Higher education has been gradually moving online for more than a decade, but with the COVID-19 crisis, suddenly college is entirely virtual and it can take some time to get acclimated to the changes. If you’re a person who learns through listening or seeing, the loss of in-person instruction can be difficult; other students simply experience information overload having all of their classes online. If you’re struggling to keep up, these are our picks for essential apps for college students.
Your School’s App
Many schools now have apps that incorporate their online learning management system (like Blackboard), making content from your classes easier to access when you’re on your smartphone. That said, sometimes being on your phone while reading over class notes or watching lectures can be distracting, in which case, you might be better off sticking with your laptop instead.
RealCalc Scientific Calculator
Back in the day, you needed to buy a pricey scientific calculator for any high level math class, but now all you need is an app. RealCalc is for Android devices only, but it’s well-rated and loved by students across the world with more than 100,000 five-star reviews.
Brainscape
Flashcards are a fantastic way to memorize equations, vocabulary, and important facts for a variety of classes and Brainscape beats old school index cards by a mile. Not only can you create your own digital flashcards, you can also use ones made by other students.
EasyBib
If you’ve ever gotten points off on a term paper for not following perfect MLA formatting in your citations, you’ll appreciate this app. Upgrade to the premium version for $10 a month and you’ll also be able to format using other citation styles and check your work for plagiarism.
My Study Life
There’s no shortage of productivity apps out there, but a lot of people make the mistake of downloading dozens of them onto their phones, which can make staying organized a Herculean task. My Study Life is nice because it incorporates a to-do list, a calendar, and a class schedule all into one convenient app.
Grammarly
If you’re using your smartphone or tablet to interact with your classes and want to make sure you don’t make any embarrassing typos, the Grammarly Keyboard app is essential. You can also use it on your desktop or laptop whenever you’re writing to ensure that your grammar and spelling are always on point.
Trello
Trello is the best app for organizing group projects. Break down your assignment into steps and keep track of everyone’s progress to make sure no one is slacking. Group projects will never be pleasant, but Trello makes them a lot less stressful.
Evernote
Evernote allows you to organize your class notes, but that’s not all—you can also add links, attachments, audio, and more. The free version is all most people need, but if you spring for Evernote Plus, you can sync an unlimited number of devices for $34.99 a year.
MyScript Calculator
When you don’t have paper and pencil handy, MyScript Calculator lets you solve equations by hand using your smartphone or tablet. Although this app isn’t free, the $1.99 price is well worth it.
Learn More About Virtual Tutoring
If you’re struggling with the switch to online classes, Bricks Tutoring offers one-on-one virtual tutoring services to help you get back on track. Contact us today to learn more.
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