This inability to concentrate can make it VERY difficult for me to finish my homework or pay attention when a professor is giving a lecture. While I haven’t figured out how to solve the lecture problem yet, I did discover something recently that has helped me to stay focused while doing my homework. Recently Lifehacker dedicated a post to the benefits of white noise. (No, I’m not talking about this band.)

White noise has many practical uses. Wikipedia’s entry for white noise lists a few:

White noise can be used to disorient individuals prior to interrogation and may be used as part of sensory deprivation techniques. White noise machines are sold as privacy enhancers and sleep aids and to mask tinnitus. White noise CDs, when used with headphones, can aid concentration by blocking out irritating or distracting noises in a person’s environment.

I’ve tried lots of things in my headphones to keep me focused, but so far I haven’t found something that works. If I listen to music that I know, I end up singing along to the lyrics. If I listen to music that I don’t know, I end up getting distracted by the lyrics or melodies. If I listen to ambient no-lyric music, it puts me to sleep. White noise has none of those things, so I’m starting to like it. To compare it to something, it sounds like a TV or radio that’s between stations. Like fuzzy static.

I don’t turn the volume up too loud - just enough to block out any outside noise. It also helps that I found some killer headphones. (Skull Candy Ink’d ear buds. $15 at Target.com)

The Lifehacker post mentioned above suggests three different sources to get your noise on:

1. Mac users: a nifty little free download called Noise from Blackhole Media. (Also includes pink noise for a more colorful anti-social experience.)
2. Everyone: visit SimplyNoise.com for a browser-based solution. (They have also recently added pink noise, and promise to be “adding more great features…”

With Fall semester coming up, give these options a try if you’re having trouble blocking out the world around you for a few minutes of focus.

What are the rest of you doing to stay focused out there?

Share your tips (type quietly please…that guy next to you is trying to study) in the comments.

After about 15 minutes, the alarm was still going off. (Kind of suspicious too…I overheard a fellow student saying that the same thing happened during the previous class this morning. Either some students are scheming, or there is a serious malfunction with the fire alarm.)

We were told to go ahead and go home. Since we were all together, there was no way to prevent people from talking and sharing answers, so it wouldn’t be fair to let us continue taking the exam. She said that she would collect all the tests and figure out a way to grade them that would be fair.

I got about 1/2 completed with still an hour left when the alarm went off. We’ll see how it turns out.

One thing is for sure - if anyone out there is currently taking or going to take Organic Chemistry - go download the desktop version of Marvin Sketch. It’s an incredibly useful software package that lets you draw molecules in 2D or 3D. There are tools to see stereochemistry, radicals, and S/R chirality. You can also have the IUPAC name of a molecule displayed after you’ve drawn it. I wrote about this program back at the beginning of the semester, and can now say that I don’t know what I would have done without it.

Techcrunch reported it just moments ago at IMAP Support Disappears from Gmail.

I really hope this isn’t permanent.

UPDATE: An announcement was just posted in the Gmail Help Discussion group. Looks like it’s a temporary error and they’re working on fixing it.

UPDATE #2: Looks like it’s working again. At least in both of my accounts…that was fast.

Related posts:

• POP Goes the Gmail (part 1)
• POP Goes the Gmail (part 2)

I was over at Techcrunch.com today and saw this post about Ambient, a small company founded by two graduate students from the University of Illinois. They are developing an amazing piece of technology that captures users’ thoughts and translates them into spoken word. Taken from the company’s website, their mission is:

to improve the quality of life for people with disabilities through utilization of the mind and advanced communication.

The implications of this are amazing. The post at Techcrunch generated a lot of skeptical paranoia in the comments. Some readers expressed concern that the technology will be used for evil. I’m trying to stay neutral, but I think this is incredible.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xyN4ViZ21N0[/youtube]

1. Jott | Their motto is something like “Think it. Jott it. Do it.” This incredibly easy service transfers a spoken message into text. After registering your phone number with Jott, you can place a call to their 1-800 number, record a message, and it will be converted to text and sent automatically to practically anywhere you want.
   
