With finals season just around the corner, stress is increasing on campus. These apps and websites are perfect for finals week and will help you organize your time, plan your workload, and stay focused.
- Forest
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I’ve used Forest for a few years now, and come back to it every time I have to get into deep focus mode. Forest prevents you from using your device for a specific amount of time by having you grow a tree while you study. If you exit the app or use a different app while your tree is growing, it dies, and you have to start over again. This app is great for making sure that you don’t get distracted by any notifications, and its adorable interface of trees motivates students to keep growing and focusing.
- Momentum
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This extension is a classic among internet-famous study bloggers. Somewhat similarly to Forest, Momentum provides a great visual that minimizes distractions, which is helpful to have on the computer while working. The ability to create to-do lists, take notes, and prioritize tasks makes Momentum a valuable organizational tool when homework seems insurmountable.
- I Miss My Cafe
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If you miss studying at coffee shops, you’re not alone, and this is the website for you. “I Miss My Cafe” allows users to mix sounds of coffee shops, from barista chatter to machinery to outdoor weather, to create the perfect blend of noise to listen to while studying. The playlist on the website is also great and a fun way to simulate the full ambiance of indoor dining. Grab a cup of coffee, set up your workspace, and turn on this website – you’re all set for a productive study session.
- Virtual Cottage
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This new app is taking the internet by storm, and for good reason — it combines study ambiance with task planning with timers, and looks great while doing it. The beautiful visuals are a joy to look at while studying and the studying character can be motivating to work alongside. Virtual Cottage packs a positive punch for studying students and is something I’ll definitely continue to use as I go through finals season again.
- Notion
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Would this list really be complete without adding Notion? Companies like Pixar and Spotify rave about Notion, and for good reason: this app is perfect for planning out agendas, tracking syllabi or requirements, and even working collaboratively with classmates or team members. Notion’s emphasis on creativity when organizing is fun to play around with, and the social aspect of Notion can help students work together to tackle big projects or tests.
- Speechify
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Speechify has a special place in my heart for its accessibility features. For many, reading texts online can become difficult after a while for a variety of reasons. Fortunately, Speechify reads text back to listeners so that they can keep reading and working. The website lets listeners choose from a variety of voices and reading speeds and can be used on document types like Google Docs, PDFs, and even emails. It’s a helpful tool that makes studying more accessible, and I certainly appreciate that tremendously.