Chameleon Window Manager Adds Extra Buttons to Title Bar for More Window Control

The snapping feature that Windows 7 offers is pretty much awesome, and as the only PC user on the HackCollege staff, I can say "ha." But anyways, by downloading the Chameleon Window Manager, you can make window snapping on your PC even more awesome. This download adds up to six buttons on your windows title bar (you can see them in the picture above). They add the options to snap the window left, snap it right, change the window transparency, always have the window on top, hide everything but the title bar, and minimize the whole window to the system tray.

Yes, you can make keyboard shortcuts for these commands, but personally, I like having them up in the top right corner where all of the other window size control buttons are. It makes everything so nice and organized. Because I usually have so many windows open at once while I work, it's really nice to just be able to snap a window with a click of a button.

This download is for PCs only, and free for Windows XP and up. Download it here.

[via Lifehacker]

Readability Browser Extension Makes Reading the Internet Bearable

The internet is a wonderful place, full of knowledge and awesomeness. However, it is also full of headache-inducing graphics, fonts, and ads. How are we supposed to learn with all of this crap clogging up the internet? We just want to read our articles in peace. Stop assaulting our eyes, you horrible internet monsters! We just want to read!

Well, thankfully Readability thinks the same thing. By downloading this little browser extension for Chrome (woot!) and Firefox, you can turn visually harmful websites into beautifully simple pages with uniform font that can be easily read with just a click of the Readability button. It's really pretty awesome, and I think I'm going to be using it quite a bit. In addition to simplifying pages to read them, you can also send them to your Kindle, which is definitely awesome.

You can grab this browser extension over at readability.com.

[via Maximum PC]

Focusing on Details Can Make the Difference for your Career

Focusing in on the smallest details can be the difference in plateauing or climbing higher in life. Photo courtesy of internets_dairy. Licensed under CC BY-2.0.In my last week of my internship here in Austin, I'm going to feature one last piece of advice that I've gained this summer from my boss. One afternoon, we were reviewing a video package edited by one of the editors. She kept replaying certain sections of the video and told me to listen to the audio carefully. After doing this several times, she explained to me that the editor who had made the package had cut a few corners with the audio of the video. To me, the shortcuts were unnoticeable, but to her trained ear, they stuck out like an air horn.

This episode taught me two things. Firstly, I have a lot to learn. Secondly, shortcuts are not worth taking. They may help you in the short run, but they usually bite you in the ass in the long run. Now, perhaps you are now thinking, "Um hello, this is HackCollege. You know, the site that helps you take shortcuts to make life easier." To that I say, no, this is HackCollege, the site where we show you how to work smarter, not harder. Sure, we have some shortcuts to get through tedious, frustrating stuff, but the shortcuts we offer still get you the same result. The shortcuts you shouldn't take are those that leave you with a less complete product.

(For more on what hacking college really means, see Shep's wonderfully worded article here.)

My boss told me to only turn a project in when you are truly proud of what you have accomplished. Go the extra mile on your work, really pay attention to the details because that is the difference between the people in management positions and those who are being managed. If you do just enough to get by, you'll find yourself plateauing in your school work or job. However, if you really make that effort to do the best that you can, you will excel among your peers, come out on top, and be more likely to move up in the ladder.

To end with, keep in mind this quote from Hall of Fame basketball player/coach John Wooden: "If you don’t have time to do it right, when will you have time to do it over?"

How has being detail-oriented helped you in classwork or at your job? Let us know in the comments!

[via Lifehacker]

Kitchen Necessities for College Cooks

Do you have everything you need in your kitchen? If not, consider investing in miniature utensils that attach creepily to your fingers. Photo courtesy of Robbert van der Steeg. Licensed under CC BY-2.0.

I expect many of you are growing tired of how excited I am that I learned to cook for myself over this summer. But hey, learning to cook for yourself is a big growing moment in your young adult life. It's another big step you're taking towards independence. Plus, it's fun to show off the your edible creations.

