Top Student Apps for Productivity: Our Picks
How often have your parents, grandparents, and teachers mentioned the distracting nature of smartphones? To be frank, they're not entirely mistaken. However, in today's world, there's an app for nearly everything, making student life in the 21st Century easier, more affordable, and more enjoyable.
Whether you need assistance with note-taking apps, maintaining focus during study sessions, or finding budget-friendly deals, we've compiled a comprehensive list of smartphone, tablet, and laptop apps to guide you through your student years. Below, explore our selection of the top 10 student apps for 2022 and transform your phone into your ultimate study companion.
1. RefME
Best for: Referencing
Referencing essays and research can be a chore. RefME has crafted an ingenious app to streamline resource citation, saving time and headaches. It offers a wealth of open educational resources for newcomers, sparing you from extensive Google searches. The app's standout feature is its automated citations, reference lists, and bibliographies, achievable by scanning book and journal barcodes. Furthermore, it supports various citation styles, including APA, MLA, Harvard, and more.
2. Evernote
Best for: Note-taking, task management
Evernote is a versatile app, excelling in note creation, organization, and task management. Capture notes through text, drawings, photos, web content, or audio. The app stores notes in electronic notebooks, editable and searchable. Task management integrates seamlessly, assigning due dates, flags, and reminders. Integration with Google Calendar ensures you stay on top of classes and appointments. Available on multiple platforms, Evernote offers free and paid plans.
3. Office Lens
Best for: Note-taking
Office Lens eradicates illegible notes with its document scanning capability. Tailored for students, it converts pictures of documents, boards, journals, and more into editable, shareable text. The app even handles bad lighting, eliminating glare and enhancing readability. Office Lens is accessible on various operating systems, simplifying note-taking and saving valuable time.
4. Motion
Best for: Focus time
Motion battles online distractions with a browser extension blocking sites like Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. Customizable settings ensure tailored blocking during specific times or on certain types of websites. Need access for academic purposes? Motion grants a brief window. Reports highlight productive versus distracting online usage, making it an ideal study companion.
5. Oxford English Dictionary
Best for: Academic reading and writing
The Oxford English Dictionary's mobile version provides an extensive lexicon with over 350,000 words, phrases, and meanings. It includes audio pronunciation and features a 'voice' and 'fuzzy' search function for tricky spellings. The app enriches your vocabulary by delivering a new word daily.
6. Google Drive
Best for: Storage, task management
Google Drive offers cloud-based storage for up to 15GB of files, safeguarding your work from computer crashes. It facilitates easy sharing, editing, and collaboration on documents. Offline access and syncing enhance productivity, making it an indispensable tool for student life.
7. Forest
Best for: Focus time
Forest tackles distractions by encouraging focused study sessions. Plant virtual trees during your study time; the tree grows as you concentrate, but dies if you switch to other apps. The app also contributes to planting real trees based on app usage, benefitting your productivity and the environment.
8. Todoist
Best for: Task management
Todoist simplifies task management, blending tasks, projects, comments, and more into an intuitive interface. Labels, filters, and tags organize tasks, ensuring nothing falls through the cracks. It's ideal for group work, offering collaboration features.
9. Mathway
Best for: Solving homework problems
Mathway aids with mathematics problems by solving equations and explaining the process. This virtual tutor offers step-by-step guides, enhancing understanding and improving problem-solving skills.
10. Unidays
Best for: Budget control
Unidays grants students access to discounts, freebies, and exclusive offers from major brands. Simply verify your student status and enjoy savings on technology, fashion, food, and more.
In conclusion, the 21st Century presents students with a wealth of apps to simplify academic life. From note-taking to time management, these apps enhance productivity, focus, and overall efficiency. Explore our blog for additional student advice and tips to navigate your academic journey successfully.
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Summary
Explore the top student apps: RefME for referencing, Evernote for note-taking, Office Lens for clear notes, Google Drive for storage, Forest for focus, Todoist for task management, Mathway for maths help, and Unidays for student discounts. Maximise your smartphone's potential as a study buddy!