College students get used to buying hundreds of dollars of textbooks every semester, whether they want to or not. They also get used to lugging around a big bag of books on campus, reading around the notes of a used book’s previous owner, and messy, leaky highlighters. And selling books back at the end of the semester can be a struggle, especially if there’s a new edition of the book available. But with the introduction of e-readers, it’s becoming easier and even a little more affordable for students to buy their books, to make notes and highlight passages, and to keep all their books on one small device.
The Kindle Keyboard is still the most popular e-reader on the market. And for students, the Kindle Keyboard can be a cheap and valuable study tool. The selection of textbooks available for e-readers is growing, but still relatively limited. But for liberal arts students or for classes that don’t use traditional textbooks, however, the Kindle can be the best way to keep all of your books on one small, easy-to-use device.
The Kindle Keyboard is primarily an e-reader, but that’s not the only thing it can do: in addition to downloading books, users can also access Wikipedia and limited access to the Internet, two things that can come in handy while studying. The “read to me” feature is also a helpful tool, allowing students to listen to a book. Listening to a book while working out or driving can be a great way to multitask.
Along with Internet access, the Kindle Keyboard has a built-in dictionary, allowing readers to look up the definitions of unfamiliar words while reading. Just click on the word you want to look up, and a partial definition will appear at the bottom of the screen. For a more detailed definition, press the arrow button. Having a dictionary that you can use to look up a word as you’re reading can save you time, and shave minutes off reading for class.
Students will also appreciate the highlighting and notes features, which can help you keep track of your notes on your Kindle and are accessible from any computer with Kindle’s Cloud Reader. To highlight a passage, press the center joystick button and highlight the words or passages you’ve chosen, then press the center joystick button again. To make notes, simply start typing on the Kindle’s keyboard, then press the center joystick button when you’re done. This is particularly useful because you can access both your books and your notes from anywhere, even if you don’t have your Kindle with you. And the Kindle Android app, available for both Android and iPhones, makes it easy to read and take notes from your phone—not perfect for studying, but useful if you have a few minutes to read or study.
Having a Kindle can make studying easier; in addition to making your school backpack significantly lighter, the Kindle uses technology to help you keep your notes and other study materials in one place. For students and bookworms alike, a Kindle is one of the best things to happen to literature in a while.
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