Pros and cons of Office 2007 for college students

I just started using Office 2007, word in particular. There are several things that I find very great about this new edition. However, there are a few downsides to consider as well.

PROS

The 2007 version offers great formatting for writing in APA, MLA and several other formats. It manages your references and can input properly styled citations into your paper. I am currently writing a term paper and it is so much easier.

Instead of drop down menus across the top, there are a series of tabs. I am surprised by how much more I like it. When I am working on page layout, everything I need for layouts appears across the top of the page. When working with references, I can click the reference tab and everything needed to manage my sources and insert citations is readily available.

Best though is that you can save any new document is a format that old versions of word can open-no more incomparability across versions!  Next time you have an instructor that needs an electronic version you don’t have to worry about what version they have and if they can open it.

CONS

The student version does offer a discount at $149.00 but I still find it expensive. Especially because you can only install it 6 times. If I pay that much money for something, then I want to use it forever on anything I want. Like the old versions of office.

The other downside, is that it does take some getting used to. Especially if you are just getting used to something new like Vista. If you don’t have some time to play with it i wouldn’t suggest swtiching. So three days before a term paper is due…not the time to upgrade!

Freeware for serious college students

One great way to get the most bang for your buck in college is to get the most out of your computer. I found some great freeware that is useful for college students. Most of the web sites that list freeware seem to focus on ways to play on your computer. However, these apps are more for the serious student.

DreamCalc.com

Instead of spending a fortune on a graphing calculator you may only use for a few quarters. Why not use a freeware graphing calculator for your laptop? This site offers the best calculator out there. In one calculator you can have a simple, scientific, graphing or financial calculator. You can select the mode most suited for your needs and away you go. It is completely free, but does take a little practice to get familiar with. It can take you from pre-algebra classes all the way though statistical calculations.

http://www.studyminder.com/index.html

Study Minder offers a 30 day trial on a great student planner software. It tracks your classes, grades, homeworks assignments due, and your projected study sessions. It helps you focus your energies on the tasks that take the most time, or have the highest priority. It is a great alternative to carring a planner or using a standard windows calandar.

http://www.docstyles.com/index.htm

This site is the most informative website for formating papers to specific styles. It offers a desktop reference program for each style for free, and a quick reference guide to print and carry in a notebook. The site covers, APA, AMA, ASA, CBE, CMS, MLA, and EOS formatting styles. There are also online classes you can enrolling for no charge that walk you through the basics of APA formatting for students new to using it.

*IF YOU KNOW A GREAT COLLEGE FREEWARE PLEASE LEAVE ME A COMMENT AND I WILL ADD IT TO MY LIST!!!

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