Look, all throughout your life, you’re going to have to deal with people you don’t like, people you don’t respect and people that don’t treat you right.
Despite your brain screaming the opposite, you’ll have to interact with those people, collaborate and yes, sometimes listen. In the case of a bad professor — and keep in mind there are many reasons they can be a poor teacher — you’ll need to power through anyway.
What happens when bad turns to outright negligence? What happens when a professor fails to teach you, explain things and be a leader? Where can you turn when you’re struggling with a particular subject or class? How can you stay up to speed and pass not just the course, but also any accompanying exams?
The sad, honest truth is that not all teachers or professors are created equal. Some are incompetent, and others are lazy or difficult. Of course, there are plenty of amazing and helpful teachers too, but you wouldn’t be here if yours were in that category.
We’re going to take a look at a few channels and platforms you can turn to, so you can learn a subject or material without a teacher’s assistance.
1. LitCharts
From the founders of SparkNotes — yes, we love them too — comes LitCharts. The concept behind this tool is the SparkNotes summarization format has been perfected, even more, to help you not only learn what happens in literature but understand it, too. For example, you may read notes and know why or how something happens, but fail to grasp some of the finer details — details your professor might ask about on an exam or test.
From the founders of SparkNotes — yes, we love them too — comes LitCharts. The concept behind this tool is the SparkNotes summarization format has been perfected, even more, to help you not only learn what happens in literature but understand it, too. For example, you may read notes and know why or how something happens, but fail to grasp some of the finer details — details your professor might ask about on an exam or test.
2. StudyBlue
This is a crowdsourced library of study tools, most of which are pre-developed and rated on their usefulness. More importantly, it’s a community for like-minded students where they can share, interact and collaborate on helpful study resources. The community is more than 15 million strong and continues to grow every day. That’s important because you’re getting content and resources that are recommended specifically by other students dealing with similar courses and curriculums.
3. edX
There are tons of online school and course offerings these days. Not only is it tough to find and keep track of the best ones, but it’s also tough trying to find schools that are actually accredited or official. Sure, you can earn various certifications and credentials, but there’s no guarantee they’ll be accepted in the industry of your choosing — unless you choose a course platform that is accredited.
edX is a great marketplace for that sort of thing. You’ll find courses offered by some of the largest institutions, including Harvard, Berkeley and even the University of Queensland, Australia.
Some of the programs and courses you can take deal with programming and development, business and project management, engineering, software and application use, and much more. Chances are, you can and will find something on edX to help you further your college education.
4. MyScript Small Note
Predeveloped and crowdsourced study tools and information are great, but nothing is more valuable than the resources you create through note taking and attending your course lectures. MyScript is available for free, on iOS and Android. Some of the features are exclusive to the premium version, but you can make do without if you don’t have the funds to subscribe.
With this app, you’ll eventually come to do just that, on your own.
Any handwriting or scribble you etch onto a tablet or device will be converted into digital print, and the conversion process is remarkably accurate, even if your handwriting sucks. More importantly, you can take your own, personal notes and organize them the way that suits you best.
Give this one a look if you take a lot of notes.
5. EasyBib
Get used to writing reports, because you’ll be doing it a lot if you haven’t already. You’ll also want to get used to proper citation and sourcing because plagiarism is super bad. In fact, copying someone else’s work and getting caught can completely end your college experience and career.
Sourcing properly can be stressful though, especially when it comes to research and notes. EasyBib is a unique information literacy platform that offers a variety of tools and support for teachers and students alike. Learn how to cite and source properly. View useful notes and research sources. Take advantage of quick-use tools that make your reporting and writing process that much easier.
EasyBib is essentially the Swiss-army knife for college students, and teachers too.
6. iTunes University
College students are usually on a tight budget. No need to elaborate on that — we’ve all been there, and we all experience it at some point. Sometimes, that makes it impossible to pay for and subscribe to various tools and services, no matter how helpful they may be.
Queue iTunes University, an excellent resource for any student. It can be accessed from a Mac or Windows computer through iTunes. You can also download the app for iOS devices.
College students are usually on a tight budget. No need to elaborate on that — we’ve all been there, and we all experience it at some point. Sometimes, that makes it impossible to pay for and subscribe to various tools and services, no matter how helpful they may be.
Queue iTunes University, an excellent resource for any student. It can be accessed from a Mac or Windows computer through iTunes. You can also download the app for iOS devices.
Platforms like Coursera, designed to be a comprehensive resource for college students, are the answer. The site has partnerships with most major colleges and universities in the United States, including some Ivy League schools.As for the material, there are study resources, notes and much more. You can also participate in what’s called massive open online courses, or MOOCs for short. The best part? You can sign up, participate and study all at your own pace, in your own time. Coursera even has mobile apps you can use to study on the go.
8. Flashcards+
This one is pretty straightforward, honestly, as the name Flashcards+ is on the nose. You’ll find a huge collection of flash cards and study notes, all in multiple languages, and with full voice support. Yes, that means you can listen to the audio of the flash card information, just like an audiobook.
Take Control Of Your Education
The tools discussed here are not perfect. Some do cost money, while others are free. Plus, since there’s a lot of crowdsourced material, it’s easy to stumble upon resources or material that are not accurate.
Still, if you’re looking to further your education on your own accord, without relying on your professor, this is the way to go.
