There are two kinds of students in college these days – students that use iPads & students that use laptops, no matter which category you are under you will need some apps to increase your productivity.
Learning is an extensive and demanding process that requires ultimate focus. In most instances, students are often told to put away or switch their phones because these devices cause disruptions? Well, smartphones are now essential in improving the learning environment.
The use of mobile applications has made it possible for students to focus on their studies, implement new learning routines, learn new things, solving problems, securely storing files, and even helping to reduce operating costs. But what are some of the best apps for students that can help to improve their overall learning experience?
Top 10 Best Student Apps
Some of the best apps for Android and iOS that students should consider installing include:
1. Evernote
It’s one of the best apps for students for note-taking as well as task management. Note-taking is an important aspect of learning. But even though there is a wide range of note-taking software applications, Evernote perfectly stands out.
Its key feature includes the ability to sync notes across all devices. This means that you can take notes with your tablet and still access them with your smartphone.
It consists of a wide range of features that facilitate an easier note-taking process. This includes note-taking options in form of text, audio footage, photographs, drawings, and online web content among others. Apart from its intuitive user interface, you are guaranteed an easier task management system. this means that you can customize your notes by adding stuff such as reminders, due dates, and flags. This means that you can conveniently access all your important information and ensure that you are up to date with your academic work.
And once you have saved and labeled your notes, you can still edit the content and even add several attachments. If you are a student on a tight budget, you can use Evernote for free but with certain monthly restrictions.
2. RefME
If you enjoy doing academic writing, the RefME is here to cater to your needs. schoolwork can be generally demanding. But there is nothing as demoralizing as having to deal with references. It takes a lot of time and a keen eye to perfectly add references to research work.
But this tedious process can be significantly enhanced and made easier with the use of the RefME app. It’s one of the top student apps designed to make your research work easier thanks to the availability of a wide array of open educational resources. In fact, RefME offers a good starting point for those students who want to be researchers in the future.
But how effective is it? Well, you don’t have to spend hours scouring the internet trying to find the appropriate papers and journals that match your study and then link them with your text. Simply scan the barcodes of the journals and books that you are using during the research process and this app will automatically and quickly generate citations. Apart from generating automated citations, you can use RefME to create reference lists as well as bibliographies without so much strain.
3. Microsoft Office
We can discuss all the other types of student apps. But leaving Microsoft Office out of this list would be a big injustice. These software applications are everything for students. Having it on your smartphone makes it possible to write and edit text from anywhere.
This is a universal software application that’s easy to use and with its multipurpose design means that you can also do calculations using excel, write an email using outlook, and even format that CV/Cover letter that you want to send out. Student work, especially assignments usually come with lots of presentations. Well, there is no better way to display your assignment precisely and in a bold format other than using PowerPoint.
With the age of online learning and Zoom classrooms, this application also provides a great collaboration function. So, you and your classmates can easily and simultaneously access and edit a document. The combination of Word, Excel, and PowerPoint is all that you need to make your school work easier. You can also save your work in the cloud and as result, conveniently access them from anywhere and at any time.
4. Mathway
Mathway, just like its name suggests is your mathematics friend. Dealing with crunching numbers day in day out can leave you feeling frustrated. Well, there are those students who definitely find math enjoyable. But if you are going to encounter numbers almost every day of your college session, then it’s time you get Mathway.
It quickly becomes one of the most essential student apps that effectively perform different mathematical functions. This includes simplest mathematical problems to complex equations that come with difficult formulas. The effectiveness of Mathway doesn’t solely lie in the fact that it can quickly help you find the right solutions to your math problems but also developing a better understanding of how to find the correct solution.
With Mathway, you need to type your math problem in the app. Alternatively, you can choose to upload a picture of the same and still get the appropriate solution. If the math problem is complex and involves several instructions, then you can still read the instructions stepwise and the app will help you understand how you should find the solution. Basically, you don’t have to struggle with anything since the right guidance, as well as a solution, can be found by using this application.
5. SimpleMind
It isn’t your usual student application but with the current school climate, you definitely need it. There is no better way to visualize and organize your thoughts than to make use of this application. SimpleMind is what you need to create flowcharts and draw maps in your mind in order to make the right decisions at the end of the day.
The software program comes with a free layout that you can use to outline your ideas and customize them per your preferences. It should be noted that there are multiple mind maps on a single page. This includes vertical, horizontal, list-auto, and top-down layouts. Whether you are brainstorming or just making earlier school plan preparations, this is your ultimate organization companion.
