Order in chaos
The best study apps
1
Todoist
The best app to add structure to your daily life of studying, working, exercising, and your social life is task manager Todoist. This app is simple, organised, and functional. It can also be used on all your devices and platforms and can be connected to practically anything on the internet.
On top of that, Todoist is plain fun. The integrated karma system challenges you to complete your tasks on time and achieve your goals. Your productivity is awarded with karma points. It costs €31.99 to upgrade to Premium, but students will find that the free version is more than enough for them. Alternatives: Evernote, Google Keep, and Any.do.
2
Forest
When you have a smartphone, distraction is only a button away. But law student Lotte Stelpstra has an app that forces her to focus on studying: Forest. You tell the app how long you want to focus – any time between ten minutes and two hours. When you hit ‘plant’, a seed is planted. This seed slowly turns into a tree, but when you leave the app, the tree dies. Sad! Lotte has been using the app for approximately a year and has planted an entire forest.
Lotte Stelpstra (second-year law student)
3
Google Drive
Of course you’ve heard of Google Drive! In terms of cloud storage, this is simply the best option for RUG students. Many people use Dropbox, but a normal account only gives you two gigabytes of space. There are some advantages to studying at the University of Groningen, one of them the fact that there is no storage limit to the Google Drive that is connected to your RUG e-mail.
It’s also an ideal app to use for group projects. Several people can work on the same document at the same time, and there is room in the margins to have a discussion. Drive allows you to create Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, Forms, Drawings, Maps, and Sites. You can upload any file type into the drive. However, if you’re worried about the privacy issues of this Google app, Sync.com, with its extensive encryption, is a safe alternative for online storage.
4
Memrise
Many students use apps to try and learn new languages. Duolingo is the most well-known app, but Zyon Kollen, who studies Arabic, prefers Memrise. He is a true polyglot and is currently working on his Chinese and Arabic. Duolingo only offers one course for each language, and according to Zyon, it focuses too much on short sentences and multiple-choice questions. Memrise is better suited for real studying, has no ads and allows you to create courses yourself. On top of that, books teaching languages are often better matched with Memrise.
Zyon Kollen (takes a course in Arabic)
5
iCal of Google Calendar
A proper, organised calendar is extremely useful. iCal and Google Calendar both come highly recommended. They don’t force you to input everything yourself. For example, you can simply download the RUG schedules. Click on ‘iCal’ and integrate the .ics file into your planner.
It’s a good idea to also link your planner to a task manager, such as Todoist. Whenever you change something in either Todoist or your planner, everything is synchronised. Saves time.
6
Quizlet
Many exams require you to learn definitions and understand theories. Economics and Business Economics student Viktoria Likhtina uses Quizlet: an app with flash cards that flip around when you click them. One side has a word written on it, and the other side a definition or description. One of Viktoria’s friends even created their own course and shared it. Viktoria passed the exam, thanks to Quizlet. Alternatives: Tinycards, Flashcards+, and AnkiApp.
Viktoria Likhtina (second-year Economics and Business Economics)
7
Wolfram Alpha
There are search engines, and then there is Wolfram Alpha. Every time you search for something in Wolfram Alpha, it comes up with impressive charts, tables, and sequences. It kind of feels like the love child between Google and Wikipedia, with a few extra algorithms thrown in. While Google shows you the top layer of the internet and Wikipedia gives you information about a specific topic, Wolfram Alpha combines the best of both worlds.
Especially when it comes to maths, physics, chemistry, economy, astronomy, and statistics, Wolfram Alpha is unbeatable. But there’s more: you can calculate how many points certain words are worth in Scrabble, unravel a message in Morse code, or place historical events in context. Access to these dynamic calculations will cost you approximately three euros in the various app stores.
8
Wunderlist
Eliza Spakman’s boyfriend had Wunderlist on his phone, which is why the Literary and Cultural Studies student downloaded it herself. Together, they use it to share grocery lists, but it can also be used for studying. She writes down small things that she could easily forget, such as e-mailing a lecturer, in Wunderlist. Just like Lotte, Eliza also uses the Forest app. She also has a more extreme version of this app, called Flipd. Whenever you use that, all applications that you did not have when you got Flipd are temporarily removed from your phone.
Eliza Spakman (master student Literary and Cultural Studies)
9
Noisli
Whether you’re at home or in the library, there will always be sounds to distract you. But total silence can be just as bad. Listening to music is not for everyone, because song lyrics and melodies can get stuck in your head. Fortunately, Noisli allows you to listen to sounds that help you focus as you study.
Just like Coffitivity, Noisli generates background noise that allows you to focus on your work. You can use the many options to create your own sound mix: from a crackling fire to waves breaking on the shore, and from trains roaring past to the sound of rain. The right combination allows you to filter the noise around you, putting you in a productive flow.
10
iA Writer
Almost everyone uses Word for writing, but Computer Science student Léon Melein may have found a better option. He uses iA Writer as a distraction-free app to type. Anyone who, like Léon, understands code – such as ** to bold a word – can use it to make fantastically organised documents.
iA Writer has all the same functions that Word does, but these are all integrated into the programme, rather than flashing on screen. Léon has used it since he started studying, for his notes, minutes, and essays.
Léon Melein (master student Computer Science)
Finally, some tips:
Looking for free learning material? Try Coursera, Khan Academy, or iTunes University.
In order to record classes, you can download SoundNote or Lecture Capture.
For annotation, the apps EasyBib and Mendeley are quite useful.
If you want to scan papers notes or notes from the blackboard as a PDF, Tiny Scanner, Easy Scanner, or Office Lens are good options.
Clear definitions can be found in the Merriam-Webster dictionary.
For video chat, you can use Skype and FaceTime, but Fring and Tango are also pretty good.
For more information about English words other than Google Translate: use Dictionary or Oxford Dictionary.
How many days are left before your exam? Exam Countdown can tell you.
In order to be well-rested when you study, Sleep Cycle can help you reach the best night’s sleep.
Your studies could benefit from some inspiration; watch some TED talks.