Finals are right around the corner, and with finals always comes a flood of research papers, essays, and group projects. If you’re worried about writing the best papers possible but don’t want to haul yourself to the Bentley Writing Center, we’ve got you covered. Here are a few applications that can help you improve the quality and efficiency of your writing from the comfort of your own dorm room.
1. Hemingway Editor App
http://www.hemingwayapp.com
This website has exploded in popularity over the past few months or so. You can copy and paste or type directly into the site before selecting “Edit.” The purpose of the site is to make your writing concise; it highlights sentences that are hard to read, unnecessary adverbs, phrases that can be simplified, and instances of passive voice. It also gives you a readability score and other stats to help you better understand your piece. The one downside is that it doesn’t actually tell you how to fix the errors that it finds.
2. Practice English Grammar
http://www.practiceenglishgrammar.com/home
This iPhone app is free (though there are in-app purchases) and features quizzes and other resources designed to help users practice their grammar skills. If you ever worry about losing your touch, this app will certainly help you!
3. The Most Dangerous Writing App
http://www.themostdangerouswritingapp.com
Admittedly, this might not be the ideal tool to use when writing an important essay. It is great to use if you’re having trouble brainstorming, however. This website allows you to set a timed goal for yourself (with a few options ranging from 5 to 60 minutes) and REALLY holds you to it. When you stop typing, the screen starts to turn red in warning. If you don’t keep typing until you reach your time goal, you lose everything! Definitely frightening, but perfect for someone who needs to force themselves to put words on a page.
4. Q10
http://www.baara.com/q10/
This application—which you can download from the website— has so many cool features. There’s a full-screen word processor (for when you want to limit distractions), spell check, a timer, typing sound effects, and more. You can even set targets for yourself in characters, words, lines, paragraphs, or pages to stimulate productivity. It’s perfect for helping you reach that last minute deadline!
5. Bubbl.us
https://bubbl.us
I haven’t used Bubbl.us myself, but I’ve heard very good things about it. This site is designed to help writers plan their pieces effectively by creating mind maps. These mind maps allow you to organize the flow of your ideas visually in order to create a more cohesive paper. The application is free for limited usage.
Photo Sources:
- http://www.hemingwayapp.com
- bubbl.us
- https://pixabay.com/en/notes-paper-paper-ball-memo-office-514998/