The best apps to help you study smarter

We can all use better tips and tools to help us study smarter with what time we have. Even with the best intentions, time-sappers such as social media and brain fade are familiar roadblocks that get in the way of study time.

To help you, we’ve found the best study tools and apps that will assist you to study smarter, not harder. Let’s dive in.

Improve organisation with cloud computing

When it comes to writing and sharing documents, creating presentations, and storing files, there are two mainstream options – Google Workspace and Microsoft 365.

Both are free when you make an account and they automatically save changes when logged in online, so losing work never happens. Choosing between the platforms is truly just your personal preference. 

Let’s break down some subtle differences between them to help you find which works best for you.

• Cloud storage: Google Drive offers more cloud storage on their free plan. However, if you need to purchase more storage, Microsoft’s Onedrive is cheaper.

• Documentation: Although Google Docs and Microsoft Word both offer powerful word-processing features to help with your writing, Microsoft’s execution is slightly more advanced, offering more templates, enhancements, and tools.
• Study on the go: As long as you’re connected to the internet, you can access all your documents, regardless of which platform you choose. However, Google is the preferred choice for mobile access as its app is almost identical to the web version, whereas Microsoft Word’s app has reduced functionality. Google also offers better collaboration options if you want to share and edit documents in real-time.

Using Grammarly for better communication

Whether you’re writing an email, blog, business proposal, essay, or assignment, you don’t want to be caught out by incorrect spelling or grammar. 

Grammarly (and spell checkers like it) read through your work and detect common mistakes like word choice, passive voice misuse, wordy sentences, and punctuation to help improve your message and writing. It’s available for free, with the option to upgrade to premium. 

Another great feature is the ability to check a document for plagiarism, which saves you from triple-checking all your sources. 

Note-taking solutions for studying

Pen and paper are great for taking notes, but what happens if you lose them, want to arrange your thoughts in a graph or spreadsheet, or can’t read your handwriting? That’s where online notetaking apps save the day. You can access them across multiple devices at any time.

There are plenty of note-taking apps out there, but Notion and Evernote are two of our top picks for students. As a student with us, you can also access discounts on the paid versions. 

Although they’re both great for making to-do lists, taking notes, and sharing your notes with peers, we found some key differences to help you choose the best one for you.

• Notion is a popular digital workspace, where you can highly customise the platform to fit your needs and study style. Notion can also be used as a powerful planning tool for different assessments. With Notion’s lack of limitations, you can get stuck into the complex workings of the app, perfectly crafting an online study space unique to you. However, the customisation features can sometimes mean you spend more time setting up a page or folder than you plan. 
• Evernote is more than just a note-taking website, it’s also an app, meaning you can access your notes across multiple devices with its cross-platform compatibility. Evernote shines in its organisation features, with a great search tool and customisable folders and tags. Unlike Notion, there is less of a learning curve to get started, meaning you can jump right into note-taking instead of learning how best to use the features available.

Zoom and other video conferencing tools to stay connected

Video conferencing software is great for connecting with fellow students and coaches. Getting familiar with different conferencing tools while studying can also help your career as it’s an important part of the modern workforce.

Each company has its preference for what video conferencing software they use. The most commonly used are Microsoft Teams and Zoom. When studying with us, you’ll get comfortable using Zoom as all your coaching calls and support sessions are held using the platform.

Ultimate Guide To Successfully Balancing Online Study With WFH

Apps to help you study smarter

Using apps to enhance your study is a great way to make the most of your time. We’re lucky to have access to many helpful apps, but finding the right ones for you can be difficult. Whether you use apps to help store study information or need tools to avoid time-sucking social media apps, here are a few more of our favourites for making your study sessions more productive.

1. Pocket

Have you ever seen an interesting article online but not had the time to stop and read it? Pocket is here to help. A Chrome extension and phone app, Pocket saves websites or articles for later – putting your reading material together in one handy location. You can even send articles to a unique email address which automatically saves it to your Pocket account.

2. Quizlet

Flashcards are great for quickly learning lots of different things at once. They can be helpful to build stronger connections in your brain which will help you remember important information from your studies. You can have a small refresher session while waiting for your coffee order or commuting on public transport.

Quizlet is a great app for creating and sharing flashcards to help you study and remember important content from your course. One of the biggest advantages of Quizlet is that it generates tests for you based on the cards in your set. Having your flashcards on your phone also makes your notes more portable and accessible. 

3. Pomodoro study timers

One of the harder parts of undertaking a qualification as an adult is fitting your study around the rest of your commitments. If long study sessions aren’t for you, try changing your study routine with the Pomodoro technique. 

Pomodoro is a study method that involves working for brief periods (usually around 25 minutes) with short breaks (five minutes) between each session, and a longer break (15-20 minutes) after every fourth session. The idea behind Pomodoro is that breaking up your work into smaller, focused periods allows you to be more productive during that time. You can easily customise your work and break times and then be free to focus on your studies while the app or website takes care of all the timing for you.

4. Cold Turkey

How many times has your five-minute break to check Facebook turned into a half-hour-long distraction? Cold Turkey is a free app available for Mac OSX, Windows, and Android devices that allows you to block websites and apps for a set period. Once you set the timer, any notifications from those sources will be waiting for you once your study period is over.

The icing on the cake is that if you attempt to visit a blocked website, Cold Turkey will instead display an inspirational quote on your screen. This is a great tool for staying focused and motivated during study sessions!

Using your study skills in your career

Building healthy study habits using these tools can translate into a more focused workflow in your future career. Current and potential employers will always appreciate technically savvy workers. Building these skills while studying can give you this advantage when applying to the workforce. Combining your education and the digital skills you develop through studying will empower employers to find reasons to promote or hire you above others.