The apps and browser extensions that got me through my years at University.

These will make your years studying better and will get you through those tough years.

Looking back at my years of study I think to myself how I did it? Thinking back at my first year of university I wasn’t really the best at keeping track of my work, I really was all over the place and most of the times I wasn’t really productive because I would get distracted. Before going into my second year I really didn’t want to be the way I was in first year and wanted to make some changes in the way I got work done. I then found some apps and browser extensions that saved me and got me through the next few years.

Photo by Yura Fresh on Unsplash

Apps:

1. Microsoft OneNote
   Microsoft OneNote is one of the many apps that Microsoft Office offers, a lot of people don’t know what this app is but trust me this will be the best thing that organises your notes perfectly. So you would create a notebook and then in that you would create sections that would be named the subjects you are taking and then within that you would create pages that may say lecture 1, lecture 2 etc.
2. Google Drive
   Google Drive is exactly like your File Explorer but just an online version to store all your files. You can view the files on any device wherever you are at whatever time. There is also the option to view files offline if needed. You can easily share files with other peers and work on the files at the same time.
3. Forest
   For many getting distracted is the reason why you don’t complete your work and keep saying ‘that’s okay, I still have time.’ This app is not just like an ordinary phone alarm/timer. You set a timer on for how long you need to get your work done and you basically plant a seed and watch it grow and if you leave the app, respond to any messages etc you kill the plant and have to restart it. It is a productivity app that is meant to keep you productive and not let you get distracted easily. There is also a browser extension for your laptop/PC, you can block certain websites until the timer is up.
4. Your school/college/university app
   If your institution has an app, it would be better to download the app because it can keep you up to date with all the latest information, keep track of all your grades and assessments and any other important news.
5. Quizlet
   If you have trouble remembering definitions of certain words or even want to test yourself Quizlet is the perfect app for you. You can make flashcards learn, match and test yourself. You can use this everyday and trust me after a few days or even a week you will know all the words you didn’t know before.
6. Office Lens
   This app allows you to scan documents by capturing a photo of it and the rest of it will be done for you. This allows you to make digital copies of your handwritten notes, or any other documents. You can then save it as a picture, PDF, word document or as a PowerPoint. This allowed me to have my notes on my phone for when I didn’t want to carry my physical notes with me.
7. Pocket
   If you have many websites/articles that you need for an assignment due but want to read it later, you can save content from anywhere, you can read it later or you can listen to that article later if you prefer. Sometimes I dread reading articles so instead I like to listen to it and I use this app for that. This app keeps all your content in one place for easy access.

Browser Extensions:

1. Momentum
   This extension changes your boring ‘new tab page’ to a tab that displays a new stunning picture everyday along with showing the weather and providing a new quote everyday. There is a section on the page to enter your ‘to do’ list for the day, a section to enter website links for quick access.
2. OneTab
   I know many of us have multiple tabs open anytime of the day whether it’s in general or when you have assignments to do. What this will do is by clicking the OneTab icon it will convert all the tabs into a list. You can restore them at anytime all together or one at a time.
3. Todoist: To-Do List and Task Manager
   If you work a lot on your computer then this is what you need, it is a to do list that you can access on chrome, you can add websites as tasks if you need to read them later and you can also plan your day. This will help keep you on track with what needs to be done rather than go back to your diary or wherever you have your list. I like writing my lists down but sometimes I just am unable to write a physical list and need to write it somewhere so I use this.
4. Weava Highlighter — PDF &Web
   If you need to gather information from lots of websites and need to copy and paste certain sentences or paragraphs this is the best extension you could use. You can highlight any parts of a website or a PDF and it just copies it to the extension where you can then later access it and just copy all of it at one go and paste it on a word document or wherever else you need it. This avoids the back and forth between tabs and browsers and makes you more efficient. You can save the items copied to view them later and even group them under headings to make it easier for you. For example you can put all your information copied for one assignment under one heading and the other under another.
5. Google Dictionary
   Many of you are thinking google dictionary? A lot of us are always looking up the definitions of words when we research information for assignments. Sometimes you go back and forth between tabs to try and understand the meaning but with this you can just click on this icon, type in the word and the definition comes up and you can see the word in that context and understand the sentence better. You can also just highlight the word unknown and it will define it for you.
6. Memorize
   This extension is a bit like the Quizlet app. If you have to memorise a lot of words, just need to know what they mean or even learn meanings for words you don’t know. A lot of us procrastinate studying for a test or just get distracted ,use this extension to write your questions and answers and set the time to how often you want to be asked a question and when you are browsing random websites you will be asked the question and you have to answer it to continue browsing whatever you were looking at. You can also just use this to learn information whenever you want and not just for when you have an exam coming up.
7. Cite This For Me: Web Citer
   Being in university you are always writing many assignments and most times you have to reference your information and no one like to reference. Well this extension will save you time, you just have to click this, choose the referencing format that is needed and you are provided with the citation.

These apps and extensions all saved me so much time, made me productive and just made my life easier!

Hope these help you guys get through your studying years like it did for me.

~Danisha