Now that I’m in the final year of my academic studies, I feel I should pass on the knowledge I have gathered throughout the last two years I have been in university. Our generation has incorporated gadgets into our daily lives and some of us are even dependent on them (guilty!). What is also an amazing achievement is how much easier they make our lives. Imagine that when our parents went to school there were no smartphones to record the lectures and type your notes, nor Whatsapp to check the answers to a quiz with your classmates.
For me, the laziness of not wanting to carry paper and pen to lecture led me to find other ways of make my notes efficiently, and so I began using my mobile devices for other tasks rather than checking Instagram and Facebook or playing Candy Crush.
Here are some of the apps I use to help me organize, stay focus and socialize:
1. Examtime – Students often use flashcards, notebooks and post-its to help them study. What if that could all be in one place? With Examtime you can do all that and more! Create flashcards, quizzes, notes and even make your own revision timetable.
2. Dropbox – You can upload different files into The Cloud and you will never lose your work, and it works for all your mobile devices! The only downside is that internet is required, but in the UK it’s very easy to get access to free internet, so no problem!
3. Snap2PDF (iOS) – This app allows you to take a picture of a text and turn it into a PDF file in one simple step!
4. Viber – As an international student, I use Viber to connect with my family and friends. The calls and messages are free (so I save a lot of money on phone bills) and I also send pictures of my day, so they feel my presence even across different continents.
5. Quick Voice Recorder (iOS/ Android)- This app will help you record lectures and listen to them in your own time. But make sure your lecturer is okay with this before you hit record!
6. Any.do (iOS/ Android) – Used to create to-do lists, another great feature is that it synchronizes with your other devices so that you can access them anywhere at any time.
7. SelfControl (iOS/ Android) – Personally, I repeatedly struggle to concentrate while I’m studying. Back in school, I used to get distracted by things around my desk and my study space, but now I get distracted by my gadgets! I’m constantly checking social networks and blogs. This app is the perfect solution to avoid those distractions. For a certain amount of time, it blocks the websites that can distract you.
8. RealCalc Scientific Calculator (Android)- Since high-school I have been using a scientific calculator and it’s a very annoying feeling to forget to bring it to school. This app works as a scientific calculator on your phone; if only I had this in high-school!
9. mint.com – When you go to university you will have to manage your own money. It’s very common for students to forget to prioritize and spend their money on something less important than rent! This is the perfect app to help you organise your budget.
10. Studious (Android) – It reminds you when homework and tests are due. And it has a feature to silencing your phone in lectures – no more embarassing fumbling for a ringing phone in a silent room!
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Edited by Amelia Bauer-Madden