I have always been a preacher of the use of personal technology to make our lives easier. Why burden  our poor brains by remembering our personal schedule and trying to keep track of our to-do lists? This is how people grow old quickly. So I tell you solemnly, burdened souls, embrace the new way of life… get rid of your pen and paper (and save a couple of trees while you’re at it) and embrace personal technology!

It’s been a since the reopening of the NUS academic semester, but it’s ever too late to start using the various softwares and web-apps to make school life a bit simpler. This is my list of the essential apps that every student should definitely tree out!

1. SugarSync (Free basic 2GB account at www.sugarsync.com)

Now students having multiple computers are uncommon. Many people have a desktop computer at home/dorm room, a netbook to carry to class, and, maybe even a super-smartphone as a ultra portable computing device. The problem with this is how to keep all the files that you are working on perfectly in sync? When you take notes in class, how do you ensure the file is changed on your desktop computer without having to transfer it through a USB drive or emailing it to yourself.

Enter Sugarsync! Sugarsync runs and monitors specified folders, sync-ing them up to the cloud and across multiple computers whenever they are changed. It’s cross-platform, so you can use it on both your PCs and Macs. It also acts as a off-site back-up software. Seriously, you would not want a case where your final year project work disappears cause your computer crashed. It even has an iPhone app so you have access to all your files wherever you are, although there are a few limitations with the app. With a 2GB free basic account, this is a must-have!

Do click here for a referral to get a bonus 250MB of storage space.

2. Google Calendar -using Google Sync to sync to your phone

Students nowadays have loads of events to remember. Be it that early 8AM lecture, the extra-curricular activities, the late night hall party, or a dinner date with that cute girl in your tutorial class. You have to remain up to speed with your next appointment. Get used to taking down all your activities using Google’s free calendar! Boy, do I love Google and their free apps! But that’s not enough, you need  to have your calendar wherever you are. Remember you are an active college student that doesn’t spend all day in front of the computer! Answer is: sync it up to your mobile phone using Google Sync.

3. GMail - with NUSmail fetched

Face it, we all hate checking our NUSmail! It’s not user-friendly and just plain ugly and Microsoft-y. Plus the amount of “spam” you would receive everyday makes it impossible to obtain a zero inbox if you’re mail is not constantly checked. You might even miss important announcements from your professors. I would therefore recommend fetching all your NUSmail to your primary e-mail (which should be a GMail account) using POP3. If you want to receive your mail immediately, push your e-mail to your mobile device. I personally use PushGMail for iPhone but it does sometimes prove to be rather unreliable.

4. A Collaboration Tool - Google Sites or Google Wave

When Google Wave came out, I was pretty convinced this would be the tool that I would use to collaborate with my project group members. Turns out, I was wrong. It lacked the features which I felt the group needed. I turned my attention to Google Sites and now it hosts my group calendar, deadlines for deliverables, project updates, a page for minutes of meeting, and a central database for all project documents. I would love to show you my Design Project Tracking Workspace on Google Sites but, unfortunately, it’s off-limits until the project is over.

5. Evernote (Free basic account from www.evernote.com)

Evernote prides itself on being an extension of your brain. Walt Mossberg calls it a “digital file cabinet you can bring anywhere.” You can create notes,  post pictures, sound clips, web clippings and immediately have them synchronized to the cloud to multiple computers and your mobile phone. I use this to take notes in lectures, copy links and web clippings when I’m doing research, and write short paragraphs when I get moments of inspiration. I even wrote the first few paragraphs of my Final Year Project on the bus on my way to a dinner in town.

So, what personal technology do you use? I’d love to hear from you.But if it’s “pen and paper”, don’t bother to write.

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