This Is the Tech You Need as an Adult Going Back to School
As an adult going back to school, you need more than technology. You need grit — dare I say, true grit? Nothing about college is easy, and that’s when you are young, eager, and devoid of any real responsibility. Many wash out and start their life before completing their education. It is not always their fault. Life is often messy and unkind. If you happen to be one of the people to whom life has dealt a bad hand, you’re not alone. And the good news is that you can still complete your education. Moreover, that enhanced education will greatly benefit you almost immediately.
The challenge with going back to school is that you now have real responsibilities that don’t involve school. You have a demanding job and even more demanding kids. You have a social life that is a necessary part of what makes you human and keeps you sane. What will help you push through is the knowledge that many others have been where you are and have accomplished what you are about to do. The other thing that can help keep you going is the knowledge that completing your education will offer real benefits to the people who are counting on you to take care of them. Those are the motivations you will have to find within. Beyond that, here is some practical advice about the technology that will help you be successful in your endeavor.
Voice Recorder
These days, getting a stand-alone voice recorder feels a lot like kicking it old school, and not in a good way. But there was a lot of utility in that retro item, especially for certain types of professionals like doctors and lawyers. In fact, they still use voice recorders today despite having access to more powerful apps on their smartphone. You will see a lot of them when you attend NP school.Â
A lot of information is thrown at you, and you have to have a reliable way to catch it. Your smartphone might be busy doing other things. Having a dedicated device that does nothing but record lectures can be the difference between passing and failing a critical class. Sometimes, good notes are not enough. You need to be able to go back and listen to what was said rather than the mangled version you wrote down. You might even want to record lectures that are entirely online because you might need to listen to them when you don’t have online access. Don’t rely on your memory, note-taking skills, or a ubiquitous internet connection. A voice recorder can be a real lifesaver for students of all ages.
A Good Notes Management System
As an adult headed back to school, you will not be able to get organized for the school year without a bit of technical help. You need more than a notes app. You need a complete organizational system. You can do this with pen and paper as they did in the town of Bedrock. But if you don’t find the Flintstones to be the best role models for success, you can easily find versions of these organizational tools for your smartphone, tablet, and laptop. The full version of Microsoft Outlook is a good place to start and is cross-platform. Even when taking classes entirely online, you still have a schedule and notes, and deadlines to deal with. You will have collaborative work that will require collaborative work schedules. College is a challenge that demands more organization. Meet that demand with a better organizational suite of tools.
A Headset with Mic
If you have kids, you can’t afford to get a headset with noise cancelation because you need to be aware of what is going on with the kids. As much as you want to sometimes, it is not safe to completely tune them out. However, you do want a headset with a good mic built-in. You will need to turn up the volume so you can hear lectures and conversations. And you will need the mic so you can participate in those conversations. A headset mic usually offers good off-axis rejection so the people on the other end can hear you clearly regardless of what else is going on around you.Â
A dedicated voice recorder, a good notes management system, and a headset mic are table stakes if you want to get to the head of the class.
