Useful Apps for Students

Written by: Eliora Tan Yuxuan (21-E5), Lim Zi Loong, Zexel (21-E2)

Designed by: Tiew Zuo Yuan Richard (21-I2)

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Juggling academic responsibilities and commitments is certainly no easy feat for any student. Fortunately, the digital era has enabled us to better manage our learning from study aids to time-management in the form of applications. There is now a plethora of technology tools available that can support us in our studies. However, which apps can offer us the best experiences? Here are some great ones we think you would find really useful!

App #1: Microsoft Onenote

Microsoft OneNote, a digital notebook for your notetaking needs, is one of the best applications to take notes with. Microsoft OneNote is extremely useful when it comes to organizing all your notes in one place. This offers an amazing option to store all your notes and have it synced across all your devices. You can even annotate PDFs, making it so convenient if you need to make quick notes! You can revise with Microsoft OneNote anytime, anywhere: on a long bus journey home, or even at your favourite cafe. You can even share your notes with your friends, which makes Microsoft OneNote extremely versatile. 

The best feature of all, is that it is completely free! All you need is to sign up for a free microsoft account to create amazing notes and make your revision notes organised and tidy.

App #2: Quizlet

Do you often find it difficult to remember what you have learnt from weeks, months or even years ago? Fret not, for we have the perfect solution for you! Introducing Quizlet, our go-to application or website with flashcards, practice tests and even games, features of which are unique and helpful for memorisation of definitions, translations, et cetera. There are so many advantages to this app, but here are some of which you might like to know. 

Firstly, the application is free, and the application process is trouble-free and simple! Simply create an account with your email (you may choose to sign up with your school Gmail account) and fill in relevant details like your date of birth so that Quizlet can cater to your needs for learning.

Secondly, one of the most notable and useful features is the flashcards. You may create your own unique set of flashcards, with terms and definitions copied and pasted from your notes, or search for flashcards from Quizlet's database. Of course, you may share your flashcards with your friends so that you and your friends can benefit from them. Virtual flashcards are not only eco-friendly, they are also neater and less time-consuming to create. You may save these flashcards into specific folders for easy reference, and even revise them in your own time. There are other features embedded in the flashcards function, but I'll leave you to explore them yourself. 

Lastly, there are practice tests and games available for you to test your own knowledge and re-learn terms that you are still unsure of. The game is titled "Gravity", and the player must type in either the definition or the term (whichever is required) before the asteroid hits the planet. When that happens, the game is over. Personally, we think that "Gravity" is an innovative and fun way to motivate us to memorise our definitions and terms well. Be careful not to get addicted though! 

The practice tests offer a more organised, exam-style manner of revision, in which you simply match terms to their definitions, complete true or false questions, et cetera. The score at the end of the test will be recorded, and Quizlet will remind you of which terms you are still unfamiliar with, prompting further revision.

App #3: Forest

If you have trouble being productive, this app is for you. Forest is a productivity app that allows you to stay away from your distractions by giving you visual stimulation and extra incentive to stay productive. What makes Forest stand out from its competitors is its promise to plant real trees. In collaboration with a real tree-planting organisation, Trees for the Future, Forest plants real trees when users spend virtual coins they earn in forest to plant real trees.

In addition, Forest allows you to tag and categorise the time you spend meaningfully, whether it is for Rest, Study or Work. Other than these features, you may also choose the type of tree you prefer to plant, creating an attractive aesthetically pleasing interface for users to enjoy and be satisfied with. Lastly, one may choose to upgrade to the Pro version, which allows the user to compete with friends and record achievements all for a small fee of S$2.99!

Conclusion 

In conclusion, we hope these apps will be of use to you, especially since Promos and A-levels are approaching. Whether you seek to take better notes, refine your memorisation techniques or combat procrastination, there is always an app for you. The Origin* wishes everyone all the best for your upcoming examinations, and do keep a lookout for other useful applications!