This summer, I subleased one of my friend's apartments and so I was using her kitchen equipment and stuff to cook. However, as I began to cook more, I realized that there were several very important things missing. Say, for instance, a measuring cup. Or a pot with a lid. When using my kitchen at home, I took for granted things that my mother had collected over years and years of cooking. With this in mind, I thought it would be useful to make a quick list of things that I think are necessary to have in the kitchen if you are planning on feeding yourself.

• Silverware-- This includes your basic set of fork, spoons, and knives, but make sure you also have some sharper knives for cutting meat or veggies.
• Plates (duh)
• Glasses (duh again)
• Pots with lids-- Having the lids with pots makes for faster boiling water and sometimes recipes actually call for covered cooking (i.e. rice). Also, make sure you have a larger pot for when you are cooking larger things.
• Skillet with a lid-- Lids with skillets aren't always necessary, but I've already cooked things that needed to cook in a covered skillet
• Measuring cups-- I use a Pyrex single measuring cup that measures up to two cups, but you could also buy a collection plastic measuring cups, each with different sizes.
• Measuring spoons
• Spatula-- There are different kids of spatulas, so it depends on what you are planning on cooking. I'd recommend your basic plastic/metal spatula for everyone since you flip things on the stove or in the oven pretty regularly (chicken breasts, fish, etc). If you are baking things, a spatula with a rubber end is helpful to scrape batter out of a bowl
• Stirring Utensil-- Get something to stir your stuff on the stove. I like to have a wooden spoon and a specialized spaghetti stirrer.
• Cookie Trays-- Even if you're not planning on baking cookies, trays are incredibly versatile and can be used for cooking lots of things, as long as you're sure the juices aren't going to overflow in the oven. If you're cooking something larger, you'll want to buy...
• Baking Pan-- I bought Pyrex baking pans in two sizes to use for baking chicken, oven-baked macaroni and cheese, and brownies (om nom)
• Different Sized Bowls-- You can use these as you mix ingredients together, and it's a good idea to have several different sizes in case you need more or less room
• Cutting Board-- Don't hurt your counters with sharp knives
• Colander
• Whisk--  This is more of an optional thing, but I bake sometimes and since I don't have the money to shell out for a beautiful mixer, I mix my brownies and cupcakes by hand

What I found in the kitchen I was using this summer was that even though it didn't have a lot of things that I considered a necessity, it did have a bunch of stuff that I thought was absolutely useless. I didn't need 50 spatulas. I didn't need an olive oil jar. So my suggestion would buy what you immediately know you need and use instead of just buying everything in the kitchen department. Your kitchen will be much more organized and useful if you just buy what you need instead of buying what you think maybe might use someday.

Clearly my list is biased, since this is what I use when I cook. For instance, many people include would include a crock pot, or wouldn't include a baking pan. These are just things that I used nearly every week when I cooked. Hopefully this is helpful for you while you decide what things you need to get for your kitchen.

What must-have items are in your kitchen? What would you recommend every college chef buys? Let us know in the comments!

Tips for Freshmen Class Registration

Registration looks like it was just as big of a pain in the ass in 1941 as is now (and rather gender biased). Photo courtesy of Cushing Memorial Library and Archives, Texas A&M. Licensed under CC BY-2.0.Different universities do it different ways, but perhaps one of the most exciting times for freshmen coming into college is class registration (or maybe it just was for me because I am a huge nerd). Some universties have freshmen register months before the first day of school, and some don't have registration until a few days before classes start. Whatever the case is, registration is an important time for new students because it will determine just about everything for the next three or four months of your life. It's daunting and a little terrifying to think about, but with these tips for students entering college for the first time, hopefully you will make great choices for your first semester in college.

Prepare Ahead of Time

It is always a good idea to prepare yourself before registration. It's usually a time of scrambling and cursing at slow computer servers or full classes, so the more prepared you are before hand, the better your registration will go. Take some time to get to know your university's course schedule. Highlight classes you'd like to take and classes you must take. Try to get a feel for what you'd like your schedule will be like. Are you a morning or afternoon person? When do you do homework better?

