The secret of performing very well in school as a student is having the necessary tools for project management. There are hundreds of software available at the tips of your fingers to aid you in managing your projects. The most popular ones for use among people nowadays is the Microsoft Project management solution. It is one of the leading project management software and is highly recommended for students. This post is going to tell you all there is to know about the software and also guide you on how you can access its student’s version.
Overview: Microsoft Project Software
What is Microsoft Project?
MS project is a software that belongs to Microsoft which main purpose is to make it easier for people to manage their projects easily. Just like other MS software, it is a stand-alone and can be used on its own. When using this software, it helps you to arrange your work and collaborate with other people so as to increase productivity.
This software has numerous tools which organizations can use to collaborate and manage their projects effectively. Project managers can develop plans, assign each team member to a specific task, track every progress, schedule appointments, monitor finances, establish communication, and organize work efficiently.
Microsoft project software has a feature which is the Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) which is used to enter every project tasks and assign them to individuals (Resources). The package also comes with an assistance wizard that will guide users through the project completion. MS project helps manager through the beginning of their project all through achieving its end results.
How Students can have Access to Microsoft Project Software
The Microsoft Project Software has no student version at the moment. The only way students can use the software is by downloading its free trial. The Microsoft Project 2019 offers a 30 days free trial for every new user. The can try the MS project online professional plan or the MS project Online premium plan.
To get your free trial, you need to navigate to the Microsoft Project Software official website, then click on the see products and pricings button at the left side of the page. The next page will reveal the three projects available (Project plans 1, project plans 3, and project plans 5). Go through the functions and features of all and choose the right one for yourself.
After deciding on the one to choose, click on the Try Now button which is below the projects to proceed. The next page will ask you to set up your account. Do this by entering your schools email address, providing information about yourself, and then creating your business identity. After providing all this information, you are good to go. You can now begin your 30 days free trial as a student.
Pricing of Microsoft Project Software
Once your Microsoft Project software free trial expires after 30 days, the next thing to do is to purchase one of its many plans. The project online essential is $7 monthly per every individual user, and the project online professional is $30 per month for every user. The project standard is $589.99, the project professional is $1159.99, Project Pro for Office 365 is $25.00 monthly, and the Project Online is $33.00 every month per user.
The Pros of Microsoft Project Software
As a student, there are many ways Microsoft software will be beneficial to you. It has lots of better side and you should consider using it to manage your projects. Some of the pros of using this software are:
- There are lots of in built templates that will be useful irrespective of the nature of your project. It will help you save time spent using to set up your project templates.
- Microsoft Project Software is very reliable and third party supports are readily available for users.
- The software is built in such a way that it can suit the needs of different users. Since it was first released till now, MS project has repeatedly released features that will serve every user.
- As a student, when building a project, you can use MS project to estimate your financial expenses. It has a feature for estimating the budget for a specific project to avoid overspending.
- This software has the ability to still run without internet connection.
The Cons of Microsoft Project Software
Some of the no so impressive functions of this software are:
- Once your free trial expires, the pricing to continue using this software might be a bit expensive for students.
- It can only be installed on a Windows PC or a desktop computer. Unless you have either of these two devices, it might be challenging to work remotely.
- People who are not familiar with technology might encounter difficulties when using this program as it is not easy to use. If you want to use it effectively, it requires intensive training.
Conclusion
In summary, there is no student version of Microsoft project software. The only way to access it as a student is to download the free trial which lasts for 30 days. After using it for 30 days, this will be a determining factor on whether you should purchase it or not.
