Recently, Stephanie Swanberg (User Services Librarian), Carrie Pyeatt (Director of Student Services), and Andrew Kaleita (Writing Specialist) hosted a series of presentations where they shared their advice for succeeding with your graduate studies. Over the next few weeks we will be sharing their tips in a series of blogs.
Technology when Writing
- Using two monitors is a lifesaver according to Carrie. If you have a desktop of space at home, you can get a second monitor that does move, or there are second monitors that can attach directly to you laptop screen.
- Try using speech to text with Google or Microsoft Office to verbalize your thoughts and get them written out.
- Websites and software
- Grammarly – a free editing software
- SimpleMind – create digital Mind Mapping (free app version is available)
- Outliner – this app can help you to organize your thoughts or tasks into an easily editable outline format
Technology for Reading
Many individuals find that listening to articles instead of reading them can be really helpful. Others like reading along while also listening to the article. If either of these study methods resonate with you, here are some tools that may help.
- Texthelp – subscription based read & write software
- Natural Reader – free AI text to speech software
- Check out this website for a side by side comparison of text-to-speech software
Organization Software
- Mendeley – a reference managing software that can help you store and reference articles.
- Trello – a free productivity and workflows manager.
- The To Do lists are a favorite feature!
- iStudiez Pro – this app can sync with your calendar, alert you when an assignment is almost due, and help you visualize your week.
- Using the app to visualize your week is a great tool for those who have a tendency to over-commit.
- Monday – this app lets you organize all your tasks into one place, set priority levels, and break down long-term assignments into more manageable parts.
- Moodle App – you can use this to access your classes’ Moodle pages on the go.
Other Helpful Technologies
- Slidesgo – free slide decks that can be used to create presentations in google slides
- Canva – a graphic design website that can be used for presentations, resumes, and more.
- Habitica – a habit building a productivity app that helps you achieve your goals through game play
- Delve – a qualitative data analysis tool
- Google Forms – build a survey for others to take
- Check out this video on lesser known features of Microsoft Word
Have questions?
- Make an appointment with Andrew. Andrew is available to help students navigate the transition to scholarly writing. This could be anything from help with specific assignments to brushing up on APA style.
- Make an appointment with Stephanie* or stop by the library. Stephanie (or any of the MSP librarians) can help you navigate the multitude of resources available to you as an MSP student. She’s also a great person to contact if you need help with research.
- Email Carrie to talk about your specific support needs, accessibility needs, or anything else. If Carrie isn’t the right person to talk with, she’ll know who is.
*Must be logged into an MSP email address.
