tame the tech beast: top study apps

Sometimes it might feel (rightly so, often) that our favourite tech is holding us back when it comes to coursework productivity or exam periods.
 
Go on, try to tell us you’ve never thought “I could work on Algebra, or I could check Insta stories…” or “I should really do this Physics past paper as exam prep, but after just one more episode of Game of Thrones…”

But don’t see tech as the enemy to your education. It can be a brilliant tool, when used in the right way. To get you started, LSE have scouted out some of the most useful apps for students, for everything from managing ideas to referencing textbooks:
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1. RefMe: This app allows your phone camera to scan barcodes and instantly generate citations in whichever format you like, to save you crucial time when writing essays.
2. StudyBlue: A study tool that helps you to make e-flashcards to work from and share with classmates. You can also upload and access study materials and practice tests.
3. Evernote: This lets you create notes and memos in all formats, whether that’s web clips, photos, audio files, text or handwritten notes. Great for big work projects and revision for all different types of learners.
4. Oxford Dictionary: A portable, pocket-sized version of the good old OED.
5. Dragon Dictation: For the audio learners, this app turns your smartphone into the ultimate Dictaphone – use your mic to make your notes, and Dragon Dictation will convert them into digital text for you to paste, share or save.
6. GoConqr: A digital hub of study materials and learning resources. Think quizzes, mind maps, flashcards plus the added bonus of the social side, where you can connect with fellow students to share ideas.
7. Office Lens: A Microsoft app designed to digitalise your snaps of documents, whiteboards, newspaper (or just about anything with text on it) and convert it into editable text.
8.  myHomework Student Planner: A virtual study-savvy PA to keep you on top of your classes, homework, tests and projects.
9. 9. SimpleMind: A digital mind mapping tool in your pocket – perfect for brainstorming and jotting ideas down for idea association/recall in exams and argument planning in essays.
10. Google Drive: The ultimate study group/group project tool. Access, edit and save all your documents on the drive, and share access links for collaborative working, both online and offline

Want a few more digitised study tips to get you in the mood? Watch these video guides from our CEO Johnny Rich on the best revision techniques and study skills tips for exams. 

Author

LUCY HARDING is the Editorial manager for Push. She is an English Literature grad and an MA Publishing student at UCL. She is passionate about international relations and cultural diversity, having worked closely with her university’s Erasmus society to support European students. She also spent a year abroad studying at California State University: Long Beach