In today’s technologically oriented world, the old paper calendar just does not cut it. You need some better at keeping track of the numerous family events throughout the year. After all, it is not quite feasible to carry a calendar around for the sake of jotting down those events.
A digital calendar like Google Calendar offers much more versatility and functions. With Google Calendar, you get a lot more than simply writing down a reminder for an event. Using Google Calendar means that you will never have to carry around any appointments book or calendar nor will you forget that all too important family gathering next month.
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Things to know before using Google Calendar
First and foremost, a Google account is necessary to use the features of Google Calendar. Getting an account is very easy and it is absolutely free of cost.
After registration, the Calendar can be accessed from the main Google page. It is located inside the Apps menu. The Calendar can also be accessed from Gmail, which is the email service provided by Google.
The Calendar itself is very simple and easy on the eyes. There are three different views available for the Calendar. These are the Day, Week and Month views and they can be easily interchanged with the help of the buttons present at the top.
Adding events is also very easy. All you need to do is to click on the appropriate date. You can select the time and enter other necessary details about the event.
You can even select a location for the event. If other people are attending the event, then they can be sent invites. The event can also be made repetitive as is the case with birthdays.
Cool and useful features for a better experience
Google Calendar is not only useful for creating reminders about events. There are a number of great features which make it one of the best digital calendars available. Apart from creating events, it is possible to create an entirely new calendar.
The option to create a new calendar exists on the left sidebar of the main page of the Google Calendar. Each calendar can be differentiated from each other by assigning names to each one.
They can be also color coded to help in recognizing the type of calendar at a glance. You can create calendars for the schedule of each of your family member. Thus, your child’s activities will be on one calendar and your spouse’s on another.
Sharing calendars is possibly one of the best features that Google Calendar has to offer. In order to share the calendar with someone, they need to have a Google account of their own.
Sharing calendars in Google is quite easy like most other things. If the calendar already exists, then you need to edit it. Under the Calendar settings, there is an option for changing the sharing settings.
There, you can write down the email addresses of those with whom the calendar needs to be shared. Then you have to edit the permissions which need to be granted. For example, you can permit your spouse to edit the calendar you have made for him or her and shared.
You can also share a calendar but not allow others to make any changes. For example, you might share your work schedule with your family but obviously you do not want them making any changes. If you allow others to make changes, then those changes will be synchronized with everybody who has access to that calendar.
All the calendars you have created can be viewed at the same time in the main page. If you want then you can change the visibility options for a calendar so that it does not appear with others.
Set reminders in case you forget
You can set reminders for each event any time. You can let Google Calendar remind you if the event by the use of a pop up or by sending you an email.
You can even let Google send you an email everyday for the events you have scheduled for that day. This email can be for one particular calendar or for all of them.
Synchronize your calendars for greater mobility
However the best feature that Google Calendar has is undoubtedly the ability to synchronize the calendar with mobile devices and other calendars. You can view your calendars using the official Google app for Android. Any changes you make will be automatically synchronized.
One little known feature of Google Calendar is that you can add other calendars to your existing account. There is an add option located under the label of ‘Other Calendars’ called ‘Add by URL’. Here you can enter the URL of the calendar you want to add.
Making the best use of time using Google Calendar
Google Calendar is undoubtedly great at keeping track of events but it is capable of doing more. You can help in the studies of your child by creating a study schedule for him or her on a daily basis using Google Calendar.
This is because you can create time limits for events in your calendar. This calendar can then be shared with your child so that he or she knows exactly what to study at a given time.
For children, learning how to manage time is a very important lesson for life. Through this type of scheduling, they can help manage their time sensibly. This trick can also be used to schedule your own daily tasks like chores.
A better Calendar
Google Calendar is great time management tool. The ability to synchronize allows you to keep better track of events. Any changes made to the event will be instantly visible to others with whom you have shared the calendar which saves a lot of precious time.
Since Google Calendar is available as an app for most smartphone operating systems, you can make changes and view calendars while on the move. Scheduling tasks for family members or keeping track of all those family gatherings and events have never been easier. Google Calendar is a tool which will be helpful for everybody.
What is your experience with Google Calendar? Do you make the most out of it? Do share in the comments below!