Preparing for exams could be quite stressful, especially now when the whole world is going through a pandemic. Luckily, we live in a time of constant technological advances and are more connected than ever. Many universities around the globe have embraced online classes to keep their students safe.
It sometimes seems like there is an app for everything, so why not find the ones that can help you study and ace the exam week? We have selected the top six apps that we tried and loved. These cover everything – from creating your study schedule to taking notes and writing error-free essays.
1. Organization
Keeping track of all the tasks and assignments is a must for every college student. You will have a better overview of all the things you need to do before the exams, and this can help you create your study schedule. Any.do is an app that works on multiple devices and operating systems. It has a clean design that is intuitive and easy to use.
Once you complete a task, tick it off, and that’s it. You may also set reminders so you never miss a deadline. Any.do app will help you manage group projects as well. A team leader can assign every member of the group with a task and keep track of the progress until the project is complete.
2. Checking your grammar
Most university courses involve writing essays. Your grammar and spelling have to be on point. If English is your second language or you need an app that can improve your writing, check out Grammarly. It is free to use and quick to download. You can even add it to your internet browser as an extension to help you out with emails and messages.
Grammarly is more than a spell checker. You might think you have a good grasp of English grammar, but tiny mistakes can happen to the best of us. It is the reason why Grammarly is super useful in every situation, not only for spelling mistakes. The app also evaluates your writing style and tone. And it will not only correct your errors but also tell you why you need to fix them.
3. Taking notes
Study notes are the key to passing your exams. Evernote has been around for quite some time now, and it is one of the best apps for taking notes out there. It helps you organize all of your items in a single place and access them from any device. You can save all types of useful things that could help you out while getting ready for an exam.
Students can create lists, upload audio files or videos, save important links, and even take handwritten notes. Not to forget that you may search through them to find what you need either by typing a word or a whole phrase. Evernote also features a lot of widgets that will completely customize the app so that you can use it more efficiently.
4. Study groups
If you don’t like to prepare for exams on your own, create a study group. But here is the twist – instead of gathering in a coffee shop, start a Zoom meeting with all your friends who want to study together. Zoom is perfect for group projects because you can brainstorm together and have fun while social distancing.
It’s important to point out that students who are currently taking online classes or studying together should consider using an additional service, namely a VPN such as NordVPN. It will secure their connection and keep sensitive data safe. It’s one of the easiest ways to protect yourself from various cyber threats.
Do not worry, there is nothing wrong or illegal with using a virtual private network. Nowadays, a lot of people use these kinds of applications. It simply helps them browse the Internet and make all of their connections secure. Students, professors, companies, and even schools like to use VPN for more Internet safety.
If you are not entirely sure whether you want to use a VPN, you should probably know that a lot of these applications provide a free trial. It will not hurt to try.
5. Writing references
Adding references and bibliographies is a must for every university essay, but most students do struggle with it. There is not a single citation style format all universities out there use, and that could be a bit tricky. References are an essential part of every essay. They add value to your research when done right. An app called EasyBib will help you gather your sources and properly quote them.
It has a library of citation styles, so you will quickly find the one you need. Once you set the one you need, search for a book, an article, or a website you used for the research. EasyBib will generate the reference, and you can paste it into your essay. The app will also search for signs of plagiarism and will give you a warning if you accidentally copied someone’s work.
6. Take regular breaks
Studying can be a very demanding task for both the mind and body. Even though you are just sitting and reading, your mind still spends a lot of energy. This is why it is so important to take regular breaks while you are studying. Many experts claim that good sleep and a rested mind is essential when trying to learn something new.
If you are constantly trying to push yourself further and further, you will have a much harder time learning. To avoid that from happening, it is best that you take regular breaks. However, if you want to be consistent, you must not forget about those breaks. That is why apps such as StandApp exist to remind you that you should step away from the book or the computer and take a few minutes off. Once you refresh, you can get back on your chair and start working.
As you can see, there are quite a few programs and applications that could make studying and preparing for exams so much easier.
