A laptop is a necessity for college students. It is used for online classes, research, homework, personal projects, or freelance gigs. If you have a Mac with you, the great news is that it can be optimized for more productive studying. Here are several tips on how to achieve that.
Organize Your Browser
The browser is another part of a laptop that tends to get cluttered pretty easily. Some people advise having two separate browsers as well – one for studies/work, the other for personal use. It can be efficient as it creates a specific routine that sets a mood. In Mac, you can set priorities on what browser to open automatically in specific cases (like Chrome for Slack links and Firefox for Messages)
In any case, make sure you clean and optimize your browser, so it works faster. Clean cache regularly, close unused tabs, and bookmark only relevant websites. You can also separate bookmarks into several folders. Put the most widely-used ones as shortcuts.
For example, students can put their helpful study resources like papers writing service websites. Such services can be a lifesaver when you are struggling with college assignments. They offer writing, editing, and proofreading help with all types of college papers, whether you need an essay or a dissertation. And they can do it fast because of the amazing writers on the team.
Experts will nail any subject and topic according to your requirements. So if you need your paper polished or want it done completely from scratch, such platforms are the way to go. They deliver excellent services and unique papers even on the shortest notice.
Clean Your Desktop
Although it is a simple tip, it is extremely effective. A cluttered desktop makes it harder to find things and is more likely to distract you from what you are doing. So the fewer things there are, the better it is. Now you can only focus on one thing – research, paper, or online lecture.
A good idea might be to create two separate users – one for college and one for leisure. You can even set different fingers for Touch ID to switch easily between them. Each user can have a separate desktop with only needed apps. For instance, you might set a restriction to open messengers only on a personal account.
Try Focus Feature
This is an excellent feature for students that need more concentration on their tasks. It allows filtering the notifications you receive during a set period. For instance, if you are writing your essay, you might restrict all notifications besides essential ones.
The best part is that you can set Focus modes for various activities with different adjustments. For instance, one for writing, another for reading, and one more for gaming. And it synchronizes automatically with your iPhone, so notifications won’t distract you.
Boost Mac’s Performance
In terms of speed and power, you can also do several things to improve mac’s performance. This includes:
- Regularly updating the system for new features and security measures;
- Use the “Optimize Storage” function for more space and higher speed;
- Close apps that you do not currently use. Click and hold the app’s icon on the Dock and click “Quit”;
- Uninstall apps that you haven’t used for a long time and do not plan on using;
- Clear the startup items. Go to “System Preferences – Accounts – Login Items”;
- Use the “Fan Control” feature when working with your laptop;
- Regularly check activity monitor to see what applications are running;
- Empty trash and delete files you do not need from the hard drive.
Try VoiceOver
Macs have an amazing feature a lot of students can benefit from – VoiceOver. It reads the selected text out loud. This is useful for those who better process audio information. Or it can be comfortable if your eyes are tired after long hours of reading.
You can also use it to read big chunks of text out loud while doing something else. For instance, you can listen to lecture notes or key points while working on an assignment. Another application for VoiceOver is to use it when proofreading your writing. Often it is easier to evaluate the flow and notice mistakes when listening to the text.
To activate this feature, you can use the shortcut Cmd+F5.
Set Backups
There are several ways students can back up information on Apple computers. Using regular backups is a great habit for protecting any valuable data.
Here is what you can do. First of all, you can use Time Machine to back up all the information to an external hard drive. Secondly, make use of iCloud for all essential documents. This way, you can always access them from other devices on the go. And if a physical drive fails, you still have digital storage. Set them both to automatic functionality, and you will never forget to back up your data.
Create Virtual Screens
If you need to keep several things separate, you can create virtual screens. This way, each of them will focus on a particular task without distracting you. For instance, one can be for writing an essay you need to do. And another one can be for your calendar and schedule to be presented in full screen.
This way, you can switch easily when needed and keep tabs on all things for today. Some of the best scheduling apps for Mac are Fantastical and Todoist.
Remove Apps from the Dock
If your Dock is filled with all types of icons, it can be a distraction as well. There is even an opportunity to hide the Dock at all (right-click the empty space of Dock and choose “turn hiding on”). But if it is not for you, the other option is to remove irrelevant apps from there.
The minimalist approach boosts concentration, saves time, and allows for avoiding decision fatigue. For instance, you might only need a browser, finder, notes, Skitch, or screenshot tool on your Dock. Other icons can be deleted. To do so, right-click the icon and take the mark off the option “Keep in Dock.”
In Summary
With a little bit of optimization and organization, you can make your mac much more efficient and comfortable for your studies. Use these tips to adjust it to your specific needs.
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