Helpful Tools, Links, and Sites For University Students.

As part of a presentation for my University, I've compiled some helpful links and tools along with their descriptions.
They are categorized by Operating System (OS) dependent and non-OS dependent.
I hope other students find these to be as helpful as I have.

1. Helpful Internet Sites, Tools, and Communities
1. Academic and office
1. Google Docs
1. Our first google tool in this list, Google Docs allows basic office functionality anywhere on the web. My favourite use of this site is its powerful collaboration features: you can easily chat and make changes and revisions to any document, spreadsheet, or presentation.
   
2. Ottobib
1. A online simple MLA / APA referencer, simply put in the ISBN of books needing citation, and ottobib does the rest. This is a great tool for outlining a works-cited page.
   
3. Dabbleboard
1. Dabbleboard lets you easily share white-board-like drawings with anyone else on the web. I've used this tool personally on many Organic Chemistry assignments and website layouts.
   
2. Blogs
1. General Academic Blogs
1. This site features a wiki of many academic blogs, one can usually find interesting people writing about their favourite subjects.
   
2. Lifehacker
1. One of my favourite sites, Lifehacker constantly features new software and work-management tips from around the web.
   
3. Science Blogs
1. For you science students (like me) this site features many blogs by current scientists. One of my favourites is the Molecule of the Day blog.
4. Anne Galloway
1. One of my new favourite blogs, Anne Galloway combines art, computational science, and sociology to garner some interesting ideas for all of us to enjoy.
5. Not Your Typical Sociologist
1. Another Sociologist I enjoy, Johne Glass has some interesting ideas about humanity as well.
   
6. Cognitive Daily
1. This wouldn't be biolyrics without my plug for my major: Cognitive Science. This blog has articles that even a non-COGS student would find interesting.
3. News
1. BBC
1. I rely on the BBC rss feed to get my morning news, no matter which country I'm in, the BBC tends to have the most objective news. Although it's still main-stream-media (MSM) this is still one of my favourites.
2. CBC
1. For Canadians, the CBC has come to be their reliable news source. I tend to think that some articles could be more open, but on the whole, the CBC does a good job of keeping Canadians informed of news issues.
3. Reddit
1. My absolute favourite news site, reddit features full user-submitted and commented interaction along with a psuedo-forum format of discussion. You really has to give this site a visit to see what I mean.
2. Along with being a well-rounded (most of the time) news source, reddit also is unique in having "sub-reddits" of specific topics that are selected by the user. There are sub-reddits for just about everything, from cognitive science to biology; from Obama to bacon. And if your topic of interest doesn't have it's own news-source, it's amazingly easy to make one.
4. Digg
1. Although degrading in quality in years of late, Digg used to be my first choice in social news. Be wary though: most of the comments and stories on digg today resemble youtube comments (yea, I said it).
   
4. Academic Oriented / Research Oriented
1. Google Scholar
1. Google scholar is an excellent resource for digging through Academic Articles. I find it especially useful when I'm already logged into my university's proxy, thus allowing me to access any article.
2. Wikipedia
1. For being an open encyclopedia, Wikipedia is certainly the most controversial tool in this list. I've used Wikipedia as a directory for almost 7 seven years (back when it was "Nupedia"). I never use it as a primary source in academic articles, but it is helpful for finding some beginning information on particular subjects.
2. A word about Wikipedia: Never use Wikipedia as your primary source if you want to be taken seriously. Although Wikipedia has been shown to be more accurate than encyclopedia Brittanica (according to the journal: Nature) it is still an encyclopedia. What makes it so amazing is that is allows one to get quick information about unknown topics and most articles point to other articles and external resources that can be used in citations. Remember, anyone can edit Wikipedia, so if something seems out of place, be sure to check the history of the page to verify that it isn't just mis-information or vandalism.
   
3. One more word about Wikipedia: Wikipedia is powered by financial donations, but more importantly by intellectual donations. If you really want to learn about a subject, try fixing up pages (once you read the editing guidelines) and start really editing Wikipedia. I guarantee that it's a very mind-opening experience.
3. MIT Open Courseware 
1. For the true polymath there's nothing better than following an open course at MIT. This is where I primarily brush up on my maths and attempt new concepts in computational science. All of these courses are free, and a great way to review for grad-school.
4. Self-Made Scholar
1. An amazing directory of many different online classes, self-made scholar is another valuable resource for those wanting to informally learn a new concept or skill.
   
