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Albert S. Cook Library

Student's Guide to Tech

Navigate online learning with confidence! Explore free and freemium tools for every stage of your academic workflow, from organizing notes and writing papers to creating visuals and collaborating with classmates.

Organize Your Group

Familiar Collaborative Essentials
Purpose Tools

Share a Calendar

 Google Calendar (free), Microsoft Outlook (free with NetID), Teamup (freemium)
Schedule Meetings Outlook Scheduling Assistant, Doodle (free), WhenIsGood (free)
Text or Message Discord (free), Google Voice (free), WhatsApp (free)
Video Call Webex (free with NetID), Zoom (free with NetID)
Collaborate on Files Google Drive, Office 365 (free with NetID)
Tip: Many professors and student organizations already use Outlook calendars and Zoom; ask before implementing a new tool for your group.

Common Challenges & Solutions

Common Group Project Challenges and Solutions
Challenge Traditional Approach Better Option Why It Works
"Who's doing what by when?" Group text thread Trello (freemium) Visual task boards, due dates, progress tracking
"Where are all our files?" Email attachments Padlet (freemium) Visual organization for mixed media, images, videos, links
"How do we share research?" Shared Google Doc with links Zotero Group Libraries (free) Collaborative citation management with PDF annotation
"When can everyone meet?" Email poll Microsoft Outlook Scheduling Assistant (TU-supported) Shows real-time availability for everyone with a NetID; use AutoPick to find optimal times
Tip: View the Collaborate with Group Libraries page of our Zotero guide for help creating a group library and adding members!

For Spreadsheet Lovers

TreeSheets: A Smart Grid for Complex Thinking

If you love the structure of Excel but find it limiting for complex projects, TreeSheets is your new best friend.

Think of TreeSheets as Excel with superpowers. While Excel forces you to work with flat, single-layer spreadsheets, TreeSheets lets you create grids within grids; imagine having multiple Excel sheets visible and interconnected on your screen simultaneously!

Advantages

  1. Hierarchical organization: Create nested structures that reflect how you actually think about complex projects. Zoom in to work on details, zoom out to see the big picture.
  2. Minimal design: Automatic resizing means your content always fits perfectly, but relative sizing customization ensure important information (like section headers) can be large and prominent.
  3. Mixed media integration: Add images to any cell, perfect for sketches, screenshots, or visual references. Images are then stored within the file itself.
  4. Compact storage: Easier than Excel for structure and way more compact than OneNote for nested data.
  5. Lightweight efficiency: Even with dozens of documents loaded, it will use less memory than a single PDF. TreeSheets also works entirely offline.

Consider alternatives like OneNote or Excel if you...

  1. Prefer simple, linear note-taking.
  2. Need real-time collaboration.
  3. Work primarily with basic text documents.
  4. Want pre-built templates and guided structures.

Installation and Support

TreeSheets looks a little retro, but don’t let the design fool you—it's a powerful, actively maintained tool. Some systems may require installing wxWidgets first to run TreeSheets properly. For the latest version, system requirements, and troubleshooting tips, visit the official TreeSheets GitHub repository.

Tip: If you're new to GitHub, just scroll to the “Releases” section to download the latest installer, or use the README for install instructions.

TreeSheets in Action

Screenshot of the TreeSheets task management tool interface with categorized task sections and a context menu.

TreeSheets Zoomed In

TreeSheets features an old-school Windows application menu, toolbar, and interface. This user has created a TreeSheet with categories for "Calendar," "To Do," "Projects," and "Research." Each category has tasks listed on small cards, with some tasks marked with check icons indicating completion. Learn more about how to use TreeSheets with one of its three tutorials.