Remote studying has been a necessity for most of us lately. After the outbreak of Covid, millions of students were forced to shift to virtual classrooms and get used to learning from their homes.
Now, when the lockdowns aren’t mandatory, many students have still decided to continue their studies online just because it gives more freedom and flexibility.
If you are one of them, preparing to continue (or start) learning virtually, you must be wondering what you need to make it work. Read on to find out about the top 6 gadgets that are must-haves for convenient and successful remote learning!
1. Personal Computer
Of course, the number one gadget you will need to study remotely is a personal computer, either a desktop or a laptop. Remote learning takes place in an entirely virtual set.
Thus, you will need a reliable gadget to access live conferences, join online classrooms, write your papers, submit completed tasks, take online tests, and stay in touch with your peers and a teacher.
Won’t a smartphone or tablet work? Probably not. While you can use such devices for communication and participating in virtual classrooms, there are some tasks that are very hard to complete on a small screen.
Namely, writing your papers on a smartphone or tablet will be a tough one. Luckily, you can always use the paper writing service WritePaper.com to complete your tasks with almost no effort. Still, it will be good to have a larger device, at least a laptop, for other tasks too.
2. Tablet or Kindle
Yes, earlier we said that a tablet won’t fully replace a PC for your daily studies. But, this doesn’t mean that you can’t make good use of it for certain purposes. Namely, a tablet or Kindle paperwhite can really come in handy for reading assignments.
While studying, whether in a traditional or virtual classroom, students are tasked with reading dozens of textbook pages every day. You could probably do your reading assignments using a laptop too. However, having something portable for this purpose would be much more convenient. This way, you will be able to read all the assigned textbooks with more comfort and even on the go, which is not always possible with a PC. Thus, a tablet or Kindle is also among those essential gadgets all students need.
3. Headset
When attending online lectures and classes, you will have to listen to your teacher and probably even participate in discussions. Therefore, it is always a good idea to ensure that you will be able to hear everyone clearly and that your teachers and peers will also be able to hear you.
Of course, you could go the easy way and just use the in-built mic and dynamics of your laptop for this purpose. However, there are a few challenges associated with this. First of all, not all PC’s on a student-friendly budget have a solid mic and dynamics. This can cause some inconvenience during your live sessions.
Apart from that, listening to your lectures at full volume can be somewhat inconvenient, especially if you are not living alone. It can be hard to concentrate for you and can also distract whoever lives with you. Therefore, investing in a high-quality headset is never a bad idea.
First of all, good headsets will ensure the highest quality of sound so you won’t miss something important from your classes and discussions. Also, wearing headphones during lectures can create a sense of presence and, thus, make it easier to concentrate. And, finally, a good headset will let you study at any time of the day and anywhere without bothering the people around you and, also, without getting distracted by the outer noise.
4. Webcam
It shouldn’t be a secret to you that online classes are run in video-call format. During such calls, all participants can turn on their mics and cameras to participate in the discussion. Although not all teachers will require you to have your camera on, it is still good if you do this because it shows that you are present and willing to participate.
Why won’t your laptop’s camera work? If you are using a laptop for remote learning, chances are that it has a built-in camera. However, needless to say, cameras built into laptops (especially budget-friendly ones) are not great. They are often blurry and poor-quality, which can ruin your experience. That’s why buying a separate webcam is a good idea.
And there is one more reason to do this. When studying remotely, especially on long-term courses, students often bounce from one platform to another, as well as from one gadget to another. As a result, the quality of their image is not always the same. However, with a good webcam, the quality of your image will remain the same regardless of whether you are using a laptop or a tablet.
5. Laptop Vent
When you study remotely full-time, you will have to perform all course-related tasks using your primary gadget. This can include attending online classes, watching video lectures, preparing PowerPoint presentations, writing academic papers, taking tests, and more. Such a huge load can get your laptop in overdrive. This basically means that it will work at the top of its capacity and, eventually, get overheated, which can slow down its work.
A great solution to this problem is to get yourself a solid laptop vent or cooling station. Such gadgets will cool down your laptop and ensure that it works great even during the most intense periods.
Besides, most laptop vents and cooling stations are designed similarly to desks but smaller and more adjustable. By using such gadgets, you will be able to keep your back straight and work comfortably even if you are sitting on a couch.
6. Second Screen
During your online classes, there will be multiple cases when you have to stay present in the virtual classroom and, at the same time, perform some research or complete any additional tasks also virtually. When this happens, hopping between tabs in your browser can feel somewhat inconvenient. But, if you can get yourself a second screen, it will definitely level up your game.
A second screen can be even a tablet; whatever fits your needs and budget. But, the benefits you get are huge. You can use the second screen to always stay inside the classroom and leverage your primary screen for performing tasks, watching provided links and videos, working through interactive supporting materials, etc. Just try it once, and you will never want to go back to having a single screen.
The Bottom Line
So, these are the top six gadgets every remote student needs to be comfortable and successful in the virtual classroom. In addition to the options we shared with you here, you might also want to get some extras. However, the gadgets on this list make a basic toolkit that you can’t do without.
Thus, if you are just getting ready for your online learning experience, use this article as your bucket list to shop for the right devices. And if you are continuing your education virtually, be sure to check what you already have against this list to see if you are still missing something!