You will probably not get your perfect schedule, so it's extremely important to have backup options. Make a list of the classes you want and categorize them into priorities, either by classes you must take or ones you want to take. List your backups as well so you can refer to them if you need to fill your schedule. Again, the more prepared you are, the smoother registration will go and the better chance you have of getting a schedule that you're satisfied with. I went just a little big overboard with preparing for my first semester registration (oh man, you should see the spreadsheets I made and how unbelieveably color-coordinated they were), but it all paid out in the end because I got the schedule I wanted.

How Many Hours

Depending on your school, your advisor will probably let you know how many hours you should take per semester. For Trinity, I needed to average about 15.5 hours a semester in order to graduate with the necessary amount of hours. However, since I came into school with some AP credits, I had a bit of a cushion. I decided to take only 13 hours (four classes, plus a dance class) my first semester, and I would encourage freshmen to take it easy on themselves their first semester.

College is a huge jump for anyone. You're moving to a new place, without your parents, with new friends. The adjustment period can take a long time. Figuring out all of that other stuff plus figuring out how to study for college is a massive undertaking. It is perfectly acceptable, and I think even a good idea, to take just a minimum amount of classes your first semester to ease yourself into the college atmosphere. You can take more hours once you've gotten into the college swing, but freshman year is so crazy that it's a good idea not to overload yourself academically right from the start. Work hard in the few classes you do have and get good grades in those. The worst thing you can do is to take too many classes and do poorly your first semester.

Try for Variety but Get Requirements Out of the Way

I am speaking as a student of a liberal arts college, and so I had an immense amount of freedom in choosing what classes I wanted to take in the first two years of my college education. I was taking philosophy, psychology, dance, anthropology, communication, biology, calculus, sociology, and so much more. Now I didn't necessarily enjoy all of these subjects (bleh philosophy), but I am certainly thankful that I took all of them, even if doing so taught me that that subject was certainly not my calling. Additionally, taking a wide variety of classes allowed me to really round out my college education. I learned a lot of stuff that I may not use in my career in the future, but I feel like I know a lot more about the world and life because of the classes I took that were not remotely related to either of my majors.

While I certainly encourage freshmen to test the waters on any subject that they find even remotely interesting, I also think it is a really good idea to get your required classes out of the way sooner rather than later. If you're getting super bummed out by the fact that you have all of these common cirriculum classes that you have to take, feel free to spread them out a bit-- take two or three a semester plus a few elective classes. However, don't push these classes off completely. I can tell you from personal experience that it completely sucks having to take a random, entry level class your senior year. Come up with a strategy for completing those required classes, but definitely make sure that you take a few risks with your class choices. You never know, you might really find yourself drawn to the subject.

What was your experience during freshmen registration? What tips do you have for new freshmen who are registering? Let us know in the comments!

Take Awesome Notes with NoteMaster, Now 75% Off!

Trying to keep organized notes on your iPhone can be frustrating. However, with the newly discounted app NoteMaster you will be able to keep beautifully organized notes for just $0.99. You can create different categories that act as folders to cluster similar types of notes for systematic collection. Within these notes, you can form lists with bullets, numbers, or even check boxes that can be checked off. You can also insert pictures in notes, which I think is super handy when you're trying to remember visual details. Stylistic changes can also be made about the notes, including background pattern or font.

Perhaps the most nifty feature about NoteMaster is its ability to sync up with Google Docs, which can be great if you are taking notes on the go. This little app will extremely useful once the busy school year starts up again. Grab it in the App Store while it's on sale!

[via Lifehacker]

Back-To-School Laptops that Don't Sacrifice Quality for Cost

Need a new laptop for going back to school? Check out these suggestions. Photo courtesy of Ed Yourdon. Licensed under CC BY-2.0.Laptops are probably without question one of the single most important tools that college student needs. However, they are obviously and unfortunately expensive. It takes a lot of research and patience to determine which machine will be the best choice for you.

