3 Essential Tips for Students to Back Up your Files and Protect your Assignments
Do you know the golden rule on how to back up your work if you are a student? What are the essential back up tips every student needs to know to keep their files safe? FromHighSchooltoUni has the answers.
The 3-2-1 rule suggests that every student needs to do the following: Store a minimum of three copies of your data - one original, and two copies. The two back up files should be kept on separate storage media.
Picture this scenario: You've been working hard on your assignment all weekend and you're almost finished. It's due today. You just need to add a few sentences and polish it up. You hit the save button and... nothing happens. Your Wi-Fi is down. PANIC! You check your laptop. The file is gone. You've lost hours of work, you didn't back up your files, and you've got a deadline in a few hours.
EVERY STUDENT'S NIGHTMARE!
If you have ever experienced this, you know how stressful it is! To avoid this in future, just follow our 3 essential tips to backup your files and protect your work.
Avoid Catastrophes with These 3 Essential Backup Tips
1. The No-Brainer Method: Google Docs
One of the easiest and most convenient ways to back up your work is to use Google Docs which automatically saves your documents as you type, so you don't have to worry about losing your progress.
With Google Docs, you can access your documents online from any device, so long as you have an internet connection.
And if you need to work offline, you can enable Google Docs offline mode and sync your changes later.
The best thing is if you're working on a group project, you can all access and edit the file in real-time, which enables faster simultaneous progress on the document.
2. Quick and Easy Hack: Email Yourself a Copy
Another option is to email yourself a copy of your work each time you make a significant update. That way, you'll have a backup version in your inbox that you can retrieve if something goes wrong with your laptop or file.
There is a secondary benefit to this method in that retrieving a document is sometimes easier when you know the approximate date you worked on it, so you can look at your sent emails to find the latest version, in case you don't remember the file name.
And thirdly, if all else fails, and you really lose the file and can't produce another copy to submit before the deadline, you could use the email as proof to the professor that you had worked on it, and beg forgiveness for not submitting in the system!
3. The Ultimate Backup For Your Files: An External Hard Drive
A third option is to invest in an external hard drive to store all your files safely.
This device can store large amounts of data and connects to your laptop via a USB cable. You can use it to back up your files from your laptop and physically store them separately in a safe place.
An external hard drive can also protect your data from potential viruses, malware or accidental deletion.
How often should you run a full backup of your files?
Important data such as projects and assignments should be backed up at least once a week, and preferably every 24 hours. These backups can be performed manually or automatically. You can set automatic backup settings to ensure this is done for you at a set time of the day or week.
Ultimately, you should not rely on your laptop alone to store your important assignments and projects safely. Imagine if your laptop got stolen, it got wet or damaged, or you left it on the bus!
With more technical details, and by following these essential tips, you can avoid losing your work due to technical issues and back up your files to keep your work safe and accessible.
Now that you know how to back up your files, why not share this post with your friends and classmates? They might also benefit from FromHighSchooltoUni's helpful tips.
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