Apps Your Students Can Use to Boost Productivity
Your students now use apps for everything from catching a ride (Uber) to checking their social media accounts (Facebook, Twitter, etc.) to ordering food (GrubHub, Uber Eats, etc.). Why shouldn’t they be searching out apps to help them be more successful students? Onlineschoolsreport.com put out a nice list of 25 great apps for students that they can use for organization, note-taking, brainstorming and to be more productive.
Top Rated Apps
1. Google Drive
Price: Free
Available on: iPhone, Android, desktop
Average rating: 4.75 stars; 9.2 million ratings
Google Drive is an organizational tool that can sync with other Google tools, like Docs and Sheets, for easy access. If you’re looking for a way to stay organized and have instant access to all of your classwork, this app should be on your phone. With over 9 million positive reviews, Google Drive speaks for itself in terms of user friendliness and design.
2. Quizlet
Price: Free for basic; $19.99/year for Pro
Available on: iPhone, Android, desktop
Average rating: 4.75 stars; 741k reviews
Quizlet offers different ways for you to study, including pre-existing flashcards created by other users. From test-day prep to learning a new language, this app offers learning tools, practice tests, matching games and other creative ways to learn virtually with classmates or by yourself.
3. My Study Life
Price: Free
Available on: iPhone, Android, desktop
Average rating: 4.5 stars; 55k reviews
Designed to be a modern-day student planner, this app is top tier when it comes to keeping you organized. With scheduling, calendar views, to-do lists, event reminders and more, My Study Life will keep you on top of responsibilities and help you be successful, both in and out of the classroom.
4. StudyBlue
Price: Free for basic; $3+/month for Pro
Available on: iPhone, Android, desktop
Average rating: 4.5 stars; 15.6k reviews
Featuring over 500 million flashcards from 10 million student users, this app is designed to make studying easy and eliminate the need for piles of books and notes. StudyBlue allows you to create and quiz yourself with flashcards, set study reminders, customize your study materials and more. With over five million downloads, this app is sure to help you prepare for any test.
5. iStudiez Pro Legendary Planner
Price: Free for one semester, $2.99/one-time purchase on mobile, $9.99/one-time purchase on computer
Available on: iPhone, Android
Average rating: 4 stars; 858 ratings
This planning and organizational app can take your studies to the next level. Not only can you see daily, weekly and monthly calendar views, but you can also track your grades and GPA in each class so you know what areas to focus on. Among other features, you can also upload your professor’s office hours, emails and schedules — making this a true one-stop shop for all things college productivity.
You may start each semester with the intention to stay organized, only to find yourself drowning in due dates, assignments and projects that “just snuck up.” Bid those days goodbye with these five apps that will help you get control of your schedule, instead of feeling controlled by it.
Organizational Apps
6. Exam Countdown Lite
Price: Free with in-app purchases
Available on: iPhone, Android
Average rating: 4.5 stars; 2,414 ratings
With a simple and easy-to-use interface, this app does exactly what it says: keeps track of exam and assignment due dates. You can choose from different icons and colors to keep track of assignments and tests for different classes, and can include notes on each upload for your reference. If you’re in need of a no-frills countdown app that can help you stay on top of due dates, this is the one for you.
7. Microsoft To Do
Price: Free
Available on: iPhone, Android, Windows 10
Average rating: 4.5 stars; 164.4k ratings
This app strives to be an all-in-one organizational tool, housing every list, task and to-do in one easily accessible place. You get a breakdown of your day every morning, and can plan events, see upcoming tasks or due dates, and even start a shopping list. If you’re the type of student who misplaces every piece of paper and list, this is the solution you need.
8. Todoist
Price: Free for basic; $3/month for Premium
Available on: iPhone, Android
Average rating: 4.5 stars; 250k ratings
Used by over 25 million people, this app is an all-in-one productivity solution to help you keep things streamlined. With tools to track important dates, set up recurring reminders, track your progress, and assign tasks a priority level, this app allows you to create the organizational system that works best for you.
