer, you can shoot it over from your iPhone! It comes built into new iOS devices (yes, this includes the much-anticipated iPhone 5) and that shiny new Mac you’ve had your eye on. Don’t worry, though; you can also easily access iCloud on your PC!
Amazon Cloud Drive
iCloud is admittedly impressive… but our little green friend isn’t getting left out of the cloud domination race. Amazon has made it easy to store your digital files in their Cloud Drive so they are accessible anywhere. You can use Cloud Drive to store the files that live on your computer, and it seamlessly integrates with your Android phone or tablet. You get 5G for free, just like iCloud, and paid plans start at $20 a year. It’s a great solution to back up your computer without worrying about clunky, expensive external hard drives.
Overall, the cloud is a great solution for storing your ongoing projects and a powerful tool for team collaboration. College students can be more efficient while not stressing about whether they’re working on the latest saved version of a project.
Now get in the cloud and go get those A’s!
About the Author: Erica Roberts graduated from Oregon State University in 2011 with a B.S. in Marketing. She is an avid reader and writer, and is extremely passionate about social media. Erica currently works as a social media consultant for several clients, and has a social media internship with YouTern. Connect with Erica on LinkedIn and Twitter.
