Two fantastic gadgets & their uses

Though I've mentioned some of my personal gadgetry in passing, I didn't really fully cover it. I'd like to focus a bit more on these two things I've been using for a long time. The first is my PDA (I use a Palm Zire), and the second is my digital recorder (Olympus DM-10).

One of the great things about these electronics is that they can knock out the clutter in your life. Kali Karagias does a FANTASTIC job describing what an ADD/HD person's mind is like in her blog. Her recent post "When a Cork Board Isn't Enough" gets right at the core of the internal mess, plainly saying "It ain't wikipedia up there." Those of you without ADD have absolutely NO idea how true that is. It sucks.

PDAs

A PDA can help fill in the gaps. Not only can you essentially digitize all your sticky note reminders, schedules, calendars, phone numbers, and ideas, but you also get the benefit of being able to set ALARMS. I found this to be incredibly important during college, and my blog post on the biological importance of scheduling to ADDers can help explain why. It's a lot easier to take reminders to do things from yourself than from nagging friends, parents, teachers, and classmates (to name a few).

Typically, if something is not a regularly scheduled (say, weekly or daily) or recurring event, your brain will never register it. With a PDA, you can capture it at the time you hear about it and set it to remind you soon enough to take action on it. I can't tell you the number of times I'd be in the middle of something, assuming it's a normal day, when my reminders go off. I'd be puzzled by the chime, look at the reminder, and be surprised/relieved/happy to have dodged a potential bullet I never saw coming.

It's a fantastic tool for anybody who is busy...and is a GREAT compliment to a monthly calendar/weekly planner. A fantastic counselor at my college pointed out that you won't be able to do long-term planning very well, because you're typically limited by the screen to view a day's worth of stuff. This is a very good point, and is why I say it's a very good compliment to a calendar system - if you have one in place.

Still, I could program all of my classes in - start time, end time, the days of the week class met, and tell it when the end of the semester was, all from pretty much one screen. I LOVED it. You can find cheapo, basic ones for maybe $20 or so at any Target or Wal-Mart. The one I use is a basic, black and white Palm Zire, which cost about $99 at the time I got it. Even those basic models, once you learn how to use them, are VERY useful.

Digital Recorders

I hinted at their use in how I killed writer's block. In addition, if you've got 504 accomodations (and sometimes if you don't and just ask the professor), you can usually record lectures as well as conversations focused on brainstorming ideas. A few great things digital recorders have over analog tape recorders:

1. Higher end ones can record a minimum of 10-20 hours of audio at once.
2. You can almost always save the files on your computer.
3. MP3 or WMA file formats (on higher end ones)
4. Some models allow you to set 'index' marks in the audio...playback checkpoints, if you will.
5. Speech-to-text compatability (also on higher end models)
   

These are GREAT for storing archives of class lectures, and these things have an unbelieveable variety of uses. On a side note, rechargable batteries rock. 3 sets of them mean you'll never have to worry about missing anything - you can spend more time listening than scribbling furiously in your notes. Why 3 sets? 1 set in the player, a backup in your bookbag when the main set gets drained, and a 3rd one always charging. Cycle as they drain.

A word of caution

I know what some of you may be thinking...with all that audio archived on your computer in universally playable file formats, you could sell it to classmates and make a killing. In addition, you may also think you can just forget about class for the semester and have a classmate record the lectures for you. DON'T...PLEASE DON'T.

For starters, you usually need to get permission from the teacher just to have it - many of mine had bad experiences with that in the past. The teacher is trusting you with their curriculum - don't betray them by dishing it out to the highest bidder...just because your teacher let you record the lectures does not mean they will let the next person do it, if you abuse the privilege. DON'T take that privilege away from future students.

Second, an audio recording is not the same if you weren't actually there to see/hear/participate in the class. I have read in various places that one of the single, most important keys to success as a student is simply showing up in class...and I agree with that assessment. You know your own classes better than I do, but still - I think it's better to be present and nodding off than slumbering in your bed. In addition, if you're in class and you're nodding off to the point where your pencil starts to leave streaks across your notes (it's happened to me, it's NOT fun), you can always mark the point where you realized you were nodding off, come back to it later, and rewind back through what you missed. I digress.

While I recommend against selling/distributing copies of your lectures (or showing others how to do it), I see no reason why a classmate can't, in an emergency, listen to your recordings IN YOUR PRESENCE. Your #1 priority when recording lectures is to safeguard your professor's curriculum - and by not allowing copies out, you can still allow people to listen when necessary.

Price guidelines

The digital recorder I use, the Olympus DM-10, cost about $100...WELL WORTH IT. Most good ones are at least $80...though you can get inexpensive ones for as little as $30-$40. If yours doesn't have an index function, use a stopwatch (typically on cell phones) to mark times.

Index markers

The index markers I could set have been absolutely amazing for me, and this is the reason I chose the Olympus over others. You can set up to 16 index marks per recording, and jump directly to those spots during playback simply by hitting the fast forward and rewind buttons - just like changing tracks on a CD. It's amazing. I have used the numbered index markers in a number of ways, including the following:

1. During lectures and Writing Center sessions, to mark changes in topic (during lectures, I will hit the index button, and mark in my written notes which index # it is in the margin, like 'i2' and the time. Writing center sessions - this allowed me to re-hear material while I was playing back the brainstorming session; this in turn allowed me to continually regain my train of thought while typing).
2. During lectures, to mark points I either space out or nod off (marking the same way as above, and noting that i dozed off)
3. CAR DIRECTIONS; using a different index point for each turn - allowing me to keep my eyes on the road, while still getting the directions I need.

The possibilities are endless. Use your imagination! This is just a taste of what these tools can do for you. I have used both types for years, though some of the uses have been pretty recent (particularly the use with the writing center). Find your own, and let me know so I can add those uses to the blog!