The free apps to make you a study machine
You might think the only mobile apps worth having are Tinder, Uber and King’s Cup rulebooks, but it turns out there are some program developers who want students to spend more quality time studying.
Let’s be honest with ourselves, less time procrastinating equals more time doing fun activities.
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If you need to streamline your study habits, start by downloading these 10 apps for super efficiency and see your grades soar.
1. StudyBlue
Listen. Write. Read. Quiz. Repeat. It’s the method of memorising concepts and theories that we’re all used to, and probably sick of, but StudyBlue creates a way to do it on your tablet or phone.
You can create, share and search study cards and notes for a wide range of subjects and disciplines. Most importantly it is easy to use and nice to look at, so neat freaks will be satisfied and you can save space by getting rid of flash cards.
2. Duolingo
“This year, I’m going to take Italian. Imagine being able to speak the language when I travel and think of all the good looking women (and/or men) I’ll meet in class,” said every single student ever at the start of semester.
Reality often falls short of expectation and by week five you’re in class frustrated to the point of tears at how difficult the language is.
Never fear, Duolingo is the app that can make life a little easier and your dream may be more attainable with its easy and effective word and phrase exercises.
With a little bit of practice we can all do second languages better than Brad Pitt in Inglorious Basterds.
3. Trello
There is an old saying that goes, “Group assignments bring out the worst in people”. It’s true, they do, because organising a time and place for everyone to do and share their assigned work is a literal nightmare.
Not anymore with Trello, where your group will benefit from an integrated and automated system to work and transfer what they’ve been up to.
The best thing is the to-do list, which makes assigning tasks egalitarian and all of the group members very accountable.
4. Pocket
It always happens, you sit down to study but pull out your phone first and of course it is at this very time you see all the great articles you want to read.
Download Pocket, save the articles for later, study, and then come back to them. Simple.
5. Khan Academy
Whether you listen in lectures or not, most of your learning will happen outside of the classroom. That’s why there is Khan Academy, a fantastic learning resource with a rich and interactive interface to learn at your own pace.
Specialising in video lessons for thousands of topics, Khan Academy covers the basics well so you can understand the concepts and practices that underpin your study.
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6. EasyBib
Bibliographies are the bane of every uni student’s existence. No matter how many times you do them and refine them your tutor will find a misplaced comma or a clumsy colon.
With EasyBib you can automatically cite websites and scan barcodes to get bibliographical information.
7. SelfControl (iOS) & Stay Focused (Android)
In 2015 social media addiction is a real thing that affects almost everybody. Or at least that is what we tell ourselves to feel a little less hopeless.
Depending which way you swing (Apple or Android), download either of these apps to regulate the time you spend on social media and even set aside blocks of the day where you’re banned from social media to get a study session done.
8. CliffNotes (iOS only app, but also available as webpage)
Sometimes you read a novel and think ‘What on earth is going on here?’. To help with that, CliffNotes have plot and chapter recaps for all the classics, plus professionally written character and theme synopsis’.
CliffNotes won’t read the book for you, but it will mean when you do, you spend less time confused and more time making actual sense of the text’s deeper meaning. After all, that’s where the extra marks are hiding.
Get it for: iOS & as a webpage on Android
9. Alarmy
It gets to a point where Mum shouldn’t have to be the alarm clock that wakes you in time for class.
Get Alarmy, the alarm that you have to wake up to stop. You simply can’t be late because to stop the noise the sleeper needs to perform a task on their phone that forces alertness and sometimes getting out of bed.
Another alarm in this mould for TV nerds is the Lost Alarm, where you have to input the cursed numbers like your favourite characters did in the hatch on Lost‘s island.
10. Evernote
One of the most annoying things about a big and wide spanning project is when you lose stuff you’ve used or intend to use.
Evernote is the ultimate project aggregator, a place where you can keep track of all the notes, sources, drafts, lightbulb ideas and images you need to make your assignment a corker.
Did we miss any you think should be on the list? Let us know your favourites in the comments.
