Five Ways Google Drive Benefits Students, Faculty and Staff

Google Drive is a powerful way to connect with your peers, students and colleagues. Take it to the next level with these tips from Gooru, a newsletter with tips and ideas for using Google Apps.

1. Write Your Next Paper Without Typing a Single Letter

Google’s Voice Composition lets you say what you want to write in over 40 languages. It works on mobile and desktop versions. Give it a try:

1. Open a new document in Drive
2. On the toolbar at the top of the screen, click on “Tools”
3. Select the “Voice typing” option

Check out Google’s support page for more information.

2. Convert Images of Text

Just because it’s a PDF doesn’t mean you can’t edit it! Turn that PDF into an editable Google Doc.

1. Upload an image into Drive
2. Click on the three dots at the top right corner
3. Select “Open With…” Google Drive
4. The image will pop up with a transcription below

Read more on the Google Drive help page.

3. Add an automatic signature to your Gmail.

You’ll never forget to sign your emails again. Create your automatic signature.

1. Click on the Settings gear icon and select “Settings”
2. Scroll down until you see the “Signature” section
3. Here, type in and format your own signature

Here you can add your name, title, company, university, phone number, and anything else you feel is important. Change the signature font, color, and style, too. Even better, you can create multiple signatures for multiple email aliases.

For more information, go to the Gmail help page.

4. Add Attachments to Google Calendar Events

Add a document, such as directions or an agenda, to your next Google Calendar event.

1. Highlight the time of the meeting on the correct date and click “Edit Event”
2. Title the meeting and invite people
3. Click “Add Attachment” (under “Description”)
4. Select a file to attach or upload one from your computer
5. Save the event and adjust sharing settings for the file you attached

Read more at Google Calendar help.

5. Schedule an Email to be Sent Later

While scheduling emails to be sent at a later time is one feature that Gmail doesn’t have yet, there are several new Google Chrome extensions that allow you to do so. For more tips on scheduling emails, go to Gooru.

And if you need more help or want to check out the other Google apps that Fordham offers, check out Fordham IT’s Google App page.

Photo Credit: Image by Barry Schwartz via “Search Engine Roundtable”