1. Creating wireless working environment

Is there a person – student or not – who can survive without a Wi-Fi? It is widespread and very convenient, so it is important to learn how to set up a wireless home network by yourself. Surprisingly, it is simple enough: all you need is to install a modem, launch a new network and learn the services and prices of local providers.

  1. Creating backups in the ‘cloud’

I am sure a large part of your world is stored on the hard drive of your computer, phone, tablet or old-school external hard drive. And you certainly want to protect yourself from data loss or simply want to have access to these data from any device. It does not matter what you choose – iCloud, One Drive or Dropbox – you will definitely fall in love with the convenience of these services.

  1. Editing photos in Adobe Photoshop or Adobe Photoshop Lightroom

Maybe, you’re not planning to use these photo editors, but knowing the basics, definitely does not hurt. Yet, it probably would give you a competitive advantage someday. More and more professions require photo editing skills, thus learning how to handle brushes, layers and colour correction may be an excellent investment in your future success. Why not – today you can learn anything you want for free on the Internet.

  1. Editing videos in Final Cut Pro X or other free software programmes

Like the processing of photos, editing videos today is also quite a useful skill. Believe it or not, I was asked to make a video for one of the exams of my Master programme. Moreover, it may help you to overcome fear and finally start your own YouTube channel! There are plenty of free video editors with a good set of features: DaVinci Resolve, Lightworks, Movavi, Shotcut and simple iMovie or Windows Movie Maker initially installed with your operating system.

  1. Using Google Drive and Microsoft Office on 100%

It may seem completely obvious, but knowing all the features of Google Drive and Microsoft Office is one of the most fundamental and most important digital skills today. Learning how to create a table in Excel actually requires some effort, while the knowledge of it is a special requirement for so many types of work. Google Drive – which includes Google Docs, Sheets and Slides, allows you to work on the same document with other users. That’s great when working in groups! As slideshow presentations are also very relevant, be sure to become a pro in Microsoft PowerPoint, Google Presentations or Prezi.

  1. Becoming a programming language native

As our culture becomes more and more web-focused, you need to have online content creation skills. HTML5 is a standard markup language that is currently used everywhere. Knowing the programming language will allow you to create your own computer programs and extract information from your computer faster. A nice bonus – basic programming textbooks are easily available on the Internet.

  1. Creating a website

Every university graduate should have his/her own website. You can use it for self-branding, to showcase your CV or portfolio, or just as an exercise to develop your programming skills. If you are a beginner that does not want to invest too much time (and money) in such an adventure, there is a ‘cheat sheet’ of platforms for creating different types of websites:

  • Business card websites: uCoz, uKit, Wix, Tilda, Diafan, Webasyst, Nethouse, Ucraft, 1C-UMI, SITE123;
  • Blogs: uCoz, Diafan, uKit, Wix, Tilda, Webasyst.
  1. Converting file formats

Sometimes you have files that differ from the format you need – DOC instead of PDF or WMA instead of MP3. Knowing how to convert these files is very useful, especially when you need to send a resume or, for example, run a video on a specific player.

  1. Dealing with applications that simplify your everyday routine

Nowadays, every large bank has a very intuitive online banking system and works through mobile apps. Therefore, you can easily manage your finances from virtually anywhere – provided you can find an internet connection. Instead of waiting in long queues at bank branches, learn how to write out bills and make transactions directly from your phone.

  1. Branding yourself

Companies usually check their potential employees using Google’s search and social media. Thus, it is in your best interests to brand yourself correctly before going to a serious interview. What does this mean? Enter your name on Google and see what appears on the first page. If you see something that may cause problems, think about how it can be fixed. If you have something that you do not want to show your potential employer (for example, personal photos) take care to make it completely private.