How to Avoid Computer-Related Problems When Writing Your Essays: A Guide

Writing essays has always been a daunting task for students. And with the rise of technology, it has become even more challenging. The prevalence of laptops, desktops, and other electronic devices has led to the creation of various excuses when it comes to meeting deadlines. Whether your computer crashed, your printer failed, or your USB drive got lost, you can easily come up with reasons why you couldn’t submit your essay on time. But, as a student, you cannot afford to miss deadlines. That’s why we have compiled a guide to help you avoid computer-related problems when writing your essays.

1. Plan Ahead

One of the reasons why students run into computer-related problems is that they do not plan ahead. If you are working in a computer lab, make sure to set aside enough time for computer use. This means that you should book the lab early enough so that you can complete your essay in good time. If you’re using your computer and printer, stock up on printer cartridges and paper to avoid running out of them when you need them. Planning ahead will help you avoid last-minute rushes, which can lead to computer-related problems.

2. Print Out a Draft

If you do all your writing on the computer, make sure to print out a draft at regular intervals. This will allow you to review your work and make changes where necessary. You can also conserve ink and paper by selecting the “fast” or “everyday” mode and printing two pages per sheet of paper. By doing so, you will avoid printing too many copies of your work, leading to unnecessary expenses.

3. Save Your Work Frequently

Saving your work frequently is another important step to avoid computer-related problems. Make sure to save your work to a hard drive and a USB flash drive. In Microsoft Word, click on Tools, Options, and Save, and set Auto Recover to save your work-in-progress every few minutes automatically. (If you use another word-processing program, look for the equivalent feature.) It’s also essential to hit Control-S every few minutes to save your work to your hard drive, then copy the file to your USB gadget.

It’s advisable to save your word-processed work in rich text format, so that it’s accessible to virtually any word-processing program. This will prevent compatibility issues that may arise when transferring files between different devices.

4. Save Your Work Online

Saving your work online is another smart way to avoid computer-related problems. You can send your draft to your email address as an attachment, which makes it available from any device provided you can access your email. It’s also smart to create a secure space online where you can store all your academic work for easy access. With services like Dropbox, Google Drive, and Microsoft OneNote, you can easily upload your files to the cloud, access them from anywhere, and share them with others.

Conclusion

Computer-related problems are a common excuse used by students to justify missed deadlines. Therefore, it’s important to take proactive measures to avoid them. By planning ahead, printing out a draft, saving your work frequently, and saving your work online, you can ensure that your work is safe and accessible at all times, even in a worst-case scenario. So, the next time you sit down to write an essay, remember to follow these steps to avoid falling victim to the high-tech version of the dog that ate the homework.