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10 ways to slay your next semester online

10 ways to slay your next semester online

How to make the most out of your digital learning experience.

December 1, 2020 at 12:00pm


This year offered many lessons on what we’re capable of as we endured stay-at-home orders, the threat of coronavirus, political and social turmoil—all while completing online and remote education.

What’s been gleaned is that no matter what happens in the world, education will continue unabated with online and remote options. 

Understanding this, there are several resources to help make your journey successful. The following are some of the most useful apps and websites to download, bookmark and refer to often as they will help you as an FIU student. 

1. Video yourself into presentations

In our remote world, finding a way to do a presentation can be difficult, but Loom.com offers a solution. The website is free to students and offers a way to upload your presentation with a recorded “picture in picture” option so you can walk viewers through each page of your document. 

2. Create masterful graphic art

Need a quick poster, brochure, or flyer image for a class project? Canva, Crello, Snappa are free resources that offer graphic options for all sorts of projects to help enhance presentations.

3. References 

A bibliography is one of the most important pieces of any research project and can also be one of the most time-consuming to complete. With papers and posts, you can be sure you’re using the appropriate APA style with EasyBib.com. While you’re there, you can also check your paper for plagiarism and grammar as well. 

4. Keep your fitness

FIU’s Wellness and Recreation Centers offer a number of outdoor and virtual classes that current students can sign up for. PantherFIT TV also offers on-demand videos that are produced weekly and can range from short fitness tutorials to longer format full workouts. If you prefer something handy on your phone, consider a Seven-minute Workout app (there are many to choose from), which can help you relieve stress in between study sessions.

5. Newspaper subscriptions

While FIU libraries offer free access to publications for students, there are many periodicals that offer students discounted subscriptions. Using the FIU login, however, students can gain free subscriptions to the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal.

6. Free classes

From LinkedIn Learning to FIU’s Open Community Courses, students are able to connect to some of the best resources to increase their skills and gain new knowledge.

7. Spelling and grammar

For those who want to be sure their posts and papers are as clean and error-free as possible, Grammarly.com can help ensure confidence when you hit the submit button.

8. Flashcards

Sometimes the best way to learn is through flashcards and games. Quizlet.com offers students several ways to learn class materials and can be shared within groups.

9. Collaborating with groups

Often, group work requires more than what a messaging app can handle. While the Canvas platform offers several ways to connect with classmates, for assistance outside of Canvas, there are many tools that can be helpful like Google Hangouts, DropBox, Doodle, etc.

10. Software
From Adobe products to Microsoft Office Suite to Zoom Pro version, FIU offers links to a range of software resources at no extra cost to students.