At first blush, you might think Twitter would be a distraction from higher learning. But, if used strategically, Twitter can be a useful tool to enhance your educational experience. So put Twitter in your “scholar’s toolbox” and use it to your advantage in any—or all—of the following six ways.
1. Learn from Professors and Other Scholars.
Use your campus directory or search Twitter for the usernames of your professors. Expand your network by searching for other scholars in your academic field. A Twitter stream focused on leaders in your area of study will enhance your learning experience and maybe even put you ahead of your class.
2. Ask Questions Outside of Office Hours.
Once you’ve connected with your professors on Twitter, you can send them direct questions in real time. (Make sure you get their okay first.) A quick Twitter interaction with your instructor could help you get over the hump when you’re stuck on an assignment or need to clarify something before the next class.
3. Research and Follow Industry News and Trends.
Use search terms or popular hashtags in your field to create streams dedicated to the subjects you’re studying. Using a Twitter management tool like TweetDeck or HootSuite can help you save and organize all of the different subject streams you want to follow.
4. Connect and Collaborate with Classmates.
Follow other students in your class and create a Twitter list to make following and interacting with them easier. This could come in especially handy if you’re collaborating with a small group on a project. Or, create a hashtag for your class. Encourage other students to share information or ask questions on Twitter using the hashtag. Share it with your professor, too!
5. Improve Your Writing Skills.
The 140 character restriction that defines Twitter forces you to write in a clear and concise manner. Composing sentences with active verbs and learning how to get to the point quickly will help your academic writing.
6. Prepare for Life After Graduation.
Twitter can help you establish a positive online presence and create a robust network, both of which come in handy when job searching. You can also follow companies you’d like to work for on Twitter to stay up-to-date on company news and learn about their culture. Lastly, you can absolutely use Twitter to search for jobs.
Twitter can greatly enhance your educational experience by making it easy to connect, collaborate, and communicate with others in your field.
Follow @CapellaU on Twitter to stay up-to-date on Capella news.
