Nov 15, 2016 04:39 AM EST By Emily Marks, UniversityHerald Reporter

Tech skills are a must for today's college students. It is also important that they understand how technology works so that they can adapt easier as it continues to evolve.

It was previously reported that education is evolving along with technology. Trends that will change the way students learn include virtual and augmented reality, artificial intelligence, real-time collaboration tools such as Google Drive, 3D printing, wearable technology, cloud computing, open source platforms and even video games.

Gaming has become an effective tool for education. Students who played online games were able to get higher scores on standardized tests compared to students who spent a lot of their time on social media.

U.S. News shared five tech skills that every college student should have. They should develop these skills before they even start higher education.

1. Accurate and fast typing skills

You will definitely do a lot of typing in college. It would save you time and resources when you know how to type accurately and have an above average typing speed. This can be developed through practice. Understanding the different functions of keys as well as shortcuts can help you, too.

2. Proper online etiquette

Today's communication no longer requires two people to be in the same room. However, communicating through email, online forums and social media can also increase the risk of your message being misinterpreted if you don't have proper online etiquette. Learn about appropriate formats as well as appropriate titles for your professors. Always be polite.

3. Basic program knowledge

You will need more than knowing how to use a word processing program to navigate through college. It is vital that you know how to use different types of apps such as a spreadsheet or presentation program.

4. Online research

Knowing how to take full use of search engines as well as online reference materials and databases can help you a lot in college. Knowing how they work, especially with keywords, will save you time in finding references for your research papers.

5. Privacy and security consciousness

Be conscious about your privacy and security. Know that information you share on the Internet will stay there even if you decide to delete it. Review the privacy policies of websites you sign up for and use unique passwords.

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