5. Time-management Oriented
1. Google Calendar
1. An online calendar site, Google calendar allows syncing with Blackberrys (a very new feature) and any iCal-based calendar program. It's also a great way to plan and organize events (although facebook is catching up).
2. Remember the Milk
1. An online to-do list manager, Remember the Milk (RTM) is great for setting time oriented tasks, along with managing other's to-do lists.
   
6. Social Oriented
1. Facebook
1. Everyone seems to have a Facebook page (even my mom), and why not? It's a great way to share photos, events, and messages to and from friends around the world.
2. A word on Facebook: Although Facebook boasts a decent set of privacy features, remember that you're still trusting many of your personal stories to it. With the right tools, anyone can see what you're up to, so be careful about what you post.
3. One more word on Facebook: Facebook is still a corporate entity that uses user-oriented ads for its primary source of funding. What this means is that there are computational algorithms digging through your profile to get advertisements oriented at you. So be careful, and be savvy.
2. A word about social-oriented sites: Just like Facebook, most social-oriented sites are funded by targeting ads at you. I'm not listing any more for this reason. I have listed Facebook because I'm realistic and realize that most people use it as their primary Internet communication.
   
7. Funsies and Hobbies
   
1. YouTube
1. Although full of videos ranging from the absurd to the informative (with comments usually in the former category) I find YouTube to be a fun way to pass time with friends.
2. Flickr
1. A powerful photo-sharing site, Flickr is actually a great way to see the world's photos at a glance. Checking out the most interesting photos daily puts things into a world perspective that is hard to get anywhere else.
   
3. xkcd
1. Truly a nerdy webcomic, xkcd features the musings of Randall Monroe, a CNU graduate who has a talent for comic humour. While most of the jokes are academic or computer-science based, I still find it to be on the top of my personal webcomics list for its consistency, creativity, and humour.
2. Software
1. A word on software selection: Students are always finding ways to save money, and software is not exception. In this list, I will avoid all propriatary software (which usually costs more than the hardware running it) and try to list open-source software. That being said, I realize that some closed-source software serves students better than their (lack of) open-source counterparts. Also, Mac and Windows are closed-source operating systems that most students use, so I inevitably have to discuss their tools.
2. Linux-based Operating Systems
1. A word on linux and nomenclature: While I realize that many people refer to linux as "GNU/Linux" this article is aimed at people who need to understand utility, not taxonomy. I believe that open-source advocacy is far more important than naming wars, and that basic computer knowledge is important for the open-source movement to gain footing amongst a more general audience.
2. Ubuntu
1. Ubuntu is my favourite OS because of its simplicity and availability of immediate support via forums, irc, and blogs. I personally run ubuntu 8.10 and have a fully customized desktop for maximum productivity:
2. 
   
3. There are other excellent examples of linux-based desktops on flickr.
   
4. Remember though, all linux distributions require a wee bit more learning to get used to (although this is getting to be less and less as better tools are made and old ones updated) so have a savvy friend help you get up to speed should you decide to take the plunge.
5. It's quite difficult to sum up all the tools in Ubuntu (much less other linux-based OSs) but there are a couple I want to bring up:
1. The Terminal
1. Oh yes. Mastering the terminal is probably the most daunting thing I've ever done in linux, but is by far the most rewarding. Using the terminal is truly the best way to understand how software really works, what is going on "behind-the-scenes", and a great way to skip all the lost time "mouse-searching" for menus.
2. Here's an example of what I mean:
   
2. A word on Linux and open-source (software libre) applications and programs: Most major open software can be used on any OS, giving Linux another advantage over other OSs: the ability to switch back and forth. Many of my personal Linux software will be covered in the "All OS" section of this article.
3. Some links:
1. Lifehacker: Featured Linux Downloads
2. Ubuntu's website
   
3. Mac-based Operating Systems
1. Note: Having never owned a Mac myself, I base most of these selections on what I've read, and what I've dabbled in. Having said that, most software on mac has a similar design as Linux (for the technical-minded: they're both based on unix / POSIX).
2. Most of the software I know for macs I know from the Internet. So rather than compile my own list of mac software, I'm just going to point to a couple links:
1. Lifehacker: Featured Mac Downloads
2. Open Source Mac: All open Source Mac downloads (excellent site and list)
   
4. Windows-based Operating Systems
1. Note: I use windows primarily for gaming now, and I hardly have time for that any more. In fact, I haven't used my windows partition for almost two months now, and even then it was to try out "Spore". Windows is the most commonly used OS, however, so I will point out some software for it (especially in the "All OS Software" section).
   
