My Science School

Ever since gadgets entered our lives, we have been addicted to them. Checking the mobile phone as soon as we wake up has become part of our daily routine. Similarly, thanks to the pandemic, today our mornings begin with online classes.

While the computer is highly useful for academic purposes such as project work, it is also used as a means of entertainment. However, constant use of the computer can take a toll on our health and leave us feeling tired and exhausted.

The need to detox

Using the computer for long periods of time can affect the eyes as well as the body. The harsh light emitted by the monitor can tire your eyes and leave you with dark circles. The light is also said to affect sleep. Besides, in the absence of physical activity as a result of being confined to the house, your body will feel much weaker than it is.

Prolonged use of the computer can also lead you to develop a poor posture that can result in back and neck pain. Many people also complain of headaches and disorientation.

Another major health problem encountered by many of us today is obesity. Sitting in front of the computer for hours together can lead to weight gain. This in turn affects our heart and mind.

Ways to detox

The best way to stay away from the computer is to keep yourself occupied with other interesting things. Here are a few ways to detox and recharge yourself.

Take regular breaks:

Take a sand clock or set a reminder on your phone and place it on your computer table to remind yourself to get up and move around every half hour. During these small breaks, do simple stretches to relax your muscles before getting back to work.

Take power naps

You could feel exhausted with all the things you need to do during the day. So, to relax, take power naps instead of playing games on the computer or the Playstation.

Listen to music

Music helps us relax and destress. There's a tune for every mood. So, start listening to your favourite songs in your free time.

Allocate time for play

Even if you can’t go out, you can still play at home. There are a lot of games you can play with your family. You could also invent a game.

Reward yourself

It can be difficult to detox. A reward is a good way to keep yourself motivated. Every time you do something other than using the computer, reward yourself with something useful.

 

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Dictionary

Most of the physical dictionaries such as Oxford, Cambridge and Macmillan have online sites. To develop your vocabulary, you can refer to these sites. An easier way to find the meaning of a word is through Google Search. You can just type the word followed by ‘meaning’ in the search bar and you will get the answer instantly.

Translators

Developing a rich vocabulary is important to gain mastery over a language. While the dictionary can help you learn new words, there are several translators online that let you identify the equivalent of a word in the language you wish to communicate. The easiest translator to use is Google Translate. It is in-built with Google search. All you need to do is key in the word and the language to which you would like it translated. For example - Type "Translate happy to hindi" and see what happens.

Blogs

Writing and reading are the best ways to improve language skills. There are several blogging sites that let you blog and consume content for free. Blogging lets you voice your opinion and improve your skills by way of feedback from your readers. You can also read blogs written by others to understand how they communicate and learn the best practices. There are several blogging sites that can be used for free such as Blogger and WordPress.

Online courses

Several websites offer free and certified courses in language. You can watch and learn at your own pace and get advice from certified instructors and peers. These courses also help you build an online network and connect with people from all over the world, thereby helping you learn the language faster.

Spelling checks

Spelling errors can be common in the initial phase of learning a language. Sometimes, spellings can also go wrong when typing. To avoid these mistakes, and to identify the correct spelling, spell checkers in text editors are useful. Spell checkers underline a word in red if the spelling is wrong and offer you suggestions for the right spelling.

Grammar checkers

Grammar is considered the foundation of any language. It is essential for effective communication. Grammar checkers in text editors and software, which you can install, can be helpful in improving grammar skills. In text editors, a grammar mistake is usually underlined in green. There are also websites such as Grammarly that help you correct your grammar mistakes instantly while typing out a mail or posting content on social media.

Audiobooks and Ebooks

It is said that listening and reading are great ways to master languages, especially pronunciation. There are plenty of free audiobooks and ebooks available online. Just choose your favourite story and start listening to it as an audio file or reading it on your laptop. It's a fun way to improve your listening, reading and language skills.

 

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Word processors

Word processors can be your best friend when it comes to taking down or referring to notes. While most systems today come with Microsoft Word preinstalled, you don't have to worry if your system doesn't have it. There are many word processors available online for free download such as LibreOffice Writer and WPS Office Writer. Google docs can also be used for easy sharing of notes. But if you want something that is basic, Notepad is your best option. You can use word processors to take down important notes and research points and neatly arrange them for easy reference. You can also organise the notes and take printouts or share them with your friends over email.

Presentations

Since classes are happening online these days, presentation software is in much demand. Many times your teacher might ask you to make a presentation on a topic for the class. To aid you in this effort are a plethora of presentation software. While Microsoft Powerpoint is a classic software which lets you create beautiful presentations and display to the class, there are several other free software available online for download. There are also websites such as Adobe Spark and Canva that let you create amazing presentations in a jiffy.

Presentations are a quick way to revise topics as most presentations made by the teacher or students contain important points related to a topic.

Sticky Notes

Most computers, be it with a Windows OS or a Mac OS, have gadgets or apps for sticky notes. You can list to-dos, draw up a study plan for the day and make other small notes on these sticky notes and pin them to your desktop. Every time you turn on your computer and visit the sticky notes app, you will know exactly what you need to do. Time to start planning!

Bye-bye Math fear

How does the computer help you ace in Math? Through some amazing tools and software. There are tools such as the calculator that you can use to calculate or verify your answer. The calculator also doubles as a converter where you can check for currency and weight in different measures. It can also tell you the time difference between dates. Spreadsheet software on the other hand helps you organise data while also calculating simple and complex math problems such as multiplication, cube root and the likes.

Bring out the artist in you

To channel your inner artist and to help you with poster-making and other design works, the computer offers you software such as Microsoft Paint and Adobe Photoshop. There are also open source versions such as Gimp that can be downloaded for free. Websites such as Canva and Adobe Spark also help you make posters and edit photos for free. So, what are you waiting for? Create that amazing poster and leave everyone in awe.

Towards unlimited knowledge

Undoubtedly, the biggest role the computer plays in helping with academics is the access to the Internet which is home to the World Wide Web of information. The Web has answers to almost all your queries and is your best friend when it comes to research and some extra reading.

In the next edition of Open Source, we tell you how the Internet and the World Wide Web can help you with academics.

 

Picture Credit : Google