Study Penguin

Wouldn’t it be nice if there was an app that would make you a better student?

As luck would have it, there actually is an app for that. Quite a few.

Of course, none of them will make you a better student all by themselves, but they will help you stay organized, focused, take better notes and study more efficiently.

So without further ado, let’s jump right in to the top five apps for students.

Trello

Trello is one of my favorite apps for students. It’s basically a to-do list but way, way cooler and with a lot more functionality.

It’s no surprise that keeping a to-do list is a huge part of becoming a better student. And, while there are several resources out there, a bajillion apps, and even more experts, all you need is a place to write stuff down and a place to check it off.

That’s it.

And that’s what Trello does better than anyone else (I think).

It’s wonderful for visualizing what you need to do alongside how much you’ve done, and it’s even better for project management.

Forest

The Forest app is really quite simple. It’s basically a Pomodoro timer that plants a guilt-trip tree.

You start the timer, a little tree starts growing, and if you swap your phone off that app any time before the tree stops growing, the tree dies and you get sad.

It’s nothing earth-shattering, but that little “Your tree is not done growing!” on your phone when you pick it up to check Snapchat is enough to make you go “ehh … I can wait ten more minutes.”

It’s simple, but it works. It’s my go-to app to keep me focused and productive.

Besides, if you get the paid version, the app’s team will actually plant real trees as you continue to use the app and plant happy little trees of your own.

Quizlet

This is one of the single best apps for students out there. I use it in my classroom pretty frequently.

If you have anything to learn that involves labeling charts or flashcards (or things that could be turned into flashcards), you need Quizlet.

Like … really need.

Its primary feature is “Learn” which uses spaced repetition to teach you whatever cards you input as quickly as possible. If you’re not already familiar with spaced repetition, this app/website will be your equivalent of Indiana Jones finding the Holy Grail or whatever.

Just use it.

Goodnotes

This is the only app I don’t 100% support, primarily because I’ve never used it. I’m just not a take-notes-on-the-iPad kind of person.

But based on what I’ve seen, the two best apps for notetaking are Goodnotes and Notability.

Notability is a perfectly respectable app and actually probably the better choice if you’re an auditory learner and record lectures — as you record and take notes in Notability, your notes are automatically synced up to the audio, so you can find things super easily.

For everything else, though, I think Goodnotes is a better bet. It features better folder structure, more customization, and it’s generally just easier to use and stay organized with.

Evernote

This is the granddaddy of all the other apps here.

It’s probably the single best resource out there right now for taking notes on your computer. If I was in college or high school right now, I’d be using a combination of handwritten notes in class and typing them up into Evernote afterwards, along with a photo of the handwritten notes (because you can do that!).

It’s incredible for research projects — as you scour the web for sources, it’s quite easy using a browser extension to send a journal article you find straight to your Evernote notebook.Great for taking notes on the computer

It syncs across devices, and it’s probably the best note-taking app and life-organizing thing out there right now.

Here’s a great video for getting you an idea of all the cool stuff Evernote can do for you:

Side note: you can write to-do lists in Evernote, too, if you’d rather just have One App That Does It All

Bonus: Google Docs/Drive

If you’re not already using Google Docs and Google Drive to store your writing in, you live on the edge in my opinion.

Unless you have some other sort of word processor that syncs your stuff to the cloud as you type it so that if your laptop spontaneously combusts you don’t lose a single misplaced modifier and also so that you could shut your laptop, open your phone and pick up where you left off.

If you’ve got that, you don’t need Google Docs. ‘Cause that’s what it can do for you.

Just use it. The peace of mind is worth the switch.

So … did I miss anything? What are some other apps you recommend for students? What do you think is the most indispensable app out there?

Here’s the video version of this from this week’s podcast:

“I studied for like … four hours last night!”

“Time to buckle down and study for the next like … 12 hours of my life.”

Every time I see things like this I always raise an eyebrow.

See, studying isn’t quite so much about how much you do as how you do it.

It’s “quality over quantity” at work. You’ve heard “study smart, not hard” … I think you should do both.

If you’re focused and work smart and hard, you really can get more done in one hour than most can in three.

Every paper I assign (or write, honestly) seems governed by one terrifying set of numbers:

The word count.

The room often seems divided, with about two-thirds of the students wondering how on earth they’ll reach the minimum number, and a third wondering how they’ll ever squeeze into the maximum.

First, don’t worry about word count until you’re finished with a first draft. No sense in stressing one way or the other until you actually know where you land.

But after that … still no need to fear! Here are a couple tips to help you if you’re too far one way or the other:

People suck at setting goals.

I mean … most people don’t set them period, so I can’t complain too much. If I ask a room of students “what are your academic goals?” I get more than a few blank stares.

But the ones that do respond will say something like:

“I want to get better grades.”
“I want to get all As this semester.”
“I want to be better organized.”

While those are better than nothing, they’re still lousy goals.

A good goal has four necessary ingredients.

“Tumble outta bed and I stumble to the kitchen
Pour myself a cup of ambition
And yawn and stretch and try to come to life”

Dolly Parton’s “9 to 5” (currently tearing it up on TikTok) is literally about working hard for a living, but it’s that second line that gets me.

Obviously, a “cup of ambition” is coffee … but does it have to be?

When you get up to go to class or you down to study, what’s your ambition? Why are you doing this?

Start each day by reminding yourself why you’re doing what you’re doing, and you’ll be a lot more motivated and prepared to meet the day.

As the old saying goes, “half of life is just showing up on time and wearing the right clothes.”

I used to dismiss that idea as preposterous. Surely there had to be more to success than that?!

When I became a teacher, I realized that that advice is actually pretty close to spot-on.

I have a firm personal belief: to do lists are important and everyone should use them.

Well maybe not everyone everyone. But a solid 95%.

Let me put it this way:

If you’re a student, you need a to do list.

It’s that simple.

Allow me for the next few minutes of your life to get on my pixelated soap box and preach to you the good news of To Do Lists: why they’re important, how to keep one, and some apps you might find useful in your quest for life organization.