Cloud storage are ideal for busy students because they offer many unique benefits that will keep even the most frenzied student organized. Not only that, but you can get a small cloud server for less than $20 a month, which allows you to stay within your budget.
These are just a few benefits that students will see when they use the cloud.
Store Every File
The days of pen and paper are quickly disappearing for students. The common student now saves everything electronically, and this results in a massive number of files and documents. You need to save class notes, reports, schedules, project files and many other documents. It can become overwhelming, and smaller hard drives may be unable to keep up with your demands.
If you need extra storage space, then a cloud server presents an inexpensive way to save all of your files. The cloud server will automatically expand to fulfill your needs, so you never have to worry about using too much data. Regardless of how big the files are, you can store them electronically in a cloud server, such as Dropbox (www.dropbox.com) or ProfitBricks (www.profitbricks.com).
Easy Access
Most people will have hard drives that are large enough for class files, but ease access is another major benefit that every student can benefit from. You worked all week on finishing your paper. It’s due today, and there are no extensions. You reach into your backpack to find that you forgot it at home or at your dorm.
A cloud server instantly fixes this issue. You can always access your stored files from any computer or mobile device. While showing the teacher that you really did your report is a great reason to use a cloud server, this will also help you access all of your notes and other files.
If there is an Internet connection in the classroom, then you’ll be able to access your documents without any problems. Most cloud storage providers, such as Box (www.box.com) and Mozy (www.mozy.com/#slide-8), offer mobile applications. That means you can even access files from a smartphone or tablet if a laptop or desktop computer isn’t readily available.
Better Organization
The cloud will help you organize your files. This is especially true if you’re using more than one computer or device. For example, imagine that you make edits to a report on your tablet, but you want to continue working from your laptop. Do you have to make these changes again to ensure that the file is consistent?
The cloud will instantly update the source file. This means that the changes will appear regardless of where the file is accessed. Instead of going through numerous versions of the same file, all of the changes will be centralized.
Speaking of centralization, the cloud server provides a great hub for all of your files. You’ll know exactly where everything is if you save all of your class documents in the cloud. SugarSync (www.sugarsync.com), for example, allows users to organize files just like you would in a typical folder setup stored on a local hard drive.
Collaboration
Many teachers want students to work together on projects, but this can be almost impossible because everyone has a different overall schedule. Every student has different classes, work and other things to worry about. These projects can be very difficult to work on because of this, but a cloud server will makes things much easier.
The vast majority of cloud servers have sharing features. This allows you to easily share files with your classmates. Your partners can also change the files and send them back to you. Many cloud servers, such as Google Drive (www.drive.google.com), also have collaboration programs so that everyone can work on the files simultaneously.
Backup Files
You had to stay up all night to finish your paper, but it’s nearly done and you don’t have any time for mistakes. That’s when the power goes out and all of your progress is gone. Every student has gone through the feeling of losing hours of his or her time due to unexpected problems, but the cloud can make this much easier to manage.
Cloud servers will save backup files of your work. This means that your report will be safe and sound regardless of what happened. Application developers and corporations turn to sophisticated cloud providers like ProfitBricks (www.profitbricks.com) to ensure data integrity regardless of what disaster might occur on-site. Students reap the same benefits by utilizing a cloud storage provider, such as CrashPlan (www.code42.com/crashplan), to maintain a secure and comprehensive backup of all your files.
Students can really benefit from using a cloud server. Not only can you easily save and access all of your files when you need them, but the cloud will make it easier to finish group projects and recover any work that was lost. Best of all, cloud servers are inexpensive and easy to use.
