Fashionably Techy: Navigating the End of the Year

[Like a magpie, you gravitate towards things that are shiny: cell phones, TVs, anything that allows you to play Rock Band. But just because you love ‘em doesn’t mean you know much about ‘em. That’s where we come in. Every week we will be highlighting the best, coolest and shiniest in technology. Consider us your personal Geek Squad.

By Kari

And let us tell ya; with CC on your side, geek has never looked so chic.]

It’s holiday season. A time of chaos and disorder. Many of us are about to go through finals on top of the mad dash to the holidays. Packing up dorm rooms for break, making holiday travel plans, trying to get those last few extra assignments in so you can pass with a C – all very trying things. Things that can be conquered with organization! So use these easy tools to help you get a jump on your New Years resolution. They won’t help you lose ten pounds, but they will help you stop forgetting birthdays.

Deadlines and Scheduling

If you’re anything like me (and you know you are), you wait until the last minute to get things done. From making travel arrangements to finishing papers, I’m a procrastinator. But nine times out of ten it’s not because I mean to – it’s because I honestly forget!

I found the best way to stay organized was actually right at my fingertips. Gmail (which we all have) has an awesome Google Calendar feature. It’ll keep track of your deadlines and notify you when they’re coming up via your life-line (AKA cell phone).

Another must-have? A flash drive. During the holiday season (with all the visiting and running around) chances are you’ll be on the go. Load up the flash drive with everything you may need and you can bring your work with you wherever you go. Just pop it into whatever computer is available and you are good to go.

Clutter

If you’re like me (and we’ve established that you are!) then you have ten million things that need to be charged. I drive myself crazy gathering up chargers the morning of a trip. And I always forgot one…which always happens to be the most important. And don’t even get me started on the millions of cords all over my desk. It’s not pretty. A multi device charger will clear this right up. One like this.

Mental

It’s stressful this time of year. A little “you time” won’t hurt. Try Boomshine to destress. It’s addictive but really finite so you don’t end up playing it for hours. We all need a break sometime.

Enjoy the end of the semester and the holiday. Good luck and try not to get too overwhelmed!