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Meta – Having a powerful tool and not knowing the best ways to use it means you need to be smarter. Becoming more productive and getting better results than usual is possible if you know how to use MacBook like a pro in your student life.

If you’re a student at college you may enjoy using a MacBook because it integrates with your Apple devices. You may also use it because you find it user-friendly. There are many features of the Mac you may not use that could help you to be more productive. Here are some productivity tips for you.

1. Use Antiviruses

It’s a mistake to think that your MacBook is not susceptible to viruses. XProtect is a built-in antivirus but it doesn’t offer as much protection as some third-party antivirus solutions. XProtect doesn’t identify as many types of malware as third-party virus software. Relying only on built-in protection can be a mistake.

There are various locations on your Mac that can be infected by malware such as the admin preferences pane. A malware app may also gain access to browser settings or applications. If this happens it can install things, change the functionality of apps, and much more. Various tools are available to help you to scan your Mac for malware. These tools help with finding them and deleting them. This makes your MacBook work faster and prevents you from unnecessary frustrations.

2. Use Focus Mode

You can set up Focus Mode on your Mac to eliminate distractions. It gives you control over which apps you can access. You can also decide who can or can’t contact you once you switch on Focus Mode.

If you go to System Settings, you will see Focus and you can select Add Focus. If you click on Custom you can give your Focus Mode a name. You are able to customize your apps and contacts in Focus Mode.

3. Record Screen with Sound

You can use QuickTime on your Mac to record your screen with sound. This is useful for a presentation or tutorial that requires audio.

• Open QuickTime from the Applications folder.
• Select File from the menu and then New Screen Recording.
• Click the arrow next to the Record button and select your audio input.
• Press the Record button to set up screen recording.
• To record the whole screen, click anywhere on it.
• You can also drag the cursor to select a specific area to record and click Start Recording within the area you selected.
• To stop recording, press the Stop button in the menu. Press and hold Command, plus Control plus Escape.

4. Use Reminders and Apple Calendar

Reminders and Apple Calendar are two apps on Mac you can use to organize your time and workflow. In the Reminders app, you can list your courses and modules. Within each, you can add to-do items. The Add Date feature allows you to organize items according to dates. It will be easier to remember deadlines for assignments and exams when using this app.

Apple Calendar will help you to keep track of your schedule, including lectures, seminars, etc. On your Mac, you can go to Calendar and Accounts if you want to connect another calendar. You can log into iCloud using your iCloud ID to see your calendar. The calendar must be syncing with iCloud for web access to work. iCloud is a cloud service provider from Apple.

5. Work more efficiently with Screen Time

What if you could audit your screen time? Time often slips away when working on your computer and you don’t know how you spent it. When you use Screen Time you can see things like how much time you spend on different apps. Access to information like this can show you how to better allocate your time. You may need a digital detox where you avoid time-wasting apps. You can also limit how long you spend on certain apps every day. You will find Screen Time under System Settings and you can switch the toggle on.

6. Turn Folders into Emoji

You can turn your desktop folders into emojis on a Mac. This is useful if you want a visual way to organize your folders. It also adds a little fun.

• Hold down the Command, plus Control, plus Spacebar keys on your keyboard at the same time to open the Character Viewer.
• Choose the folder you want to rename.
• Right-click on the folder and choose Rename.
• Use the Character Viewer to choose an emoji.
• When you find the emoji, click on it to insert it into the folder’s name.

7. Archive files to manage storage

If you want to enhance Mac performance, you must ensure you have enough storage space. You should delete all the files and apps you don’t need anymore. This includes apps, audio files, text files, and other data. You can archive documents you may need in the future in their original format or in ZIP format.

Conclusion

Macs have a reputation for great performance. This doesn’t mean you can’t discover ways to improve your productivity when using a Mac. Using the above tips may help you find new ways to be more productive.