   You can use it to send a quick reminder to your email account, to another friend’s phone, or even add an event to a to-do list or calendar. For anyone who forgets to write things down as you think of them, this service is essential.
   
   
2. Pandora | I find it easier to study and do homework when there is music playing. (This is a typical characteristic of Kinesthetic/Visual learners.) For those times when I don’t want to drain my iPod battery, I have been turning to this free Internet Radio site. By setting up an account, you can create a personalized radio station. You tell Pandora the name of a song or artist, and it creates a non-stop stream of music that is similar to that song or artist.
   
   I don’t know how it does it, but they make reference to the Music Genome Project. I’ve been using it for a couple weeks now and absolutely love it. If you’re not sure what music to study to, you may want to read this post+comments over at Lifehacker.com.
   
   
3. Google Calendar | For the past few years, I have been using this service to keep track of my life. When it comes to school, I use it constantly. I set up a calendar for each class and transfer the assignment/exam dates onto the calendar as events.
   
   For assignment due dates, I set reminders to my cell phone via text message. For exam dates, I set email reminders for a week in advance. If an professor announces a project or assignment during class that wasn’t on the original syllabus, I send a text message to GVENT (48368), and it is automatically added to my calendar. Since I’ve been using this system, I have not missed a single assignment or forgotten to study for an exam.
   
   The great thing about Google Calendar is that it plays well with others. You can set it up to communicate with Jott. Then you can call Jott and add an event to your Google Calendar. Perfect for those of you who have the dangerous habit of texting and driving. (Shame on you.)

Good luck out there everyone. If you want more productivity tools, there is an amazing list for students at this post here. (Thanks to HackCollege for the tip.)

I’m enrolled in two science classes at the Tempe Campus this semester. Now that the dust has settled and we are into the second full week of classes, I’ve got to get something off my chest. I really wanted to limit my text book spending this semester. Even though I bought fewer text books than normal, there were a few things I was required purchase for my classes that seem ridiculous. I want to know what everyone else thinks too. I’ll put a poll at the end after I’m done ranting so you can voice your opinion.

(If you received an email from me about this, feel free to skip the rant and go straight to the poll to share your opinion.)

Here’s a breakdown of my purchases for these two classes:

I can understand the text book, and the lab supplies. I’m even okay with the CPS clicker and registration fee. (It’s a hand-held remote control that allows students in large lecture halls to submit answers to questions from professors. Points can be given for students who answer the questions. It’s a good way for professors to gauge class participation in large class settings.)

But that’s were I draw the line.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I am a big fan of the Internets. It certainly has improved my educational experience over the years. But I have a huge problem with having to purchase unnecessary extra services. Especially when my grade depends on whether I’ve purchased them or not.

Here is why I have a problem with this situation. Ever since I’ve been in college, instructors have always used the Blackboard interface to post assignments, homework problems, quizzes, and even exams. As much as I hate it, Blackboard has a ton of functionality. If it’s used properly, it can really be a one-stop-shop for an instructor to organize their course. Best of all, the service is FREE. (Okay, I know we probably pay for it somehow in our technology fee or parking fee or some other random tuition fee. But the point is, it doesn’t cost me extra to use.)

I don’t understand the recent trend of using Blackboard to post the syllabus and lecture notes, and then posting the homework assignments on a completely different website that costs us extra money to use. Can someone explain this to me? I’m having a hard time connecting the dots. I think that it is just as effective to assign homework from the textbook or to post it so it is accessible (for free) through Blackboard.

I want to know what everyone thinks. Cast your vote below and check back to see what others are saying.

[poll=6]

I logged into my account this afternoon to see if it was properly receiving data from the site. I thought I would share a little bit of what I observed. Through practically no advertising other than a link in my email signature, word of mouth, and leaving comments on various blogs, the Stew has managed to spill across the world. In the snazzy graphic below (created using the Google Chart API), check out all the countries that have been exposed to the meaty goodness of Geek Stew.

One of my goals for the upcoming semester is to begin advertising the site on and off the campus. If you’ve subscribed to the feed (I know you’re out there!) and would like to help spread the word, leave a comment. I’ve got some ideas that I would love to share.

Nothing like a little word-of-mouth.