Study Apps 101 The Best Study Tools for You

Study Apps 101 The Best Study Tools for You Image via. https://pixabay.com/en/study-school-learn-education-1968077/ StudyBlue StudyBlue is a website/app in which you can create notecards and study guides. It isn’t anything fancy, but it is definitely extremely helpful when preparing for an exam. Not only do you have the ability to create your own study guides and flashcards, but you can also input your university name and a specific course to see if anyone else has created anything for a class you are taking. However, this feature is only available to those who pay for premium, which is only $7 a month! If you are looking through old quizzes and realize that you got something wrong and don’t know why, you can even copy and paste that quiz question into the StudyBlue search engine and it will give you (if available) the answers to that question posted by other students. The beauty of StudyBlue is that you can either use it as an application or directly access it online. If you are willing to pay the extra $7-$10 for premium, I highly recommend it because StudyBlue is also extremely helpful for everyday homework assignments. StudyBlue also has a feature called “Homework Help” in which you can directly ask any question and they can help you retrieve the simplest and most accurate answers. The example given on their website shows a person asking “What are the stages of mitosis” and the app came up with the written-out stages as well as visuals to answer the question (aka, StudyBlue caters to every type of learner there is). StudyBuddy StudyBuddy basically offers exactly what it says in the title: a study buddy! Basically, StudyBuddy is an online tutoring system in which you can find a tutor and work with them from the comforts of your own bed. All you have to do is create an account and boom, you’re all set to start working with someone. If you are having trouble with calculus, all you have to do is type in the course name and then you can select a tutor either from your university or some other university around the world! It sounds too good to be true I know, but the tutors online are those who volunteer and want to tutor, so you know that they are willing to put in the extra time with you so you can succeed. Each session comes with a blank whiteboard to write on, a chat section so that you can virtually talk to your tutor, and an automatic save option so that you can save your session and review it as many times as you need to in order to do well on your exams. If you are concerned about your tutor giving you the wrong information, I want to ease your concerns with a direct message from the StudyBuddy website: “All student tutors are honor students who are members of Mu Alpha Theta or recommended by their teachers.” Not only do your tutors want to be there, but they are carefully selected (aka not just any student can become a tutor). These tutors are well-seasoned and, since they are students, they understand the stress of school and will work with you in a way so that you don’t ever feel like they are your superiors. RescueTime RescueTime is a computer time software that helps you track your activity on certain websites. It runs a security test on your computer so that it can see what your daily computer habits are like and then it gives you a rundown of where you are spending your time when you are on the computer. This is a great software to have while you’re studying because you can set it up so that it gives you alerts on when you should be entering a website or when you should probably shutoff a website. For example, if you spend too much time on Facebook while studying, set up the software so that it alerts you when you’ve spent two hours on Facebook, or however long you want the timing to be set for. The software will always give you a rundown of your time on the computer, but it can also be used to block websites you want to avoid while studying (for me, I would use it to block any and all clothing websites). You can also use it as a way to improve your time writing e-mails or your time in meetings; it helps you use your time efficiently and effectively. Even though RescueTime isn’t going to help you create study guides, it will help you stay focused and keep your priorities straight, which is equally important as actually creating notecards and other study tools. Image via. https://pixabay.com/en/idea-competence-vision-target-3083106/ Studying is hard, especially when you try to do everything on your own without asking for help. I am telling you, as a senior, that these apps are integral to college students’ academic success. Even if an app costs some money, try and budget your expenses so that you can purchase that app because it’s worth it and your academics are extremely important. Hold yourself accountable but use these apps to aid you in all of your academic ventures. Whether you need to write an essay, study for an exam, memorize math equations, or learn a new language, these apps can help you. However, in order for these apps to help you, you need to put in the time and effort as well; apps are just a tool to help you, they aren’t going to do the work for you. Good luck and happy studying!