Time management is vital for any student. Between classes, work, and life, it can be overwhelming and seem impossible to find time in the day to accomplish everything. Certain apps help me manage my time at Michigan State University.
1. msu app
As a new student, Michigan State’s app has come in handy, especially early on in the semester. The MSU app allows you to see multiple aspects of student life, including your schedule, a map of campus, campus events, student organizations, majors, resources, on-campus dining hours, on-campus parking, and CATA bus routes. This made my first couple weeks on campus a lot easier. I especially liked the CATA information that was made available to me as a commuter student. Additionally, this was helpful to me as a transfer student, as it helped me stay involved and up to date with what was going on around campus. I highly recommend this app to any MSU student, especially incoming and transfer students.
2. notion
I personally think Notion is everything a habitual organizer like me could want. It is super customizable and you can use it for just about anything, even things unrelated to academics. Although there is a learning curve to using it because of its versatility, depending on what you want to use it for, it is totally worth it! Notion is available on iOS, Android, Windows, and Mac, and it is free to use! I use Notion to keep track of all my assignment deadlines, my semester schedules, and planning. I know that there are a lot of students who use Excel or Google Sheets for deadline trackers, but I find that I can add notes and important reminders and customize each assignment individually without compromising the functionality of the tracker better in Notion. I also believe that, in general, Notion is more aesthetically pleasing to the eye. If you are a to-do list person and love to plan, you will love Notion and all it has to offer!
3. google calendar
If there is one thing I cannot live without, it is my Google Calendar. As someone who has a Windows computer and an iPhone, Google Calendar allows me to access it on both my phone and computer. Furthermore, Google Calendar allows greater customization of how I organize tasks and events and is more user-friendly than Apple’s default calendar app. I put events, work, clubs, and social plans as events on my calendar and use the task feature for deadlines and assignments. The task feature allows you to cross off tasks as you go. Tasks also enable you to create multiple task lists to organize your tasks into different categories. Personally, I have a list for each of my classes. Although I have a paper planner and use Notion to track deadlines, Google Calendar is a great place to have everything in one place so you can better manage and organize your time.
4. google keep
If I think of anything – a task, idea, or Christmas idea for my mom – and I don’t write it down, I won’t remember it. This is where Google Keep comes in handy. Although I mainly use the apps above for academic purposes, I mainly use Google Keep to keep track of random thoughts, whether it be an article idea, a task I need to do when I get home after class, or something I need to do for work, I quickly jot it down in Keep. I use Keep instead of my notes app on my phone because I am often on my computer, and, as a Windows user, it is just easier to use Google Keep to access the notes I make on both my phone and computer. Google Keep is super handy to organize your thoughts on the go. I think students should definitely check it out if they are looking for a free notes application.
Overall, there are so many apps and programs that are useful to students that make college life much more manageable. I use the apps above daily and cannot imagine getting through the semester without them. I hope that people will try out some of the apps above to help them become better students!