Study sessions aren’t always the most exciting thing in the world. Sometimes you have to get through a boring topic or final research paper. Nevertheless, there is no other choice than to do it and get rid of it as soon as possible. And fortunately, there are many tools in your electronic devices to help you.
You probably know all about apps that help you focus on your studies or correct your grammar. But have you ever thought about features on your computer that do the same thing? Check out these seven hidden features of your PC and stop underutilizing your computer while studying.
Pin windows
While multitasking isn’t a good idea, having your tabs displayed at the same time can help make your studies more efficient. For example, you have to browse through tons of articles for a research paper. You would have a bunch of windows open at the same time. So it is likely that you will lose some of it in the process or accidentally close the necessary tab.
To avoid this frustration, use drag to pin windows. All you have to do is grab your chosen window, press Win and the left or right arrow, and you’ll have the tab displayed on the left or right side of your screen, respectively. So you will never lose a writing services website or an article on Google Scholar. Everything will be organized and easily accessible.
Notably, you can choose any window to pin. So not only will you lose browser tabs, but you will also have easy access to folders or documents on your computer. And you won’t waste time reopening the file or struggling to find it among all the downloads.
Clipboard synchronization
A lesser known but very useful feature is clipboard synchronization. After activating it, you will be able to immediately copy any text you have written on your computer to your phone. And the same thing works the other way around. This one would be useful for backup. As a student, you would like to keep the most important information in several places.
Let’s say you’re taking class notes. Copying them to your phone creates an additional source of information that you will always have with you. Or, if you forgot your laptop at home, you can enter the information on your phone and it will immediately transfer to your PC. Thus, you will avoid retyping your notes in a computer document.
screen time
Procrastination is the number one enemy of a successful study session. It’s easy to spend time looking for the perfect study playlist instead of actually studying. More importantly, you don’t even realize how much time you have to spend on small distractions. So, to figure out the problem, look up your screen time through the computing feature of the same name.
You can find it on the “Power & Battery” dashboard, where you can also detect which apps are consuming the most battery power and, therefore, where you spend the most time. Therefore, not only do you detect your procrastination problem, but you also see the efficiency of your laptop. And you will definitely need it to run and function as long as possible to study.
Tune-up session
Another great hidden option to speed up your studies is the tune-up session. This is a built-in feature that syncs with your Microsoft to-do list. So you can set timers for all your tasks and start your tune-up session. It’s also customizable, so you can control notifications and even integrate your Spotify to have your favorite study playlist running in the background.
The tune-up session also has a dashboard that shows you how much time is left and sends you a reminder to take a break. With this dashboard, you can also see your overall stats and progress. And what better encouragement to study than seeing how far you’ve come with your study session?
Notice of silence
Sometimes all it takes is a notification from your Messenger to disconnect you from your studies. It’s very tempting to jump on the new gossip bandwagon in your party when you see the intriguing message appear on your screen. To avoid this temptation, simply turn off notifications during your study session.
You can do this on your PC by going to Settings > System and choosing Focus Assist. You can manage your notifications there. You can leave some by customizing your priority list for notifications. So, if you work online with your classmates, you won’t miss the important message.
Voice input
This is an extremely useful hidden feature when you’re feeling a little too lazy. Voice typing is perfect for taking notes while sitting on your couch. So, you can do a causal study session by opening an article and literally reading chosen sentences on your computer. To do this, you just need to press Windows and H to open the voice typing pop-up window.
Plus, this feature corrects punctuation on its own, so you’ll always get grammatically correct notes. It is also useful not to lose your spontaneous ideas during a brainstorming. So you wouldn’t waste time putting it into sentences, but you’d catch them on the spot and edit them afterwards.
Windows Backup
Finally, one of the most important hidden features is Windows Backup. When you are studying, you are likely to keep your saved information and files everywhere. It would be easy to lose a chapter to read for homework or slides from your professor on the first topics of the semester.
Fortunately, you can gather all your information on your PC with just a few clicks and send it to OneDrive storage. So all your files are backed up and safe, whether you have to log in from your roommate computer or if your laptop needs repair. You will always know that all your files are stored safely.
Wrap
And here you have it. Try pinning windows to stay organized and not lose a single important tab. Test clipboard synchronization to type your notes on your devices simultaneously. See screen time, focus sessions, and silence notifications to boost your productivity. Try voice typing for note taking. And don’t forget to protect your information with Windows Backup.