Little Tech Treats That Make University So Much More Survivable

Going to university is both an opportunity and a challenge. You want to be there because you’re getting an education you need for your future. But you also find out first-hand how difficult it can be. 



In this post, therefore, we take a look at all of the tech treats that make university survivable. Here are all the little things that can help you. 



A Calendar App That Sends You Timetable Alerts

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Keeping track of your university timetable is always a challenge. Timings for lectures change from week to week. And it can be hard to know what you need to do when. 



Fortunately, the marvellous world of calendar apps are here to help. Perhaps the best of the bunch of Google’s because of how it syncs with your Gmail account. If you get an email specifying a time or location for a seminar or class, Google will automatically enter all of the details into your planner, showing you where you need to be and by when. 



Streaming Services For Chilling Out



Some students work upwards of ten hours a day, especially around exam time. Thus, having some way to unwind in the evenings is essential if you want to avoid burnout. 



The Hulu vs Netflix debate is still ongoing. But make sure that you choose at least one of these platforms to provide you with some light entertainment at the end of the day. 



Get Noise-Cancelling Headphones



Concentrating on what you’re doing is always a challenge, even when you are in a quiet library. That’s because there are always distracting noises around you, even if people aren’t talking. 



One way around this is to get noise-cancelling headphones and listen to white noise (or some other soothing sound). Noise-cancelling headphones work differently from the regular type. They prevent incoming sounds from distorting what you hear through the headphone by emitting soundwaves of their own that cancel out the incoming waves. This way, you can listen to music at low volume without having to listen to people shuffle around you. 



Get A Fitness Tracker



If you’re into college sports, it can be a great idea to get a fitness tracker. These devices are much more sophisticated than they ever used to be in the past. And they come in a bunch of helpful form factors, designed to complement your body perfectly. 



The most common are fitness watches. These keep tabs on things like your heart rate, blood pressure and how long you sleep. You can also get rings that track your overall state of wellbeing and tell you whether you can push hard on any given day, or need to take a break. Some even provide nutritional guidance, telling you what you should eat next. 



Smart Lighting



Lastly, you might want to invest in smart lighting for your student bedroom. While it is good to have bright lights on in the day, it can affect your ability to sleep at night. Smart lights, however, adjust with the time of day. So they are bright in the morning, and then get dimmer and redder in the evening, just like natural sunlight.

5 Reasons Why You Should Invest in Security for Your Home

If you want to feel safe and secure in your home, you might want to invest in a home security system. There are various types of home security systems on the market, when you invest in one, you should opt for one that meets your specific needs. 

You might be sceptical about the reasons why home security might be a good idea therefore, here are five valid reasons why you should invest in a good quality security solution for your home. 


Protect Your Family 

A fundamental reason why you should invest in a home security system for your home is to protect your family from intruders. A security system might not totally prevent burglary however, it will reduce the probability of intruders entering your home.

Also, security systems are not solely designed for protection from theft, they can also prevent fire and water damage by detecting heat and imminent flooding. Thus protecting your family from more than one type of perilous situation. 


Peace of Mind 

At night when you go to sleep, you are completely oblivious to what is going on outside your home. With security alarm systems for example, when an intruder enters your home, an alarm will ring out to alert you to imminent danger. This will certainly give you some peace of mind that in the event of a home intrusion, an alarm system could potentially save your life. 


Insurance Purposes 

If your house gets burgled, your insurance company will question the security measures you have in place for your home. If the safety features in your house appear to be inadequate, your insurance company might hold you liable for the items stolen. You might not get a payout or the payout you get could be drastically reduced.

Installing a good quality security system could prevent your insurance claims from being denied. 


Deterrent 

According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, more than 1.6 million burglaries took place in 2015. Extensive studies have been conducted to determine whether or not home security systems actually deter criminals from entering a home.


A university of Carolina study for example revealed that out of 400 criminals that had been convicted for burglary, more than 60 percent of them admitted to searching for a home security system when they assess a potential target property. 


Therefore, there is evidence to back up the claims that home security systems can deter criminals from entering your home. 


To Aid Criminal Investigations 

When a robbery or fire takes place, criminal investigators often use CCTV footage as evidence. When you install an effective home security system, you provide law enforcement with an extra layer of evidence to use in a criminal case. 


The initial cost of a high-tech home security system might deter you from investing in one however, the benefits of owning a security system far outweigh the price that you have to pay when purchasing one. Having a security system installed in your home will protect your family, provide you with peace of mind, deter criminals and facilitate insurance claims and criminal investigations.