It wasn’t so long ago that transferring data required a pretty sizeable storage medium.

First, there were 5 /14″ floppies, then 3.5″ ones and finally CDs. In between came Zip discs and other storage solutions that… well… weren’t very portable at all..

Today, leading a mobile data life is pretty easy; thanks to the universal USB flash drive. Small, flexible and rugged, these drives give you far more storage in a much smaller package than ever before. Plus, they can hold up to a whopping 64 gigs of data, far more than any of its storage ancestors.

As a student, it means you can carry your entire academic life with you, from your class assignments, notes and homework to your favourite music to study by. Even if you forgot to bring your laptop with you, you can insert your USB flash drive into virtually any computer anywhere and access all your files quickly and easily.

Such convenience allows you to write a paper at home and print it out at school, which saves you on ink and paper costs. In some cases, instructors will even let you turn your paper or project in on a flash drive, which also saves a few trees in the process – a very green alternative.

Finally, a flash drive is ideal for working on group projects. Each of you can work on your part of the project individually and swap flash drives when you meet so everyone has the entire project at his or her disposal. Simply dock the drives, drag over the data and you’re off to Starbucks for a pick me up.

And if you spill your double tall latte at the coffee shop, chances are very good your USB flash drive will be just fine. They are not only affordable, but also virtually indestructible.