Surprisingly simple way to keep organized in graduate school

[BethBSN]

I am RN with >4 years of ICU experience and I am coming up on completing my first year in nurse anesthesia school. Anesthesia school is no joke but one way to stay on top of everything is by being organized. Using Dropbox has definitely been a helper... and without further ado, my official top 10 reasons why graduate nursing students should sign up for Dropbox:

1. You don't have to lug around huge texts (we're talking the ones >1000pgs) to class/the OR/rotations away from home!

2. You can organize subjects/careplans/papers in different folders

3. Available anywhere, from any computer (just have to log onto site), either PC or MAC

4. Very easy to use

5. There's an app for that! You can access files from a smartphone or iPAD (in the OR), in addition to laptop, or desktop

6. Easy to share documents with classmates or working together on team projects

7. All files are always safe on dropbox - even if your computer is destroyed, you can access your files from the dropbox website

8. Never have to email yourself another paper or file again!

9. If a file accidentally gets deleted, you can always un-delete it and get the file back - it's like a time machine!

10. It's free!

Thanks! Good luck on applying all!

-B

[Be_Moore]

Just wanted to add in to this that Google Drive is cheaper on all plans, and offers more free storage up front (at 5gb). So just to let everyone know that there is a very solid competitor to drop box that is cheaper. It's what I use for backing up all of my files (also finishing my first year of CRNA school). But whatever you do, do use a file backup system. You'll probably want that stuff until you pass boards.

[RhinoRocketRN]

Thanks guys! I will be looking into these as I will be starting this fall...

what about skydrive from microsoft? It automatically came with my desktop and microsoft.. or do you feel dropbox would be better as it can be opened from mac

[detroitdano]

I bought an iPad for the sole purpose of note taking in anesthesia school and discovered Dropbox, it's awesome! Any "cloud" type server will get the job done, such as Drive that was mentioned.

I upload files to Dropbox, open them in Notability, do whatever I need to in Notability, then send them back to the Dropbox. Saves a ton of paper I would have printed out otherwise.

[RhinoRocketRN]

ok because I also have an ipad and was thinking it would be handy for storing books during school as well.. so dropbox and notability...

you guys are awesome.

[MeTheRN, BSN, MSN, RN]

Definitely agree! I have all my notes from didactics with me at all times and can quickly reference things in the OR.