To those of you who have just completed secondary school and are planning to further your studies soon, it’s worth equipping yourself with some basic tech skills beforehand.
As a generation exposed at an early age to the Internet and mobile devices, you’re expected to be highly adaptable to digital technology, especially as you will be part of a tech-driven workforce upon graduation.
Plus, in today’s digital economy, more tertiary institutions are gearing towards paperless learning irrespective of subject fields, which means you should possess at least the fundamentals in using digital technology during your studies.
Among the tech skills that can help you throughout your studies (and your life) are the essentials in digital literacy, digital citizenship, and digital etiquette, which we have discussed in length throughout this column.
Here are a few other tips related to tech that could be useful for your life in college or uni.
Office suite
To complete most of your assignments, you’ll need to utilise an office suite, which comprises productivity software such as a word processor, a spreadsheet, and a presentation programme.
Microsoft Office is the most common office suite, used not only at tertiary institutions, but also in businesses of various kinds. Other suites in existence include OpenOffice and G Suite.
Mastering the basic functions of the office suite enables you to focus on the content of your assignments rather than the technicality of these programmes.
Most importantly, you must be able to type with a keyboard. If you know at least the right keystrokes and keyboard shortcuts, you can type quickly and accurately, thus getting whatever written tasks you have done fast.
Troubleshooting and maintenance
Like any other technology, the computer or laptop that you use for your studies requires troubleshooting and maintenance.
It would be beneficial if you’re able to perform the basic ones on your own, such as downloading, installing or removing software; connecting or disconnecting a WiFi network; and performing a manual reset.
To ensure that your devices remain in tiptop condition, do regular maintenance like clearing cookies and your Internet history; keeping safe and secure from viruses and malware; and backing up your data.
Online research
When you need answers to using the office suite or doing some troubleshooting on your hardware, you can find some of them online.
Looking for solutions provided by developers as well as user forums is part and parcel of improving your research capability, which as mentioned in an earlier article, is essential for your studies.
As part of gathering information for your assignments, you need to know how to conduct proper Internet search and select credible sources using search engines such as Google and online reference materials and databases recommended by your tertiary institution.
This is a weekly column by SarawakYES! – an initiative driven by Faradale Media-M Sdn Bhd and supported by Angkatan Zaman Mansang (AZAM) Sarawak – to provide advice and stories on the topics of education and careers to support Sarawakians seeking to achieve their dreams. Join us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
This article first appeared on The Borneo Post, visit this link: http://bit.ly/357ktcA
Photo by Tirachard Kumtanom from Pexels.
