How to Use Social Media Networks for Your Study

Studying has taken on a completely new form. The tools that are available enable us to learn more in a shorter period of time. Social media sits at the center of this new mode of study as students have access to everything they need at any time of the day.  They are also constantly in connection with their peers to swop ideas on a research paper or an assignment. There are some downsides to this as well, seeing that students can become overly reliant on social media networks to complete their studies.  Here we are going to look at how you should use social media for your studies. 

Gathering information
Social media enables a student to gather more information in a much shorter space of time. Back in the day, you had to spend hours in a library to get the information that you needed for your studies. Lecturers were only available for a very short period of time and one-to-one sessions were only available for people who could afford private tutoring.  Today you have access to almost any kind of information (for instance, how to create a blog post or how to write an introduction for an assignment). Your peers, who are like-minded, yet diverse can give you perspectives on issues that you would never have thought of. If you are unsure about your research paper format, you can obtain a research paper example without much effort. 

The point is that you have information at your fingertips 24/7 and you need to find a system on how to organize everything and discard that which you are not going to use and keep the useful information.  One aspect that you should also keep in mind is visibility on social media. The information that is current will always pop up first, seeing that it is filled with the buzzwords of the day. This means that your chances of gathering outdated information are also limited. 

This cool infographic, created by easelly will help you with some more tips:

Spreading the word
Many researchers have fallen victim to not having enough data, or enough people who could provide them with the data that they needed for their studies. With social media networks, you can get the word out on your research paper and rack up enough data in a very short space of time.  Your friends and the people in your direct network will probably know what you are doing and they will be able to spread the word on your research paper and gather information on your behalf.  Doing the door-to-door thing is not time effective and extremely frustrating. Using social media networks is less invasive and people don’t feel as intimidated by it, as opposed to a focus group or interview. 

Boosting communication skills
To be able to network has never been as important as it is today. It is one of the 21st-century skills that most corporate companies require their employees to be proficient in.  Using social media networks in your studies enhances your ability to network. It enables you to practice the skill of connecting the right people with each other and setting meaningful appointments for everyone.  Most people struggle to communicate effectively, especially when they need to organize events or schedules. Social media networks enable you to keep everyone in the loop and it does so in a much more informal way, which is less intimidating for the introvert.

Making friends
There are times that your studies can become lonely. Social media networks have given us the ability to connect with people from all over the world who share our interests. There are so many niche groups out there and you are bound to find one where you fit like a glove. It is always easier to share your concerns, troubles and breakthroughs with people who are going through the same thing as you. They have empathy with what you are struggling with and they also know the joy you feel when you succeed.  If this was the only way in which social media could be used in studies, then it would have been enough. There is no substitute for a friend who you can lean on and when that friend happens to be in the same field of study, even better. 

Taking the stress out of it all
Studies are stressful and having people who you can share and get advice from is priceless. Social media networks enable you to share your experiences with a much larger community and in most cases, these communities are uplifting and they will encourage you to stay the course and see your study through.  Sometimes, all you need to continue is that someone who can motivate you. Using a social media network as means to speak about your stresses, give other people the chance to calm your nerves and relieve your stress. And in turn, you can use your own skills to motivate yourself and others. 

Social media networks are here to stay and the more research is done on their benefits, the deeper its hold on education will grow. It is a powerful tool that transcends the boundaries of a classroom or even a border. It opens so many doors for the individuals who use it effectively and it will continue to do so for years to come.