When it comes to intense revision and preparation for exams and summative assignments, sometimes our mobile phones can feel like our worst enemy. I know I’ve definitely felt like that! Even during study breaks that five-minute swipe through Instagram turns into 20 minutes. But what if we can turn our mobiles into a helpful tool for exam revision and summative essay planning? Here are five study apps I believe every student should have on their phone – tried and tested by myself and my friends. All basic versions of these apps are free!
Flora/Forest
This one is a bit contradictory because it’s actually an app to help you get off your phone. Flora is a productivity app that locks your phone and blocks other apps according to a timer you set. During the time your phone is blocked, you will plant a virtual tree. The best thing about this app is that you can set a joint timer with friends so you can both stay focused and plant trees together. You can also share the progress of your virtual garden and encourage each other to stay motivated. As they say, teamwork makes the dream work.
Evernote
Evernote is a sophisticated note-taking app that syncs all your notes and notebooks across the app and computer platform. In addition to writing entries, Evernote also lets you “clip” information and pictures from different websites and save it all on one page. It can basically be a huge vision board and folder for all your findings! Again, you can also share pages and notebooks with your peers.
Quizlet
Quizlet is the one and only – the OG memorisation app. With Quizlet you create different sets of flashcards that you can study on repeat and shuffle modes. If you’re feeling a bit lazy, you can also save time and study from flashcard sets that other users have created.
Focus to-do
This app is an elite version of a to-do list. Focus to-do is a task management application that integrates several features including typical to-do lists, subtasks on to-do lists, automatic reminders, notes and a pomodoro timer. One feature I particularly like is how you can organise your to-do lists into separate categories such as “revision”, “chores”, “shopping”, etc, to stay on top of everything going on in your life.
MindMeister
If you’re a visual learner, then I have a treat for you. MindMeister allows you to create mind maps to capture your thoughts, ideas and inspirations. You can even customise your mind maps with different colours and themes. Like Evernote, this app will sync your mindmap across all devices and let you collaborate with friends.