9. myHomework Student Planner
Price: Free for basic; $4.99/year for ad-free
Available on: iPhone, Android, desktop
Average rating: 4 stars; 32k ratings
This organizational app has almost everything you could want. myHomework allows you to see schedules at a glance, track due dates, keep a running to-do list and sync devices, making it the perfect app for replacing a pen-and-paper planner.
10. TeuxDeux
Price: $3.99/month, $24/year
Available on: iPhone; Tehda for TeuxDeux available on Android
Average rating: 4 stars; 113 reviews
Designed based on the simplicity of a scrap paper to-do list, this app has a minimalistic Swiss interface that lets you focus on what matters: finishing your to-do list. You can create recurring to-dos, color code tasks, and drag and drop tasks to different days. Among other capabilities, like voice-to-text options, these make TeuxDeux a great option for anyone who always misplaces to-do lists.
Note Taking Apps
11. Adobe Scan
Price: Free
Available on: iPhone, Android
Average rating: 4.5 stars; 1 million+ reviews
The minds behind Illustrator, PhotoShop and InDesign designed this easy-to-use app to do exactly what it says: turns your mobile device into a scanner that converts any document to an online PDF. Adobe Scan is the perfect app to help you learn on the go: now all you need to study is your phone and a scan of your notes.
12. Notion
Price: Free for basic edition, $4/monthly for Pro edition
Available on: iPhone, Android, desktop
Average rating: 4 stars; 12.3k reviews
More than just a note-taking app, Notion was designed to be an all-in-one solution for editing and projects. Blending notes, tasks and wikis all in one place, you can easily see your projects, collaborate with others and quickly access your organized notes at the touch of a button.
13. SpeechNotes
Price: Free; $9.99/one-time payment for Chrome extension
Available on: Android, desktops, Google Chrome
Average rating: 4 stars; 23.1k reviews
Designed to make voice-to-text translations fast and easy, SpeechNotes incorporates Google’s speech recognition service for accurate notes. This app is multilingual, helps catch typos and spelling errors, and allows you to export or print your notes from the app’s homepage. If you’re hard of hearing or just prefer digital notes, this is the app you’ve been looking for.
14. Grammarly Keyboard
Price: Free; $11.66+ for Premium versions
Available on: iPhone, Android, desktop
Average rating: 4 stars; 104.6k reviews
If you struggle with grammar, spelling or professionalism when crafting your notes, essays or emails, Grammarly is the app for you. With built-in spell-check, grammar suggestions and general writing tips, Grammarly is a must-have if you could use some writing pointers.
15. MyScript Calculator
Price: $2.99/one-time payment
Available on: iPhone, Android
Average rating: 4.5 stars; 4,415 reviews
If you’re a math or science major who scribbles formulas and equations out on scrap paper, those days are over. This app turns your device into an interactive calculator, where you draw out a formula or equation with your finger or stylus and the calculator helps you solve. With the ability to solve basic operations like multiplication and advanced operators like inverse trigonometry, this calculator is a must-have.
Brainstorming Apps
16. MindNode
Price: Free for basic version; $2.49+/month for Pro editions
Available on: iPhone, desktop
Average rating: 4.5 stars; 641 reviews
Recognized as Apple’s “App of the Day” and “Editor’s Choice” for brainstorming apps, MindNode is a powerful brainstorming and visualization tool. Perfect if your brain goes faster than your fingers, this app allows you to jot down all of your ideas and organize them later in a way that makes sense for you. Not just for mind mapping, MindNode allows you to organize your thoughts into lists, bubbles or anything else that matches the way you think.
17. Mindly
Price: Free with in app purchases; $6.99/one-time payment for Pro version
Available on: iPhone, Android, desktop
Average rating: 4.5 stars; 33.7k reviews
Created to “help organize your inner universe,” this app is perfect for if you’re a visual learner who needs to organize your thoughts. If you’re planning a group project, organizing your thoughts or just brainstorming, this app helps create mind maps, lists or any other visual representation of the way your brain works.