It offers a great level of simplicity in terms of functionality. The free version not only offers great mapping options but you can also use several colors to make distinctions. Besides that, you can also make use of the application’s pre-defined sheets that come with in-built styles.
You will certainly love to use SimpleMind, especially when your brain is foggy and mind congested. The ability to expand and contract your thought process in a well-outlined manner is something that will help you easily streamline your thoughts.
6. Forest
It can become very easy to lose focus with the little distractions that are constantly happening in our lives. However, this is one of the best apps for students that has quickly become popular due to its focus-oriented features. And how does it work? well, Forest wants you to stay focused by encouraging you to remain on course by virtually growing a tree.
While you won’t be restricted from accessing some of your favorite apps and websites, this software program will quickly tickle your conscience by giving it a friendly reminder or warning. Forest acts like a gamified timer since it ensures that you remain focused.
Generally, it takes a minimum of 30 minutes for a tree to fully grow before it can be added into your forest. So, how many trees are you willing to grow during your productive sessions? You need to understand that once you decide to visit a blacklisted site or if you check your phone, then your tree will die. But the best thing about fully “nurturing” a tree is that you get virtual coins as a reward.
7. Quizlet
It’s generally great for improving your general knowledge. Even though Quizlet isn’t designed for any curriculum knowledge, what you will learn from it is quite immense. First, this is a useful app that can help you improve your study habits thanks to the broad range of tools available.
Its effectiveness is enhanced by its simplicity and great user interface. It’s quite easy to navigate Quizlet and its clear design makes it enjoyable to use. it involves the use of flashcards to learn languages and vocabulary. This app offers learning material in up to 18 languages and it’s, therefore, great in putting your memory to test.
Besides that, there is an option to enhance your study sessions with custom audio files and images. Each day is generally a great time for you to learn something new as you race against the clock.
Overall, it’s a great platform that can help you master the learning materials, and the fact that you can make your own study sets makes everything interesting and ideal for personalization. If you don’t want to create your own study sets and flashcards, well, you can choose from the millions of available materials created by other students.
8. Google Drive
We are in the era where we don’t need to physically documents, especially if there is an option of storing them somewhere online. If you are engaging in stationary learning, you know how demanding and tiresome it is to carry books with you to school back and forth. This is an insecure way of handling your most precious materials physical documents take lots of space, are prone to damage, and getting lost.
However, Google Drive offers one of the most secure ways of storing information in software format. You can use this cloud-based storage program to save all your class materials online and access them anywhere, anytime, and with any device.
If your computer has crashed or it’s lost, you don’t need to panic if you have all your essential files stored in Google Drive. All you need to have been your login credentials for you to access and download the files on a new device.
Google Drive offers up to 15 GB of storage space that you can use to freely store PDFs, notes, audio, images, and video files. If you can’t access Wi-Fi constantly, then you can also select the “offline” option to access files while you are not connected.
9. Unidays
Students are always looking for ways they can reduce their spending costs. Well, Unidays is an excellent student app that gives users access to freebies, exclusive offers, and discounts among others. well, all you have to be is academic!
The reliable and legitimate application compiles data from a wide range of retailers and websites. This helps to ensure that students get great and timely discounts from their favorite brands. Most reviews indicate that without this app, it would be impossible for students to save more money, and money is a scarce resource for students already.
New users have to be first verified before they can access the beneficial features of this app. This includes offers in a wide range of industries including technology, food, and clothing, etc. Unidays also works with brands such as Apple, Microsoft, and Uber Eats, etc. Its currently available for use in more than 100 countries including the US, UK, Canada, China, Japan, and Australia.
10. Dragon Anywhere
From time to time, you will want to highlight specific points taught during class sessions. But sometimes you may want to take note of the key point, word-for-word. Well, Dragon Anywhere is one of the most used transcription apps. It’s a quite phenomenal program that you can train and customize to meet your needs.
It provides students with a premium note-taking method and helps to eliminate confusion and fatigue. this is because you don’t have to write everything that your tutor is saying. It’s also important that you take note of the essential short pieces of information.
The fact that it seamlessly and quickly converts speech to text means that it can effectively handle most of the work for you. This is an incredibly safe timesaver that you can use during those demanding long learning hours.