Helpful applications for students success

Momentum is steadily building as students from all across Ontario are preparing for the Ontario College Marketing Competition this November. Case studies, presentations and group building activities have become the everyday norm. Participation within the competition is slowly fusing itself into our everyday lives- we eat, sleep and breath OCMC. This blog will outline key mobile and web applications to assist personal productivity and management levels within the participant’s lives.

In today’s environment students are busier than ever- On average a Canadian student spends approximately twenty-hours a week within a classroom setting; not to mention that many of us hold part time jobs in order to supplement the rising education costs. Add in homework, studying and leisure time and when all combined, it becomes more than an average fulltime job.

Although it was challenging, my first year in college was fairly ‘calm’. Throughout the summer, I was crossing my fingers hoping that my second year classes would be much the same; however, I knew that the odds were not in my favor. I decided to consult my trustworthy friend Google, and after a quick search I found a variety of web and mobile applications to assist with productivity and personal management.

Although the work is challenging it is fun, engaging and rewarding. I hope that some of the other OCMC participants will be able to find the following applications as useful as I have.

Please feel free to comment- we want to hear your thoughts!

1. Evernote (FREE)  www.evernote.com

Evernote’s slogan is “Remember Everything”, and this application certainly lives up to that bold statement. Evernote allows users to take notes (voice and text), record audio, take pictures, save websites, collaborate on projects, share documents and presentations and much more. The best part is that everything is automatically synced with your smartphone, computer, and an online database (extra fee for online capabilities); no matter where you are all of your information is readily available.

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2. iStudiez Pro ($2.99) www.istudentpro.com

Don’t let the grammatically incorrect name fool you, this application is an organizational mecca. It keeps track of your entire class schedule, assignments, homework and grades. The interactive calendar provides you with a detailed outline showing all of the events for that day. Students are able to attach assignments to each course which automatically sets due date reminders. Everything is color coded, so it is nice and easy to read. This is an essential application for every busy student.

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3. Dropbox (FREE) www.dropbox.com

Dropbox is amazing. That’s it. I guarantee that once you try it, you will be hooked. All of your documents, pictures, files, music and videos are easily accessible anywhere you are. Dropbox automatically syncs and updates all of your files (through multiple devices) instantly. What if you lose your computer or smartphone? No problem. You can access all of your files from the Dropbox website. This application will definitely save you.

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4. Google Docs  (FREE) www.docs.google.com

Google docs should become your best friend, especially when it comes to group work and collaboration. It allows users to create and edit documents online while collaborating with real-time with users. All of your documents are always available and can be accessed by multiple users at the same time. Google Docs even keeps track of the individual users work with a unique color-coding technique. Become familiar with this application, you will be glad you did.

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5.  BigWords (FREE)   www.bigwords.com

BigWords is a search engine for the cheapest textbook prices anywhere on the internet. It compares prices to ensure that you get the best deal. No more standing in line, no more ripped pages, and no more misplacing your books right before mid-terms. Everything is online and easily available.  In short, you will save money using with application!

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-Over time, technology has been intergraded into nearly every aspect of our lives. A few key companies have defined technology as we know it today. On October 5, 2011 the world lost the technological icon Steve Jobs. With the introduction of the first Apple computer in 1976 Steve revolutionized personal computing. Other companies were able put computers onto desks; Steve put a computer into everyone’s pocket. Although he is gone, he will never be forgotten. On behalf of Humber College our thoughts go out to his friends and family. 

May he rest in peace.

-Tim Hendry

Guest Blogger Considers OCMC

Hey – I am a guest blogger on the OCMC blog and thinking about applying to an OCMC team!

In my first semester at college I kept hearing faculty members and students talking about the ‘OCMC’ but only in passing. I personally thought it had to do with some sort of student debate rather than with marketing.

The day someone explained it to me was when I walked into my marketing class 20 minutes early for a test. I was invited in rather than wait in the hall. The anxiety for the test was written all over my face and I needed to think about something else for at least five minutes. The teacher and I started talking about the marketing program and why I choose it. It all had to do with my work history which started 11 years ago in sales and management. The teacher told me about the OCMC and the more he explained, the more excited I became because of the competitive edge it had to it.

The portion that I was thrilled about was retailing. When I was younger I always said that I would never work retail, it just wasn’t something I would EVER consider. I should have bit my tongue because that’s what I accidently fell into as a career. Retail taught me so much; how to manage a C volume to an AAAA+ volume store, how to create relationships with customers, and how to manage and coach a successful team. I took pride, but it took over 8 months for me to realize my strength with people. In the beginning I would never say hello to anyone as they entered the store because fear took over. As months passed and my confidence grew, I never let anyone come into my store unless they were greeted. I took this into consideration when enrolling into marketing, it was new and again fear took over. But as tests and projects were completed, I realized I had found my new passion.

So when the teacher told me about this competition with all the colleges, I was excited but at the same time hesitant - the fear was talking over once again. I began to Google-search the event to see what would come up and I was so excited to see the fun of Quiz Bowl and the interviews of people who had participated in the presentations. Everyone was extremely excited and only had something positive to say. They confirmed what I thought from the beginning - this is a onetime deal for me and if I passed it up then I would only regret it. The fear of trying and failing is what tends to push a lot of people away. So I told myself, ‘Hey, at least you tried,’ and who knows where this may take me.

I hear participating in the event can help build your skills and resume - sometimes students participating in the individual events have ended up with a job. This is a perfect way to start down the road to a successful career in marketing. The training would help sharpen my skills so the question here is, “If you don’t try, then how will you ever know?” So I suggest to everyone who is considering the OCMC, to go out and try it - what is there to lose except to build on the strengths that you already possess?

M.C.