This article is sponsored by Adobe.

Fall 2020 will be unlike any other semester. Face masks have become the accessory of the season, classes have adopted an entirely new structure, all Pac-12 sports have been postponed and you probably won’t be on campus as much this semester. Although life as a University of Utah student will feel different, the U offers a variety of services to assist you throughout the semester that are virtually accessible anywhere. Here are four of our favorite resources that you can use wherever you are.

1. Adobe Creative Cloud

First on the list is Adobe Creative Cloud. This one is slept on — big time. Creative Cloud is a free service that grants students full access to applications like Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign and Premiere Pro as well as permits students to use Adobe Document Cloud in order to share, create and edit PDFs. With this partnership, the U is doing two things: one, giving you all of the tools needed to exercise your creativity and two, now listen closely, begging you to delete FaceTune. Did you hear that? Delete FaceTune and edit your selfies with Photoshop. At least for the next few years. Please.

Creative Cloud extends beyond improving your Instagram game. In addition to Photoshop, tools like InDesign allow students to create professional resumes, flyers for extracurriculars and posters for themed parties (I’m looking at you, Chad from Apple Sigma Pie), while tools like Premiere Pro enable students to edit and produce professional looking videos.

Creative Cloud has an app for just about every purpose. More than that, it has several tutorials on its platform, explaining the unique features of each app and how to use them. Creative Cloud encourages creativity by providing students with the tools they need and actually teaching students how to use them. Knowing how to properly use these tools will benefit you during your college career and will give you a step-up upon entering the workforce.

Download Adobe Creative Cloud here and let your creative juices flow. Creative Cloud is guaranteed to have a tool that will assist you in achieving your vision.

2. Office 365

The next and perhaps most well-known resource that is available to you as a U student is Office 365. Simply put, Office 365 combines the professional features of Microsoft Office with the collaborative nature of the cloud, allowing students to conveniently and efficiently work together on projects across Microsoft Word, Microsoft PowerPoint and Microsoft Excel.

This means you no longer have to choose between a professional-looking document and a simple way to collaborate when working on a group project. The U’s partnership with Microsoft enables students to work on projects together while still being able to utilize all of the polished, robust aspects of Microsoft Office.

In addition to providing a seamless method of collaborating on virtual projects, Office 365 allows users to access their files from any device, offers users 1 TB of storage (which is a lot, if I had to guess) and automatically updates each application, ensuring that users will have the most up-to-date resources.

Best of all, Office 365 is simple to download. Nobody has an excuse to get out of group projects anymore. Sorry Becky from MKTG 3010, looks like you’re just going to have to do your part this time.

3. Box

Box, as mysterious as it sounds, is an online cloud storage and collaboration tool that provides students with an easy way to store, share, and access files from any device. Though it is similar to storage platforms like OneDrive and Google Drive, Box allows students to safely deposit sensitive and restricted information.

With features like password protected sharing, security controls, and the ability to assign permission levels for each file, Box is basically as secure as Fort Knox. This resource is great for all students, but especially for those who need to store data in an encrypted environment— like those working with University of Utah Health or those conducting a thesis.

To access your free, secure, virtual version of Fort Knox, visit Box’s website and follow the simple instructions.

4. Library Databases

Last but not least, the Marriott Library offers an unparalleled amount of online services. From articles to databases to research guides to online journals, the Marriott Library holds just about every scholarly resource for every topic. Writing a paper on genotypes? They’ve got you covered. Giving a presentation on the history of fast fashion? They easily have 100 sources on that. Curious about the oldest dinosaur to ever roam the earth? The Marriott Library will provide you with the amount of research that takes up a little slice of the Internet. They truly have material on every topic.

Because the Marriott Library holds so much information, using Google Scholar, a search engine that specifically searches for academic works, may be a good starting point when attempting to navigate through the Marriott Library’s resources. Searching a topic in Google Scholar, finding a suitable article, and then using your U credentials to access the article through the library is such an easy yet underrated process.

As U students, we have so much information at the tips of our fingertips – literally. Drop by the campus library’s website the next time you’re writing a paper. They’re sure to have some good, reputable information for you.

Clearly, you have a healthy amount of free resources available for use. No matter where you’re located this semester, taking advantage of these services will assist you in your classes and ultimately allow you to make the most of your college career.