Top 10 Digital Tools Recommended by Students

At present, it is difficult to imagine a student who does not use a smartphone or computer as a helpful studying tool. On their own, both of these electronic devices can be useful just as ways of surfing the Internet for educational materials.

However, computers and especially smartphones benefit from digital apps, increasing one's functionality extensively. That's why we put together for you a list of top applications recommended by students to make your studies extremely productive.

1. iStudiez Lite Student Planner

Ideal addition, to keep everything under control. Here you can save your schedule, tasks, and grades. Not sure in which audience the next lecture is or what task needs to be done for tomorrow's seminar? Check out iStudiez! And the best part – the application can be synchronized with other calendars on your phones, such as Google Calendar and others.

2. Todoist

The application for anyone who likes to create lists when dealing with an assignment. The application can be synchronized with the calendar. Also, you can save multiple lists, sorted in categories, creating repetitive tasks, and setting a reminder.

3. Trello

Yes, another application for the planning and organizing work. But, with Trello, you are able to plan group projects or work, creating a space of shared objectives, as well as discuss the details, create milestone deadlines, and monitor overall progress. Also, you can synchronize the application with other applications like Google Calendar.

4. Documents To Go

Oftentimes, it happens that a brilliant idea comes to you in the most unsuitable time. This is not an issue with Documents To Go, because this application provides the opportunity to create, edit, and reviewed documents, tables, and presentations wherever you want.

5. Any.to

This application is perfect for prioritizing your tasks. You can sync all tasks with other devices and have access from any device you want. And also you can add tasks via voice, display priorities, mark completed tasks, and display a list of tasks on the main screen of your device.

6. Mint.com

If you have problems with keeping your budget and you can never find out where your money goes, then this application is for you. It will not let your money disappear without a trace. Thanks to Mint.com you can control your budget and analyze which you spend the most.

7. Mathway

Various mathematics problems and assignments can be very difficult and take a lot of time – the application Mathway can help you easily handle any math problem. Just enter the problems into the application and check, whether your solutions match the suggested ones.

8. iTunesU

If you have an Apple device, you'll be glad to know about access to iTunesU. The application gives you free access to various educational courses from leading universities. You can listen to courses from MIT, Yale, Cambridge, and other universities around the world.

9. EasyBib

When writing an essay or doing any essay editing, one of the most unpleasant types of work is the formatting of the bibliography, including a list of sources used. The application EasyBib makes extra work for you – just enter the name of the source and get a properly issued citation. But remember, that you still have to know which exact style to select for proper paper formatting.

10. SelfControl

If you are one of those students, who are very easily distracted on social networks and who have a difficult time focusing – this app is for you. SelfControl blocks certain websites on your device for a certain amount of time. And you can easily write an essay or listen to a lecture without being distracted by Facebook or any other website.

How to Control Your Digital Device Behavior

Quite often, students have lots of trouble with limiting their relaxing time when they have easy access to smartphones or computers. However, completely turning off these helpful tools would be incredibly counter-productive. This is why we have deliberated on this topic quite a lot and came up with some solutions to this problem.

Work – Separately, Social Networks – Separately. Will It Help?

So. First, we advise you to allocate in your usual schedule some working time and social networking time. For example, every first 50 minutes of an hour – spend on your current job trying not to check any news or social networks. Here are some possible time-splitting options to gradually scale for beginners:

1. 25-minute work period – 5-minute rest.
2. 35-minute work period – 7-minute rest.
3. 45-minute work period – 8-minute rest.

It will be difficult at first (it's like at the beginning of the diet). But pretty soon you feel that your productivity has greatly increased. Believe us, in the remaining 10 minutes you will have time for everything.

Must We Say Goodbye to Social Networks Forever?

You can, of course. But we recommend all only to check them less. If your work is not connected to the Internet or, for example, you are not an employee of Facebook, then a few times a day will be more than enough.

Remember, if you will see a new message or a fresh notification every day – it is not urgent. Phone calling exists for urgent things, you will be able to deal with all the notifications later during the specifically allocated time.

Turning off Push Notifications on Your Phone and in the Browser. Will It Help?

So, we tested this ourselves and got mixed results. On one hand, you really don't have anything distracting you every 5 minutes by popping up. However, people not trying to restrain themselves from checking, started to check their accounts and mail more often than needed just in case.

Still, it helped some people to concentrate better and have no interruptions in their focus sessions. Test turning push notifications off and decide later whether it makes you more productive or only more anxious.

Does the Number of Open Tabs Affect the Time Spent Sitting on the Internet?

Do you even have to ask? Of course! There's no arguing: if you opened a new tab, then, the information there might interest you and subconsciously distract you. The effect can be delayed – not during the same day but rather this feeling will arrive later during the week.

With more tabs, this problem will progressively become bigger and bigger, because the next day, there will be new tabs, and then more, and more … So, we offer a rule: open the tab, work with it immediately – and close it.

Not such a radical solution – to open no more than five tabs at a time. You will have to manage them and pick to close one after reaching the 5-page limit. Therefore, the working area will be cleaner, and you have a chance not to get caught up in tons of information.

What Other Things Should Be Considered?

For email accounts. Unsubscribe from all informational and promotional messages, which you do not read. Believe me, it is better once you do it because you will be reading a lot less spammy content. A day spent removing spammy emails will save you from procrastinating in the future.

Is There Any More Global Advice

You can change the approach – go to the Internet as you are going to the shops to buy groceries –use a list. For example:

1. Check whether math solutions were correct.
2. Find sources for the essay.
3. Read up on the last history topic.

At first glance, this advice seems strange and silly, but you can try to make a plan for every major usage of your smartphone or computer. This way, you will not go onto the Internet only in order to aimlessly wander sites in search of something interesting. Make a list of things you need to complete on the Internet or the device specifically, and try to follow it strictly.

Lists Are Not for Me. I Urgently Want to Read Something. What Do You Advise?

Read. Only instead of online posts – books. Always when reading someone's work on the Internet – posts on Facebook or Twitter, remember that at this same time, you could read a book. Reading books actually increases your focus, so, really do consider swapping out online posts for interesting books.

I Try My Best to Stick to the Points But I Still Want to Aimlessly Browse the Internet

Create for yourself a recurring vacation from being online or on the web. This method is not necessarily very original, but usually, it is the best option when you really can't shake your addiction to checking some pointless apps or websites.

Utilize the Digital Tools and Handle Your Academic Load

All the digital tools we have mentioned in this article were suggested by real students! As you can see for yourself, a lot of emphasis is put on self-organization. So, make sure to prioritize your work and avoid procrastinating.

Micah Soto

Update 21 May 2021