Google Apps Tip #4: Google Calendar

Google Calendar is one of the neat applications that’s available in your NOVA student email account.

Have there been times when you have a course with regular due dates, but you have a very busy work schedule and it’s all pretty overwhelming? There’s a Task List in Google Calendar that can help you organize your busy schedule. If you use the Task feature in Google Calendar to create a to-do list, tasks that have due dates will automatically appear on your calendar, and you can even sort tasks by due date! If you view your calendar by clicking on the “Agenda” tab, your tasks and the events on your calendar are listed as an agenda.

To create and use your to-do list,

1. Open Google Calendar and click on the “Tasks” link on the left hand side;
   The “Tasks” module appears on the right hand side where you can add new tasks and assign a due date to an existing task;
2. To mark a task that is completed, click on the task’s check box, which will cross out the task on the list. Or, you may just delete the task from your to-do list.

You can also sync your Google Calendar with a mobile device, such as your Windows Mobile Phone, iPhone, or BlackBerry, so you can check your schedule anywhere! To do this, just follow the directions in the Calendar Help provided by Google.

Here's another use of Google Calendar: How many times do you have to email your group mates back and forth to schedule a group meeting? Google Calendar can help, because you can have more than one calendar in your account. Your group can create a shared calendar to manage the group work. Each of you can block off the time that you are not available for a group meeting so it is easy for the group to find the best time to meet. You can also break the group project into small pieces and set up a due date for each piece. To create a new calendar,

1. Open Google Calendar and click on the “Create” link at the bottom of the “My calendars” module on the left hand side;
2. A “Create New Calendar” page appears where you can give the calendar a name and share it with the people in your group.

Here's to staying organized! What else do you use Google Calendar for?