18. SimpleMind
Price: Free for Lite edition; $7.99/one-time for Pro version
Available on: iPhone, Android, desktop
Average rating: 4 stars; 43k reviews
This mind-mapping app is as simple or complicated as you make it — the beauty of SimpleMind is that it’s totally customizable. Whether you’re using this to chart out your master’s thesis or keep a group project on the same page, this app will help you visualize your ideas in a way that makes sense to you.
19. MindMeister
Price: Free for basic plan, $8.25/month for Pro edition
Available on: iPhone, Android, desktop
Average rating: 4 stars; 11.2k reviews
With over 14 million users and thousands of positive reviews, this mind mapping and brainstorm app was designed to help you create, prioritize and organize ideas. It’s ideal if you have an upcoming presentation or simply want to organize your thoughts.
20. XMind
Price: Free for basic edition; $9.99/six months for Pro
Available on: iPhone, Android, desktop
Average rating: 4.5 stars; 6,032 reviews
With over 30 built-in mind mapping templates and different structures to choose from, this brainstorming and mind mapping app allows you to jump right in. You can draw, outline and link different topics and ideas to one another to create maps that are as intricate or simple as you need. You can even print your mind map if you need to put pencil to paper.
Productivity Apps
21. Focus To-Do
Price: Free
Available on: iPhone, Android, desktop, Google Chrome
Average rating: 4.5 stars; 73.3k reviews
The Pomodoro technique is a simple yet effective time management tool, where you set a timer, work until the timer goes off, then take a short break and repeat. Said to boost productivity and optimize brain power, Focus To-Do takes the work out of the Pomodoro technique and does it for you. You can view daily reports to see how much time was spent on a project vs. taking a break, and can even set up due dates so you know exactly how much time you have to work on something.
22. Forest
Price: Free for basic edition; $1.99/one-time payment for Pro versions
Available on: iPhone, Android, Google Chrome
Average rating: 4.5 stars; 250.2k reviews
This is the ideal app for anyone who needs an extra incentive to stay in the zone. When you want to focus, you plant a “seed” in the app. The longer you go without picking up your phone, the more the seed grows, eventually blooming into a tree. If you pick up your phone or go into a different page in your browser, the tree dies. The Pro edition plants real trees for each virtual one that is grown, giving you even more of a reason to stay distraction-free.
23. Flipd
Price: Free for basic edition; $34.99/year
Available on: iPhone, Android, desktop
Average rating: 4 stars; 6.5k reviews
If you find yourself constantly tempted or distracted by your phone while studying or in class, this is the app for you. Flipd shuts down access to all of your apps when you turn on a session, making it nearly impossible to procrastinate with usual time-wasters like social media. You can see how much distraction-free work you’ve completed with a timer, and can even set timers to “Flip Off” while in class or studying.
24. Headspace
Price: 2-week free trial; $9.99/year for students
Available on: iPhone, Android, desktop
Average rating: 4 stars; 811.5k reviews
Between studying, classwork, assignments and homework, college can be overwhelming, and Headspace knows that. This is a guided meditation and mindfulness app that guides you through 10 minutes of breathing and thought exercises to relieve stress and allow you to have some time to yourself. There are different packs available for various exercises and needs; perfect if you need some mental health guidance.
25. Asana
Price: Free for basic edition, $10.99/monthly for Premium edition
Available on: iPhone, Android, desktop
Average rating: 4.5 stars; 39.3k reviews
With millions of downloads, this app speaks for itself in terms of usability. The goal of Asana is simple: organize work from big picture to small tasks, along with priority level, so there’s never a surprise or gut-wrench when something is late. You can collaborate across teams or use it as a solo productivity, time management and project management tool to ensure you’re getting the most out of the app.
These are all apps your students should check out to help them become more productive students.
