These days the sentence, “I don’t have a smartphone,” is one that will be met with many raised eyebrows and looks of confusion. Most people, especially the younger generation, have an iPhone or Android glued to their palm. However, rather than ascribing impatience to this smartphone-dependent generation, more correct descriptions would be indefatigable or hard-working. This is the generation of the grind.
This generation is constantly on the go. With a tablet in one hand and a phone in the other, students are commuting to work while they catch up on world events and complete term papers. This is the norm of the day. To keep up with this trend, all kinds of businesses, from cafes to gyms, have not only upped their WIFI capability, but have also created technologically friendly apps, programs and user interfaces that are more compatible with this daily grind generation.
Even the education sector has jumped on board. Test prep companies across the market have slowly realized the importance of utilizing technological innovations to move out of the classroom and onto the smartphone. Traditional in-class courses commonly used to help students prepare for standardized exams are now being substituted for video and audio lectures in online or app-based courses. For example, TestMax, an app-based prep course company, which started in 2010, has been revolutionizing the test prep market for some time now. They currently have iOS apps available in the Apple App Store that enable students to take comprehensive test prep courses for the SAT, LSAT and bar exam at the touch of a finger. There are also other apps available that help students prep for the GMAT and other standardized exams. These apps allow all students a way to study for their exams at their pace and on their schedule. Instead of wasting time commuting to an in-class course, students are becoming aware of the amazing benefits of remote-learning. With such courses, students have access to their lectures, homework and instructors, all at the touch of their screen.
Technology-based study tools are leading the course of education and test prep. Instead of lugging heavy books and boxes of materials around, students can carry all of their test prep materials with them in their smartphones or tablets. Not only does this technological innovation add to the ease and efficiency of prep courses, but it also helps subsidize the immense cost of most traditional classes. Due to the low overhead of app-based courses, students have constant access to high quality test prep at a fraction of the cost.
So, even though it may be true that students these days are demanding and impatient, it’s probably only because they are beginning to expect more from a traditional in-class world that is falling quickly behind its technologically savvy competitors. The generation of the grind is on the rise—and, with it, companies in the test prep world are creating a technological and innovative upheaval.
