Being a college student can be extremely stressful. Especially with a full course load. Numerous assignments, deadlines left and right, staying up all night to finish that 20-page paper you left until the last minute. You name it. Imagine spending hours in the computer lab typing up an assignment, saving it to a USB flash drive, and then losing it? You’d probably lose your mind next.
Let's leave those scenarios back in the early 2000’s where they belong. For good. It’s 2017 now, and if you’re a college student, you’ll be glad to know that the storage problems plaguing past generations no longer need to be your problems too.
There are cloud storage solutions out there that are perfect for storing all of your files securely. These platforms also allow you to collaborate on group assignments with other students, and most importantly; access your data anywhere, anytime, on any device.
Finding the Best Cloud Storage for College Students
If you’re a new college student, it’s possible that you’ve already been advised to seek out a cloud storage option. This is great advice! However, it is not complete advice because not all cloud storage services are created equal. What you need to do is seek out the service that will give you the best bang for your buck and keep you covered in all the areas where you need it.
Let’s think about some reasons why a college student would need a cloud storage service. What types of reasons would they have for using it? A few examples might be:
- A platform with great collaboration features since you’ll likely be doing group projects
- Plenty of storage space so that you’re never concerned about running out
- A company that takes your privacy seriously so that your files are always safe
These are just a few of the reasons why you’d be looking into a cloud storage service as a college student. Depending on what you’ll be studying and what types of classes you’ll be taking, there will certainly be other reasons why you’d benefit from cloud storage. Odds are, you’ll also need a service that makes your files available and accessible on all of your devices, no matter where you are.
College is all about organization, right? Well, since you’ll be making a lot of lists and taking a lot of notes, why not create a personal resource for yourself and jot down all of the things you’ll be looking for from a cloud storage provider? Then, you can match that list up against our recommendations and zero in on the platform that is going to fit like a glove and be best suited for you.
Winner: SugarSync Cloud Storage
SugarSync has been around since 2008. Nearly ten years in the game means they’re probably doing a few things right. SugarSync is based out of San Mateo, CA, and their service is trusted be numerous big brands such as Best Buy, SanDisk, and Lenovo. Their cloud storage platform makes file access and file sharing easy for all of their users.
SugarSync is a perfect cloud storage solution for college students because it gets the job done. The features you need are there and work extremely well. The service isn’t loaded up with all of the bells and whistles, but you’re not likely to need that type of service anyway. You want a service that outperforms the competition in the areas you need. That’s SugarSync.
Pros
- User-friendly syncing system allows you to sync across unlimited devices
- Above-average transfer speeds that outperforms most of the competition
- Encrypted user data keeps you from worrying about the security of your data
- Ideal for collaboration; added or edited files are updated instantly
- Numerous plan options for maximum flexibility
Cons
- No free trial or free storage space which is offered by many competitors
- Users who wanted to cancel the service felt it was an overcomplicated process
- Slightly more expensive than a few similar services
Second Place: pCloud Cloud Storage
pCloud is a cloud storage service that has been around since 2013. The company is based out of Switzerland, and one of their best features is their overall ease of use. The pCloud platform already is a home for over 6 million users with that number growing rapidly each day.
pCloud doesn’t take up any physical space on your desktop computer and is an excellent service that checks all the boxes when it comes to syncing, collaboration, ease of use, and overall security. College students will be able to access their files on any of their devices seamlessly using the pCloud platform and will find collaborating with other students on assignments to be a breeze!
Pros
- Sync an unlimited number of folders; you can even access them in “offline mode”
- Access permissions options for sharing; files and folders shared with you won’t take your space
- Instant syncing across all of your devices
- pCloud’s “Crypto” folder allows you to hide any sensitive files or data in a safe place
- No physical space is taken up on your desktop
Cons
- File editing limitations could cause some issues between multiple users
- When sharing folders, editing restrictions can’t be altered
- Some users have cited problems with customer support
Third Place: Dropbox Cloud Storage
Dropbox has been a household name when it comes to cloud storage for nearly a decade now. Difficult to argue with a company that has over 500 million users, isn’t it? Dropbox was put together by a couple of MIT students and has been a cloud storage leader for quite a while now.
Dropbox is simple, yet efficient. Noticing a theme here? Working on slides and presentations using Dropbox is incredibly easy. Alterations made to files are automatically updated, and your files are accessible from any of your devices no matter where you are or where you go.
Pros
- Everything kept in Dropbox is automatically synced across all of your devices
- Create links to any file in your Dropbox and share via e-mail, chat, or text
- Large files are just as easy to share as smaller ones
- 30-day file versioning so that you can restore previous versions
- Edited files in shared folders update automatically—great for group projects
Cons
- We’d like to see a little more in the way of support features
- Data is not encrypted when it is at rest which could pose some security concerns
- Cannot upload entire folders directly to the web app
Putting the Finishing Touches On
If you want to make your life easy as a college student, we urge you to get on board with a cloud storage service. Without it, it’ll be tough to stay ahead of the pack. We really love all of our suggestions in this article but when push comes to shove, we think SugarSync is the absolute best option for college students looking into cloud storage solutions.
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