To make up for that massive off-topic post below, here is an astronomy XKCD comic.
http://xkcd.com/1071/
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
The Perfect College App
College, as everyone knows, is both exciting and chaotic. Many people drop out, either from poor time management (attending too many parties or not attending enough class) or spreading themselves too thin (trying to be an active member of too many clubs and activities). Since most students have some kind of smartphone on them at nearly all times, a mobile app is one of the best options for helping someone survive college. One of the first things anyone notices when they step on campus is that they have nearly everything they need for the next 4 years (6 for Master's and 8 for Doctorate) within walking/biking distance. The sheer amount of variety in terms of ways a student might need help during their college years means that the Perfect College App (PCA) needs to have several different functions.
Few first-time college students have ever had to cook their own meals or share a bedroom with anyone else. In response, the PCA would come preloaded with a large index of cooking recipes (and could download more), and would have the ability to sync with other students' apps in order to help roommates keep out of each other's way (letting them divide up chores, compare classes, and even send notifications to roommates if you "do not want to be disturbed").
Moving away from the social scene, remembering a complex class schedule and finding your way around campus can be difficult. The PCA would anticipate this problem by integrating a day planner with a map of the campus and the local area, allowing the phone to be automatically muted during class times, give alerts if a student's GPS signal is not near the classroom as the appointed time draws near, and can show the student a map with the shortest safe route (no cutting through back alleys after dark, no running through restricted areas, etc.) to their current scheduled destination. A student's calendar would be part of the information synced up between roommates' apps, although it would be a "read-only" file for the roommates and would automatically update with any changes the next time the two synced phones get within 50 feet of each other.
Finally, the PCA would help students keep on their teachers good sides with proper research and good contact. The research function would help anyone writing a paper by searching academic sites (JSTOR, LexisNexis, etc.) for relevant articles, and then would properly cite the page at the push of a button. The contact function would allow students to enter in their teachers' e-mail addresses (and phone numbers when applicable), and then ask them questions or alert them if you are sick throughout the semester by simply selecting their name from a list and typing out your message (or calling them).
The PCA, while not removing all of the stress from college, would do its best to make college life manageable.
This scholarship is sponsored by ATTSavings.com
Few first-time college students have ever had to cook their own meals or share a bedroom with anyone else. In response, the PCA would come preloaded with a large index of cooking recipes (and could download more), and would have the ability to sync with other students' apps in order to help roommates keep out of each other's way (letting them divide up chores, compare classes, and even send notifications to roommates if you "do not want to be disturbed").
Moving away from the social scene, remembering a complex class schedule and finding your way around campus can be difficult. The PCA would anticipate this problem by integrating a day planner with a map of the campus and the local area, allowing the phone to be automatically muted during class times, give alerts if a student's GPS signal is not near the classroom as the appointed time draws near, and can show the student a map with the shortest safe route (no cutting through back alleys after dark, no running through restricted areas, etc.) to their current scheduled destination. A student's calendar would be part of the information synced up between roommates' apps, although it would be a "read-only" file for the roommates and would automatically update with any changes the next time the two synced phones get within 50 feet of each other.
Finally, the PCA would help students keep on their teachers good sides with proper research and good contact. The research function would help anyone writing a paper by searching academic sites (JSTOR, LexisNexis, etc.) for relevant articles, and then would properly cite the page at the push of a button. The contact function would allow students to enter in their teachers' e-mail addresses (and phone numbers when applicable), and then ask them questions or alert them if you are sick throughout the semester by simply selecting their name from a list and typing out your message (or calling them).
The PCA, while not removing all of the stress from college, would do its best to make college life manageable.
This scholarship is sponsored by ATTSavings.com
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