Things I Wish I Had Known Before University: Writing Assignments

Before reading any further, please be advised that this is not an article on how to write a paper. If you don't know how to properly format a paper, enroll in English 101 soon! If you don't know how to write, university and life in general will be very difficult for you. Good! Now that we're past that, we can get onto the real substance of this article.

Most university students have a rudimentary understanding of the programs that they use on a daily basis. Although it may seem obvious, one should learn to be proficient (not just sufficient) with the programs that one uses on a regular basis. I wish I had a dollar for every time that I witnessed a student grappling awkwardly with basic formatting issues in a program such as Microsoft Word. Honestly, if adding bullets to your document is difficult for you, you may want to add "Really Super Basic Computer Sciences" to your class schedule. Add it in right below "English 101: Cypherin' 'n learnin': how to not write like a Redneck". Part of me wishes I had the time to write articles teaching people how to use their basic computer tools, but I don't. Besides, there are already resources out there. If you're desperate to learn, trot on down to your local Chapters bookstore, and find a intro-level book with lots of color pictures and simple, layman instructions.

Now that I have established that this article is neither a writing guide, nor a tutorial on mastering Microsoft word, you – the reader – may be sitting there wondering what exactly this article does address. Fear not, for there is a point.

Where to cut costs?

Students are somewhat renown for their tight budgets. School is not notoriously economical. Tuition is high, books are bloody robbery, food is to be gotten at a premium (with exception to Kraft Dinner), and the price of accommodations is enough to make a person cry. In the good old days, the cost of paper and pencil was about the only other cost. Since the advent of personal computers, students have been forced to buy expensive computer equipment and costly computer software.

Sadly, there's no way of getting around the costs associated with computer software unless one has a computer given to them, or one pilfers it. In life, when an object is given or passed down, it is not always in “new” condition, and when one steals, one may face the full fury of the penal system. Mind you, there is free education for cons. So, I suppose if you really want a low-cost education...

However, back to acquiring stuff on the cheap. Thankfully free software is an entirely different from free clothes or mattresses. There are hundreds and thousands of quality, free programs available... so long as one knows where to look. There's the catch: most people have no clue that free software even exists. And if they do happen to know about free software, one of two fallacious beliefs is generally held.

The first misconception that I hear frequently is that free software must be infected by viruses and spyware. False. While there are indeed sites that offer "free" software that is laden with crap, there are also many sites that offer software that is both good and wholesome for your computer!

I also find that a lot of people don't know where to find this said "free software." I wish that I could give you a quick and easy way of finding quality, safe, free software of all shapes and sizes, but I can't. Mind you, there is a rather super selection of gratis software for both Mac and Windows on this very site, both of which contain programs that are both safe and free like beer. However, there are a few which are particularly helpful to students and writers alike. I would like to outline them here.

The Word Processor

The one thing that every writer both great and small needs is a good word processor. If you don't know what a word processor is, think: “Microsoft Word.” Microsoft Word - or MSW - is by far the most common word processor on the market. A lot of people love to point out the faults of MSW, but despite my overall anti-Microsoft sentiments, I can't help but acknowledge that MSW is a powerful and well-featured word processor. Having said that, there is one major drawback: price. For a student, MSW – as part of the Microsoft Office package – costs a little over $150. As you may already have guessed, there is a well-priced alternative (and by "well-priced," I mean "free").

OpenOffice is a quality, open-source alternative to Microsoft office. What it lacks in graphic pizazz, it makes up for in...well...”freeness”! Ignoring insignificant cosmetic differences, one will find that OpenOffice is able to boast a feature-set nearly equal to that of MSW or Word Perfect.

As its name suggests, OpenOffice is more than just a word processor. It is an entire office suite. It includes programs that are equivalent and compatible with Word, PowerPoint, Excel, and Access. All of these wonderful features can be yours for 12 easy payments of $0.00! OpenOffice is available for Windows, Mac, and Linux.  In the last few years, OpenOffice has developed to the point that major government organizations around the world have begun to employ OpenOffice as a viable replacement for MS Office.

I mentioned that OpenOffice was also available for Mac. Indeed it is. However, at this point, it doesn't run natively. If you don't know what that means, you're not alone. OpenOffice's installation can be complex to a new user; that's why I suggest OpenOffice's easier-to-install and sexier cousin, NeoOffice. Functionally, the programs are identical.

Working with a word processor can be limiting at times. There are times (especially when working on a joint project) when editing a document in the traditional manner is insufficient. For example, if members of a study group need to collaborate on a document, making and saving changes at different times and even in different locations can make it very confusing if everyone is trying to change a file that is stored in one place. Google has provided a free online service (Google Docs) that allows for intuitive collaboration. Here's what they say on their own website:

Choose who can access your documents.

Just enter the email addresses of the people with whom you want to share a given document and send them an invitation.

Share instantly.

Anyone you've invited to either edit or view your document, spreadsheet or presentation can access it as soon as they sign in.

Edit and present with others in real time.

Multiple people can view and make changes at the same time. There's an on-screen chat window for spreadsheets, and document revisions show you exactly who changed what, and when. Viewing a presentation together is a breeze, as anyone joined in a presentation can automatically follow along with the presenter.

Seriously, what's not to like? Right now, while I'm writing this article, I'm using Google Docs. In my situation, it allows me to work on my articles from any location that sports an internet connection. I don't even need to have my own computer along! You only need a Gmail account.

PDF

PDF, or "Portable document format," was created by Adobe in 1993. It allows for the viewing of a document on any computer or portable device, regardless of operating system or screen size.PDF's are very common, and most people have heard of Adobe's Acrobat Reader which is the most common program for opening and viewing PDF files.  Especially while doing research, it is common to encounter PDF documents. For example, electronic versions of scholarly journals are often in PDF format. Adobe's PDF viewer, Acrobat, can be downloaded for free from their website. This program allows for simple viewing of PDF documents. Unfortunately, the program is bloated and slow. I would recommend that Windows users instead use the quick and light-weight Foxit Reader. Mac users can simply use Preview, which is faster than Adobe and is pre-installed on every Mac.

Like a physical book, it is often useful to highlight and note certain portions of a PDF document. The free version of Acrobat does not offer this functionality. For Mac users there are two solutions. When Leopard is released (late October 2007), the new version of Preview will include features enabling you to add markups to a PDF file. Until that time, Mac users can use "Skim" to  annotate PDF's. Windows users will again find Foxit reader to be helpful in this regard.

Organizing PDF's is another key to effectively dealing with PDF documents. A little known feature of iTunes is the ability to store and and organize PDF files in much the same way that it stores songs or video clips. When a PDF is opened from within iTunes, the PDF will simply open with the system default PDF reader (e.g., Preview or Foxit).

If you have the need to create a PDF, there are options (regardless of the operating system you use). Mac OS X has PDF "printing" built right in (below).

If you use Windows, I suggest downloading Primo PDF (Link). It's relatively simple to install. It acts as a printer, which means that the process for creating PDF's in Windows is very similar to that of the Mac.