LaptopMag.com has put together a list of 12 laptops that will fit a college student's budget but still perform as valiantly as students need them to. These are the three that I thought seemed like the best choices.

HP Pavilion dm1z ($479)

I have been using HP computers and laptops since I was in high school, and I am still a loyal customer. I believe I am the only PC-user on the HackCollege staff, but PCs are what I like. My current laptop is a HP Pavilion model, and so this less-expensive version of the laptop would be a good basic machine for students. This particular model is 11.6", only weighs 3.4 pounds, and lasts six and a half hours on a single charge. Additionally, HP has addressed its machines' tendency to overheat by introducing CoolSense Technology which is software that can sense if the laptop is resting on a table or lap and then adjust the speed of the internal fan accordingly.

For a larger Pavilion model, check out LaptopMag's review of the HP Pavilion dv6t.

Toshiba Satellite E305-S1995 ($899)

Though more expensive, this laptop comes with a few more features which would certainly be desirable for a college-student. It comes with Blu-ray, Intel Wireless Display, backlit keyboard, and USB 3.0. It's 14", 4.9 pounds, and has a six hour battery life. This laptop also features an Intel Core i5-S2410M CPU and a 500GB, 7,200-rpm hybrid hard drive. 

Dell XPS 15z ($999)

Jumping up in price again, this 15" laptop comes with more size and options. If you are perhaps looking to use your computer as both a TV and a work machine, a larger screen might be your best bet. However, you don't need to sacrifice screen size for thickness. This Dell laptop is the thinnest 15" computer you can find at 0.97 inches thick. With an aluminum covering, it features a second-generation Intel Core i5 processor, Nvidia graphics, two USB 3.0 ports, 4GB of RAM, backlit keyboard, and powerful speakers. These features seem to make this laptop a top choice for both a TV and computer. Though it's more expensive, if it takes the place of a TV, it might be worth the extra money.

Apple MacBook Air ($999)

I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the MacBook Air and yet it still feels like an obvious choice that many students will elect. It weights only 2.3 pounds is only 0.68 inches, and has an 11" screen. These physical features make it incredibly portable, which is a definite plus as we college students are forever trekking across campus with our beloved computers. It uses an Intel processor and Nvidia GeForce graphics, and also has a five hour battery life. As we've mentioned previously on HackCollege, the new OS X Lion has great new features that students can definitely use to their advantage. For those Mac users, this option will be a good, solid laptop choice. 

[via LaptopMag.com]

What laptop will you be using as you go back to school this fall? Let us know in the comments!

Carry a Notebook with You at Work to Keep Track of Useful Tips

A lovely notebook like this can be extremely useful while you're at work to jot down helpful tips. Photo courtesy of levinardo. Licensed under CC BY-2.0.This summer has been a fantastic experience for me in more than one way. As many of my posts this summer have shown, I've learned to cook and live on my own for the first time (hooray independence!). Additionally, I've also learned quite a lot at my internship, which has been a really incredible job that I really wish I wasn't leaving in a few weeks. I've made what I hope are career-long contacts and have been taught by those who I now consider mentors.

Since this job has been such a great learning experience for me, I've been given so many pieces of advice that it's incredibly hard to keep track of them. Because of this, I've taken to carrying around a small notebook with me where I have been writing down nearly every bit of advice that has been given to me. It's been extremely useful because I have a notoriously horrendous short term memory, and so now I have a little notebook full of fantastic advice from my summer mentors.

I think that anyone who is working in a job in their desired field should jot down notes in a small notebook to create your own little industry how-to booklet. Whether it's technical skills you're learning or industry knowledge, having a small notebook to write it down in will help you keep track of all of the things you learn at your job or internship.

Do you carry a notebook with you at your job? Does it help you? Let us know in the comments!