By the tiswa editorial team, from the official sources listed at the end of this guide. How we write our guides
Most Windows tips for students are on your laptop from day one, hidden behind shortcuts nobody teaches you. Clipboard history lets you copy ten things and paste them in order, a partial screenshot grabs an equation from a slide in two seconds, and Focus sessions silence notifications while you study. This guide gathers the features that matter with their shortcuts as Microsoft Support describes them.
The shortcuts in one table
| Shortcut | What it does | When to use it |
|---|---|---|
| Win + V | Opens clipboard history | Collecting quotes and sources for a paper |
| Win + Shift + S | Snip part of the screen | Grabbing a diagram or equation from a slide |
| Win + Shift + R | Record a video of part of the screen | Recording how to use a program |
| Win + Z | Opens Snap layouts | Lecture slides next to your summary |
| Win + arrows | Snaps the window to a side | Quick split with no mouse |
| Win + Tab | Task view and desktops | Moving between courses |
| Win + N | Notifications, calendar and Focus | Starting a Focus session |
| Win + H | Voice typing | Dictating ideas fast |
Tip 1: clipboard history
Normal copy keeps only the last item. Clipboard history keeps several, and you can pin the ones you use all the time, like your name, student number and course code.
- Turn it on once
Press Win + V, then select Turn on.
- Copy as usual
Copy every paragraph and link you need from your sources one after another.
- Paste from history
In your document press Win + V and pick the item you want.
- Pin the essentials
Pin items you repeat so they survive when you clear the history.
- Sync your devices
In Start > Settings > System > Clipboard, turn on Clipboard history across your devices. Sync is tied to your Microsoft account, so use the same one everywhere.
Tip 2: Snipping Tool for screenshots
Snipping Tool captures all or part of the screen, and you can mark it up, save and share. Snip types: freeform, rectangle, window, full screen and a video of part of the screen.
- Win + Shift + S: an image snip of any area, copied automatically so you paste it straight into your summary.
- Win + Shift + R: a video of a rectangle of the screen, handy for showing your group how a program works.
- Print Screen: a full-screen snapshot placed on the clipboard.
For other ways to record the screen on iPhone and computer, see how to screen record.
Tip 3: two windows side by side
Snap arranges windows on the screen. The classic student use: lecture slides on the left and your summary on the right.
- With the keyboard
Hold Win and press the left or right arrow to snap the window to a side.
- Pick the second
Snap Assist shows thumbnails of your other open windows for the other side; pick one.
- With layouts
Hover over the maximize button of a window, or press Win + Z, and choose a layout such as three windows.
- Resize
Drag the divider between the windows and the other one adjusts to fit.
Tip 4: a desktop per course
Instead of twenty windows stacked on each other, create a desktop per course or task. One for the graduation project, one for a theory course, and one for downtime away from study.
- Open Task view
Hover over the Task view icon on the taskbar, or press Win + Tab.
- New desktop
Select New desktop.
- Name it
Select the desktop name and rename it after the course.
- Switch
From Win + Tab pick the desktop you want; each one keeps its own windows.
Tip 5: Focus sessions
Focus in Windows temporarily blocks notifications and sounds, turns on do not disturb and stops apps flashing on the taskbar. Microsoft explicitly mentions studying for an exam as a use case.
- From the calendar: select the clock on the taskbar or press Win + N, choose a duration and select Focus.
- From Settings: Settings > System > Focus, then Start focus session.
- From the Clock app: choose Focus sessions, set the duration and whether you want breaks. Focus relies on the Clock app, so reinstall it from Microsoft Store if you removed it.
A 25-minute session with a short break is the Pomodoro technique in practice.
Tip 6: type with your voice
Press Win + H with the cursor in a text box, wait for the Listening alert and start talking. Voice typing needs an internet connection and a working microphone. You can add a voice typing language different from your Windows language in Settings > Time & language > Language & region > Add a language. Useful for getting essay ideas out fast before you organize them.
Tip 7: free space automatically
Storage Sense removes temporary files and Recycle Bin content automatically when space runs low. It does not touch Downloads or OneDrive unless you set it to. Turn it on in Start > Settings > System > Storage, set Storage Sense to On, and choose how often it runs. Note that it works on the system drive, usually C:, only.
Tip 8: link your phone to the laptop
The Phone Link app on Windows 10 and 11 connects your phone to the PC, with a choice of Android or iPhone. On Samsung phones you turn on Link to Windows in Settings > Connected devices, then scan the QR code shown on the PC. After that, your phone notifications and photos appear on the laptop. Full Samsung tips are in Samsung Galaxy tips for students.
Software that completes these tips
- Word, Excel and other shortcuts in keyboard shortcuts.
- Office through your university email in Office for students.
- Free software with a university email in free software for students.
- Thinking of a new machine? The comparison is in best laptop for students.
Which tip helps most for your major?
| Major | Top tip | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Engineering and computing | Multiple desktops | One desktop for code or CAD, one for references, one for reports |
| Medicine and health sciences | Partial snips | Pull diagrams and tables from slides into your summary |
| Business and accounting | Snap | An Excel file next to the case study question |
| Languages and humanities | Clipboard history and voice typing | Collect quotes and dictate the first draft |
| Design and media | Screen video snips | Show your instructor or team how you did the work |
Start with one tip that fits your major and use it for a full week until it is a habit, then add the next. Trying to memorize every shortcut at once means forgetting them all.
A Windows study routine
Open the course desktop, split the screen between slides and summary, start a Focus session, grab equations with a partial snip and gather sources in clipboard history. Five shortcuts that change how you study on a laptop.