2. One more note on Windows: If you're one of the sorry souls stuck with Vista, then let me offer my condolences, along with the list of software.
3. Some Internet resources / links:
   
1. Lifehacker: Featured Windows Downloads
2. Open Source Windows: All open Source Windows downloads (another excellent site and list, by the same people who did the open Mac site).
   
5. OS Apathetic / All OS software
1. Note: All of the software here can be used on any of the "big-three" OSs I mentioned, unless otherwise noted. This article can by no means include every piece of productivity software, but I'll try to get an overview of some common applications.
2. Office Software and Accessories
1. OpenOffice
1. Arguably as powerful as Microsoft Office (I know I'll argue this), OpenOffice features the same powerful feature set as Microsoft, but without the rip-off pricing high cost. OpenOffice 3's new powerful feature-set has recently come out to be a true contender to Microsoft's Office suite
   
2. A quick overview of its tools and applications:
1. Writer: A document editor just like Word, but with word-prediction and pdf export.
2. Impress: A power-point / KeyNote presentation tool, but featuring the graphics and render processing of OpenGL. Check it out:
1. 
   
3. Calc: Just like Excel, but with additional extensible features.
4. There are many more, so check it out for yourself.
3. Internet Software
1. Firefox
1. An excellent, extensible, nearly perfect web-browser, Firefox always is my browser of choice. It's available for nearly every platform imaginable, and Portable Firefox allows one to take it with them anywhere!
2. Quick Searches, tabs, and other awesomeness
   
1. If you're using Firefox without using quick-searches, you're basically driving a sports-car in first-gear. By combining quick-searches with into your browsing habits, you'll be conquering the web in no time. There are some good guides on this, so feel free to check them out. Personally, I use "wp" for Wikipedia searches (which came as a default search on the earlier editions of firefox) and "yt" for the quick YouTube search.
2. Tabs: it always surprises me how many people are unaware of the power and functionality of tabbed browsing. Although Firefox wasn't the first browser to boast tabbing (Opera was) it is one of the most influential. To open a tab, simply "middle-click" (click straight down on the middle mouse button) on a link. To close it, middle-click the tab again. You can also you ctrl+t to open a fresh new tab for your surfing pleasure. I usually roll with 8+ tabs open, depending on what I'm doing. For example, right now, I have a set of websites I want to feature on this site, and they're sitting waiting for my informative pleasure in my other tabs.
   
3. Extensions
1. The crowning achievement of Firefox in the browser-wars is definitely the add-ons and extensions. There are so many, but I'm going to cover some important ones for academics and students:
   
1. Zotero: Zotero is a citation manager that had its modest beginnings as a Firefox add-on, but is now found as an OpenOffice extension as well.
2. Foxmarks: Foxmarks allows one to share their many bookmarks across a wide variety of browsers.
3. Uppity: a simple add-on, uppity can navigate up levels of websites, especially helpful for blogging sites and sites like flickr to navigate to the site's top directory.
4. Tagmarks: This simple addon lets you visually organize bookmarks by little icons in your location bar.
   
2. Pidgin
1. Pidgin is a multi-protocol Instant Messaging client that allows you to use all of your IM accounts at once, be it msn, gtalk, aim, or yahoo (and more). This is how I manage to have both a google IM and a hotmail one (though not a hotmail account).
3. Deluge
1. For torrenting needs, I've always like the interface of Deluge. A very compact torrent-management program, Deluge is also open-source.
   
4. Media
1. VLC
1. No discussion about open-source software is complete without VLC. VLC plays anything on anything; that is to say, VLC plays any format on any OS. A great replacement for any standard media player, especially Window's bloated media player.
2. GIMP
1. This is the open-source contender to Adobe's Photoshop. I personally use GIMP for all my site-comps, and have found that after a few projects, this program becomes more intuitive than Photoshop. Expect the GIMP to take the Photoshop market-share very soon.
3. Blender
1. Blender is a professional 3D modeling program. With a formidable learning curve, Blender remains a powerful 3D modeling tool used by many productions and movies, including Spiderman 2.
5. Portable Apps
1. The first tools I discovered in University to be of significant help were definitely the Portable Apps. These are common Windows applications that can be run off of a thumb drive (hence "portability")
   
2. There are too many to list here, but they include:
   
1. Portable Firefox
2. Portable OpenOffice
3. Portable GIMP
4. Portable Pidgin
3. A Final Word
1. This list will be edited as time goes by, but like any list, will never be complete. The one word of advice I can give for all of this: learn how to use each tool to its maximum potential, and constantly search for better ways to finish your projects.
2. I hope this list has been helpful, and I hope I can keep giving presentations that help all students.