If you are a student of any study level, your performance probably is one of your main concerns. You want better grades and compliments from your teachers, professors, and classmates, and this is only natural.
But with so much to do between study classes to attend and assignments to get done, it is very likely that you could make a good use of any resources able to boost your resources.
Thankfully, the educational industry has been developing many products and services with exactly the same goal that you have.
So here is a list of seven tools, services, and apps that will make your study life much simpler and easier from now on.
#1 – Instapaper
Getting lost in the middle of all your study research? Then Instapaper will help you on it. This app allows you to save anything you come across during your online research, from articles to videos, with just one click. And you will also be able to create folders and get everything organized, plus highlight and add comments to texts.
Instapaper can sync across iOS and Android devices at the same time, so you can have access to your research anywhere you want. And it also works offline, so a lack of internet connection won’t ever be a problem to you, and comes with sharing features.
You can use Instapaper for free, or pay US$ 2,99 per month (US$ 29,99 per year) for extra features.
# 2 – SQA My Study Plan
If you are looking for an app that will help you to plan your study life but that has been specially created for students, and not business or personal life, you should check SQA My Study Plan.
This app, available for iOS and Android devices, will create a personalized study plan according to your preferences and exams calendar. After the app comes up with a first suggestion, you will be able to edit it until it is perfect for you.
SQA My Study Plan can be used from early years to college. It allows you to add subject and exams and set when you want to study which topic. It is also possible to prioritize the subjects, and also share and print your plan.
The app is free of charge.
# 3 – EasyBib
Writing citations has never been an easy task, and it can be quite annoying indeed. So save yourself from wasting precious time by using EasyBib. This online tool generates citations for websites, books, video/film, journal, database, and more 54 options in a few seconds.
All you have to do is to choose the category and write a keyword, URL, or else, depending on what you are dealing. EasyBib will do a quick study and bring you a few options so you can choose the one that corresponds to your research.
Next step will be adding more info to the form, if necessary, and that is it. You will see a citation ready to be copied and pasted just there. Easy Bib generates citations in MLA, APA, and Chicago formats for free, or you can go Pro (US$ 9,99) and get access to more 7,000 formats and cloud storage of your citations.
# 4 – Trust my Paper
Writing essays can be very time-consuming, considering all steps you have to go through to get them done. So if you are about to shout “write my paper, please” to someone, maybe it is time for you to contract an online writing service, such as Trust my Paper.
Their service is ready to provide professional study assistance to any student from high school to doctorate in need of a hand while writing any assignment: essays, research paper, reviews, articles, power point presentations, case studies, thesis, and more.
They have an online calculator that can give you a fair idea of how much it will cost you, and plenty of offers and freebies. And they can also help you re-writing, editing, and proofreading your assignments if you like.
# 5 – Penultimate
Leave typing your handwriting in the past with Penultimate. This app is part of Evernote’s portfolio and will let you write on your iPad with a stylus pen, and it will be automatically digitalised for you.
All your study notes will be searchable and sync to any device with your Evernote app. There are also several sharing tools available in case you want to send your notes to a classmate, for example, and you can create real-time VGA presentations with it. And with the powerful Evernote’s search tool, you will be able to search any word you have written with no effort.
Penultimate also comes with an inking technology able to create natural pen strokes, and their Wrist Protection avoids stray marks. There are also several paper styles available, or you can upload your own.
Penultimate is free of charge for Evernote users.
# 6 – Elevate
We all know how Apple is strict about the apps available on their App Store. So being chosen as the “App of the Year” says something about an application for sure.
Elevate won the prize in 2014, when it was just one year old, during which it was downloaded over 5 million times. It is called a “gym for your brain” and brings games that will help you to improve several skills, such as writing, listening, speaking, reading, and maths. And it is all backed up by scientific research.
It works like this: you pick the skill you’d like to work on, and you will receive a personalized study program. Every day you will get a new set of challenges, and it is recommended that you train at least 5 days per week to get the best results. You will also get a progress tracking to measure your performance.
Elevate is free of charge, but you can unlock more games and features with a monthly membership.
# 7 – Blackboard
If you want to take your study plan to the next level, then you should have a look at Blackboard app. One of the favorites educational solutions in the world, it will put together all your classes so you can have everything you need at your fingertips.
On Blackboard, you can add your assignments deadlines and set push notifications so you will never miss them again. You can also add journals, blogs, add files from Dropbox, and engage in discussions with your friends.
But if your school or college is already participating in their Mobile Learn service, that is when you will make the most of this app. Just by choosing it, you will get all essential information pre-populated for you. You will also be able to check your study grades, read announcements sent by your teachers, and view content.
Blackboard is free of charge if your educational institution has joined it, or you can buy a lifetime access for only US$ 1.99.
Wrapping it up
Here you got seven online resources that you certainly should check out: Instapaper, SQA My Study Plan, Penultimate, Trust My Paper, EasyBib, Elevate, and Blackboard. They all tackle very specific skills and are respected by specialists in the educational system worldwide.
And one of them (or maybe more than one) probably is all that you need to upgrade your study performance once and for all. So start testing them as soon as you can and decide which one(s) will become your best friend from now on. You won’t be disappointed.
