With today’s highly digital world, it is only fitting that apps are used even for studying. Here is a short list of productivity apps that can help maximize school performance.
Evernote
One of the most important things in college is taking down notes. Not only does it help students retain information, but it also provides a quick reference in case one needs to review. Evernote keeps everything organized and all in one place. It has features for checklists, links, images, recordings, and attachments. Text can be easily searched within all the notes in the application. Notes can be synced across devices, but there is a maximum of two for the free version. With the paid Evernote Plus, unlimited devices can sync these notes – a great option when sharing with a group.
Cite This For Me
With the tons of papers that students are bound to write in the future, the handy app Cite This For Me should prove to be very valuable. It provides easy formatting of sources into the necessary reference style for a paper. Cite This For Me also has barcode scanning capabilities for books and journals, a highlighter function for generating quoted text, and group collaboration tools. References can also be moved, saving time whenever the same resource is used. While learning how to cite sources manually is critical for any student, this application is a great option to maximize productivity.
Any.do
Manage tasks cleanly and straightforwardly with the Any.do application. The app has a minimalist view that divides the task area into “today,” “tomorrow,” “later,” and “someday” categories. This method ensures that the user is not overwhelmed with their to-do list. Any.do starts off the day with a review of the tasks, selecting which items are to be classified under “today.” Recurring tasks can be managed through Any.do as well. Device synchronization is another feature of the Any.do application, with prompts and alert capabilities. This app can also integrate with Google applications such as Google Mail and Calendar through a chrome extension.
PomoDone
Based on the renowned “Pomodoro” productivity approach, PomoDone is a browser and desktop app that helps the user stay focused on their task. The app displays a 25-minute countdown, during which the student should keep working. After that, a 5-minute break is given to relax and rest the brain. It is a simple productivity app, but its core method allows the user to manage their time better. Once the habit is ingrained, it will become more natural to keep working instead of putting off the tasks. PomoDone also provides integration options with other productivity tools like Asana, Trello, and Todoist.
Slack
Group projects are inevitable when it comes to college classes. Slack is a messaging app that allows streamlined communication with team members. The app has a highly organized structure: topic-based channels foster discussion that is likelier to remain on-topic, something that is surprisingly difficult to do using usual messaging methods. Slack provides the basic file sharing, Google Drive and Dropbox syncing, and rich text messages that make collaboration easier. One-on-one messaging can also be done on Slack. Additionally, multiple Slack groups can be created for various team projects, so check each of their statuses can be done in one place. A prominent feature of Slack is its ability to integrate with a wide range of applications and bots, giving the user a highly customizable messaging experience.
These apps will surely help maximize a student’s productivity, but only if there is effort invested into the tasks. Without initiative and consistency, these apps will be rendered useless.
