Every college student needs text books and they cost a lot of money. They are also heavy to carry around and they lose a lot of their value if you decide to write notes in them. The availability of e-books is a massive step forward. A basic e-reader, Kindle or other similar device can store hundreds of books. If you are lucky enough to get your hands on a Kno - a special table computer designed for students - then you can also write and highlight notes on the 'page' without spoiling your textbook. If you want to take advantage of e-books make sure your device is compatible for the books you need before you buy.
Podcasts are not just for radio shows. Lectures can be recorded and published online as podcasts, along with interviews and 'blogs' which may be relevant to some college courses. Podcasts appeal to college students because they are easy to download and listen to at any time of day in almost any location. They can also be stored for future reference on an iPod, laptop or desktop computer.
Conversations using social media can be a fast, convenient way for college students to ask questions and connect with experts in their field of study and perform research using their computer or smartphone. Twitter is especially useful for engaging with people you don't know in real life and sourcing information by using 'hashtags' and following people who work or study the same subject. You can use it to talk to people all over the world in a way that is cheap and convenient.
Over the past decade the Internet has become an enormous research tool and books, including many old manuscripts can often be accessed online as scanned images. Expert blogs, study notes and other resources can be found online. Traditional textbooks can also be purchased this way, even if they have to be shipped from abroad.