Secret #5 Save It On the Cloud

Whether you’re using Google Drive, Drop Box, or some other cloud based storage, the cloud is the way to go. Say goodbye to flash-drives that can easily be lost or forgotten at home, and say hello to the cloud. By saving documents, spreadsheets, presentations, pictures, music, and much more on the cloud, you can access them online no matter where you are. If you have an email address that ends in “edu” you may qualify for additional storage at these sites for free.

My personal favorite cloud based storage is Google Drive. With Google Drive you can easily collaborate on group projects. This is especially helpful when your group members don’t have time to meet with you.  Everyone (given permission) can edit your document, so you can work as a team even if you’re not together. Google drive has its own version of Word, PowerPoint, and Excel, but if you would rather use Microsoft Office, you can. You can download a Google drive file onto your computer. This enables you to save Microsoft Office documents on Google Drive. You can also go into the settings on Word (excel, etc.…) and have it save automatically to Google Drive. This is a convenient way to protect your homework. If your computer crashes, your documents on Google Drive will be safe. Recently, Google has even added a new feature that helps you create bibliographies.

While cloud computing is very convenient and useful, remember that anything you put on the cloud, is on the internet. By putting something on the internet you are opening yourself up to security risks. With that in mind, don’t save anything on the cloud that is sensitive or private.
An additional disclaimer: this blog is merely to inform you of some of the capabilities of the cloud; if you want more information on how to use Google Drive, click here.