New technology can undeniably boost your study method and exam performance. We are often told to be careful with new technology, that AI will take our jobs, and humans will regret ever creating such a thing. However, people forget to see the immense potential that it can give us. We can improve ourselves and use technology to our advantage to help us when we need to.
Only some applications I recommend use AI, but all are starting to incorporate it. If you are struggling to study, the important thing is that you are trying to find resources that can help you motivate and organize yourself. Consistency is the basis of a good study routine; those apps can help maintain your motivation.
Here are some apps for your entire study process, from note-taking to organization and motivation to study implementation methods.
What Are the Apps That Can Be Useful for Your Studying?
Content
Note-taking
Organization
Motivation
Studying
Note-taking
Note-taking is the first step in your study journey and is fundamental for the rest to go smoothly. You must listen actively to the teacher and take notes clearly enough to be readable. Missing a few minutes of a lecture (because of daydreaming or because you can’t keep up) can mean later on that you won’t understand a concept because your notes will be incomplete. Another mistake is noting too much information, making it challenging to keep up and impossible to pay attention to what the teacher is saying.
Recorder
ASR Voice Recorder is a simple recording app that can significantly help you during class. It is an easy-to-use app with excellent features. You can name and date all audio, so it is easier for you to organize them and not lose one. The app also offers good audio quality. Avoid listening to the audio as an easy and passive study method because you would only lose time. It is crucial to actively try to remember the class content rather than passively listen to it when studying.
The best recorder is an AI transcript app, like Alice. You can record a class, and AI will transcript it immediately. Transcripts are great for saving time and not having to re-listen to the entire class. This app will ensure you always have a backup if you miss a lesson. The great thing about transcription is that you can directly copy-paste the content into your notes. You can try this app for free!
Note taking interface
Sometimes, we only need a better platform for note-taking. Evernote is excellent for note-taking and organizing study resources. This app is known for its organization features and allows you to create notebooks, tag notes, and add attachments like images and documents. The design is simple and attractive. It also syncs your modification into your different devices.
GoodNotes and Notability are great for handwritten notes, sketching, and annotating PDFs. They support the Apple Pencil and offer various paper templates. Their interfaces are similar and are primarily focused on handwritten note-taking. Writing notes with your hands has been proven to be more effective for you to retain information than if you were to type it on your computer. Notability also has features like audio recording during note-taking and offers a clean interface.
Organization
Organization is vital to getting good grades and staying calm during exam sessions. Good organization will require you to stay up-to-date on all your assignments and be able to see your big weeks in advance. At the beginning of the semester, write all the exams, tests, and homework you must do for the months in your agenda. You won’t have any surprises and will plan your studying better.
Google Calendar is the agenda to have! (It should be already installed on your phone) You have everything you need in one place. Not only does it show your next events and homework, as any agenda would, but it also sends you alerts on your phone for your daily tasks and upcoming meetings. You won’t forget anything with this agenda. You can also create Google meetings and access them through your agenda. It is also possible with meetings from Teams and Zoom. When you receive an email containing a meeting link, it will automatically set it in your calendar with the link in the block event. It is very convenient since you don’t have to remember to place the meeting in your agenda, and it prevents you from searching it at the last minute.
Notion is the most customizable app I have ever seen. It is perfect for organizing notes, tasks, and study materials. They have templates for students to organize their classes. It is compatible with Google Calendar, so you can put it on your Notion pages. You can create your Notion as you like it and make it beautiful. Making yourself a space that you find beautiful is great for your motivation! You will always want to return to it! However, it is not the most accessible platform, but once you get used to it, it is worth it.
Motivation
What makes or breaks a school semester is motivation. It comes in waves for everybody, but finding ways to bring a little bit back when you need it the most is essential. Those apps can help; nevertheless, good community support can not be traded. Find friends to study with because it is an excellent way to start the exam week with a smile.
Spotify might sound weird at first. However, music is often recommended for studying because it offers several benefits that can help enhance your focus and productivity. While instrumental music is generally beneficial for learning, certain instrumental genres or specific tracks might be more distracting than helpful for you. Be careful with your music; it should not distract you from your primary focus. It also makes study sessions more enjoyable!
Forest is a cute app for tracking your study sessions. It uses the Pomodoro methods to motivate students (you can read my article on the Pomodoro technique if you are interested: Mastering Efficiency: How to Use the Pomodoro Technique for Studying?). With this app, if you respect your study time, you will grow a tree; otherwise, it dies. Your goal is to turn your land into a forest. The app helps improve focus by gamifying study sessions.
PomoDone is also a Pomodoro study app, but it also tracks your sessions. It integrates with other task management tools (Trello, Asana, and Todoist), so you can have them all in one place. It is an easy setup and has an intuitive interface.
Studying
Chat GPT can be helpful if you have any questions about the content of your class. Some students are demotivated to study because they don’t know how to find answer to their questions at home. In Chat GPT, not only can you access information quickly, but you can also type your math questions. AI will give you a detailed answer. You can also use it to inspire you in your writing. It can be an excellent tool for brainstorming ideas. However, it is essential not to rely too much on it for your homework and projects.
Anki and Quizlet are great for flashcards and spaced repetition. Studies show that one of the most efficient ways to study is by using the Active Recall Method, which can help you retain more information over a longer period of time (Study Faster and Smarter with Active Recall Methods). Those apps offer flashcards, quizzes, and study games across various subjects, making studying less laborious.
Duolingo is the king of language apps and needs no introduction. It is ideal for learning languages through interactive exercises and makes it look like a game. You have so many language choices, and it is entertaining to do. You have daily reminders and frequent tests. It is excellent for high schoolers since it is made for beginners.
Experiment with a few apps and see which one suits your needs best. Those apps could help improve your grades, but ultimately, you will be the one working for them. Studying intentionally (instead of passively rereading your notes) will take you far.