A new school term is about to start. Back to school prep used to mean stocking up on paper, pens and highlighters. Now, it means logging on the D2L to download course notes and lecture slides. Few people have mastered all the features of their most common computer applications, so every now and then you might learn something you wish you knew years ago.
Here are few computer skills worth brushing up on. If you have a Calgary Library card, you can access free online courses, such as those on the site Lynda.com.
Use best practices for files names. York University has a great resource to get you started with the basics. Each time you download and save a file, consider whether the default file name is actually the best. Perhaps it’s too vague, such as all the course outlines with a file name of “CourseOutline”. Take a couple seconds to add the course number to it. In fact, try adding the course number and module (e.g 232_mod2_lab) to the start of all file names for your course notes – they will automatically organize themselves in the folder.
Imagine opening a cabinet full of canned foods. What if everything was labeled vaguely like “food1”, “food2” etc. You would have to open each can to find out what was inside. You don’t want to have to open each of your files to know what it is, that’s a waste of time.
Email Etiquette
Thoughtful consideration of file names should also apply to documents you are sharing with others, and the subject lines of emails. Don’t just choose something that makes sense you, but will also make sense to the recipient. Sometimes, your instructor will request a specific format for the file name of assignments, but at a minimum you should add your name. I don’t think they want to receive a few dozen files all named “assignment1”.
Be professional in your email communication and make a good impression. More ways to do this are suggested here by Tufts University.
Styles and Format painter
In a word processor, learn to use a styles and format painters. For example, learn to “select all text with similar format” or use the format paintbrush. There are many extra features that make use of styles, such navigation panes and automatic table of contents.
Edit PowerPoint Master Slides.
Editing the master slide is a quick way to reformat an entire slide deck to suit your needs. Perhaps your instructor uploaded slides with white text on dark backgrounds, and you don’t want to waste ink when printing. Or perhaps you are preparing a presentation for class, and want consistent, professional looking format.
Print Powerpoint Outline
Each person has there own preferences for printing PowerPoint lecture notes. Experiment and find a style that works for you. A lesser known option is to print outline view. The text that prints is a consistent size, so the content from slides with a lot of text will be just as easy to read as the rest. There are a few limitations, such as pictures not printing, but if there are only a few slides like that, print those separately.
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Are there other useful computer skills you think your classmates should know about? Any RTASA member is welcome to write a post for the blog – just send it to the executive team (rehabtasa(at)gmail.com). Possible topics include anything that relates to student success or the field of rehabilitation.
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