Free Study Hacks Book for all Students in South Africa
Durban, South Africa - Presto, a youth-owned business, has an app which provides access to study guides written by the top performing students in South Africa. To celebrate Youth Day, for two days only, Presto is giving away their study hacks guide for free (worth R100) to all learners in South Africa.
This book is packed with the best study strategies by the top performing students in South Africa, including a Rhodes Scholar and a learner who came first for Matric in 2012.
“We believe that this guide can improve the marks for all learners in SA”, says Shivad Singh, the 24-year-old founder and CEO of Presto, a youth-owned business. Youth day commemorates the role of the youth who fought against the Apartheid regime. Just like how the Soweto Uprising laid the grounds for the release of Nelson Mandela and the end of the Apartheid Era, we hope that by Presto giving their study hacks book to all South African learners for free, it will pave the way for an improvement in learners’ marks, leading to a rise in the standards of education across the country.
This campaign is one of the first steps in Presto’s mission to improve education in South Africa.
“Every child has the capacity to be a genius”, says Singh. “We want to unlock that potential in as many learners as possible in South Africa and then the rest of Africa.”
To access the study hacks books, simply download the Presto Books app by searching “Presto Books” in the app store. Once the app is downloaded, click on “Study Hacks” book to get your free guide for you or your child. About Presto Books (Pty) Ltd: Presto Books is a youth-owned company that gets the top performing students in South Africa to create educational material to benefit their peers.
The content is available through their online website and Android and IOS app. Presto is a subsidiary of Head Start Education, a company which serves as the Gateway to Africa for the leading education technology companies in the world, in order to lead the advancement of education across the continent.
Why Laptops are the Perfect Study Companions
Powerful, Portable and Connected
Laptops are an essential item for students today who use them as an integral part of their studies, in lectures and for collaboration.
According to research done by the Pew Internet Project in America, close on 90% of students in universities and colleges have laptops and 100% use the Internet.
The University of Michigan’s Centre for Research on Learning and Teaching concludes from research done that laptops have a positive learning effect when teachers use them in an intentional manner, such as for Internet research, presentations and shared resources.
Nursing student, Rachelle Macaulay, says that she takes her laptop to class to follow her lecturers’ slides and course-related Internet videos.
Most universities have Intranets for the students and lecturers to share information.
Kendra Hudson, a Sport Science student at the University of Stellenbosch, said that students have laptops because they need to get information from their departmental Intranet pages which their lecturers post online for them. The university has computer rooms, but not many people use them, preferring to use their laptops at home or in their residence rooms.
Considering the important role laptops play in a student’s life, what are the core criteria to look at when buying one?
Portability
The first check-list item is laptops need to be light and portable if they are to be taken to class. Recently, there has been a move towards ultrabooks - laptops which are small and light yet are strong and powerful. Jimmy Gumede, from the Wits University Computer and Networks Service Desk, said that the major benefit students get from an ultrabook is portability.
Screen Size and Resolution
A 13,3 inch screen is a good size to take to lectures: not too small, but big enough to view spreadsheets and documents, and it should have a resolution of at least 1920 x 1080 to give you an ultra-crisp display.
Robustness
Durability is another important factor, especially if you are carrying your laptop around with you. In this regard, a metal body is preferable to a plastic one.
Battery Life
On campus, students do not always have access to a power outlet, and cables can be a hassle, so battery life is a crucial consideration.
Performance and Specs
It’s no good buying a laptop that is small and robust, but doesn’t get the job done. Performance is important and the laptop has to be fast enough not to frustrate you or hinder your work. The processing power needs to match your uses. Matthew Spring, recent Civil Engineering graduate of the Cape Peninsula University of Technology, said that he looked for a laptop that would be able to run the programmes they used in their course. According to the University of Stellenbosch’s student computer helpline, a processing power equivalent of at least the Intel i3 would be recommended. As far as memory goes, 4GB to 8GB RAM, and storage from 128GB upwards is ample. Kendra Hudson said, “When I bought my laptop, I looked for one that has lots of memory, knowing that I’d have many essays to do and notes to save.”
Longevity
Longevity is something to keep in mind. It is worth paying extra to get a laptop which goes the distance of a four-year course. Matthew Spring said that when looking for a laptop to buy as a student, “I mainly looked for a laptop that would be able to last.” Taking these criteria into consideration, students would be advised to look at the ASUS ZenBooks which more than just cover these bases and are becoming a popular choice for students. They are slim and lightweight with a solid aluminium build. Their battery life is a competitive 10 hours, and their other specs put them in the category of powerful, fast and stylish laptops. Based on information obtained from GFK (Gesellschaft für Konsumforschung, Germany's largest market research institute), the ASUS ZenBooks are number one in the world market for ultra-slim 13 inch Windows laptops. In a review, Trustedreview.com said, “The level of build, display and battery life are unparalleled - this would be a super ultrabook for any student.”
About ASUS
ASUS, is a worldwide top-three consumer notebook vendor and maker of the world’s best-selling, most award-winning motherboards. A leading enterprise in the new digital era, ASUS designs and manufactures products that perfectly meet the needs of today’s digital home and office, with a broad portfolio that includes motherboards, graphics cards, optical drives, displays, desktop and all-in-one PCs, notebooks, netbooks, servers, multimedia devices, wireless solutions, networking devices, tablets, smartphones and wearables. Driven by innovation and committed to quality, ASUS Won 4368 Awards in 2015 and is widely credited with revolutionizing the PC industry with its Eee PC™.
NOTES TO EDITORS
ASUS Global Press Room: http://press.asus.com
ASUS South Africa Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ASUSza/
ASUS South Africa Twitter: https://twitter.com/ASUS_za
Regmerk.co.za launches new mathematics website
Regmerk.co.za launches new mathematics website with free worksheets and assessments for teachers, learners and their parents.
Regmerk.co.za is a new Mathematics resources site for Afrikaans speaking learners in the senior phase. We give educators, parents and learners access to our growing knowledge base, which includes free assessments, useful articles and fun ways that learners can use to improve their marks.
Lourens Breytenbach, owner of Regmerk.co.za, says “If you do an online search for mathematics worksheets, assessments and summaries in Afrikaans, you will find that there is a constant and growing need for these resources.”
Visitors can download a free e-book with more than 50 pages filled with colourful articles, fun assessment questions and a printable collection of worksheets and summaries.
Here’s what you will find in our FREE e-book:
- 20 questions to see how “clever” you are
- Find out how you can improve your maths marks without studying more
- 10 Mistakes parents make
- 20 worksheets filled with printable exercises and summaries
Regmerk.co.za is a brand new project and promises to provide tons of useful maths resources for learners in the senior phase. Visit: www.regmerk.co.za and download the free e-book to learn more.
PRINCE2:2009 Refresh
The 2009 refresh version was launched by the APMG on the 16 June 2009.
PM Academy also offers a conversion course from the 2005 version to the new 2009 version.
We invite all PRINCE2 students to visit our website and register with us to attend the exiting new project management courses. Alternatively, contact us on + 27 (011) 976 2776 to discuss your unique training requirements.
