The University of Massachusetts Amherst
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Productivity with Apps at UMass

Have you ever had a hard time finishing your school assignments? Is everything last minute? Do you often forget about that online quiz that is due on Friday? Then you, my friend, may have productivity issues. But don’t worry, it is nothing serious and can be fixed as easily as checking your UMass email.

One of the most convenient perks about going to UMass is that anyone with an active relationship with the university has a Google Apps account that gives access to the wonderful things Google has to offer, such as Google Docs, Drive and so much more. The most useful app, from a productivity standpoint, is Google Calendar.

Google Calendar can become your go to for everything that you do both on and off campus. You can create a schedule, which can later be exported to or synced with your smart phone, so that you can have it everywhere you go and never forget about important assignments or events. Right now you might be asking, “What can I put on Google Calendar to increase my organization?”

  1. Let’s first start off with your class and final exam schedules. You might know that your class and final exam schedules can be checked through Spire, but you probably didn’t realize that they can also be exported from Spire as well. This means that you will be able to create a file of your schedule, and then put it on pretty much any electronic calendar program. This, of course, includes your Google Calendar app. The following link will show you how to do it. Here is a picture to help (Click on it to Enlarge)Untitled
  2. Now you might be asking what can I do on odd days of classes, for example, days that follow holidays. Well you can go here – This is the Academic Calendar that outlines every holiday and other important events in the academic school year. Just like your class schedule, the academic calendar can be imported to Google apps as well.
  3. Facebook is a website that can be easily used to procrastinate. Well, with great power, comes great responsibility, and to those who are responsible enough, Facebook can become a great productivity tool. Facebook is excellent at group communication and organizing events. This is the exact reason why Facebook can become an important aspect of your college life. If you are in a club, you can create a club group and send invites to every member. Got a big test to study for? Set up a study event at the library with all your friends. There are many things that Facebook can be used for, but its greatest feature lies in its ability to sync events with other calendar programs, one of which is Google Calendar. This is how you can do it.[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LKlRGNvWMWk[/youtube]
  4. Finally, anything else that you think is necessary. Whether that is future homework assignments, test dates, work schedules, time to relax, you can add anything you need to yourself productive and organized.

For more information about Apps at UMass, visit UMass Amherst IT website: http://www.oit.umass.edu/support/google-apps/google-apps-how-tos