My Favorite Apps to Make Studying Less Painful
While it’s true that handwriting helps you remember more of what you study, it’s also true that the convenience of a phone or computer simply can’t be beat. Taking study materials with you wherever you go and having digital access to them can be a big advantage, whether you’re studying for a test at school or memorizing points before a big work presentation. Here are my favorite learning apps to help you do just that.
For cards: Anki
Anki , which can be downloaded and used on all types of devices, from MacBooks to Android phones, is my top choice for a flashcard app—it’s actually close to the Leitner system , a better way to use real flashcards.
Unlike other apps, this doesn’t always show you every card in your deck. Rather, it shows you what you’re most likely to get wrong, so you review them more and work less on the material you’re more familiar with. You can also put audio, video, and image files on your cards so you can use them for a variety of tasks, such as learning a language or remembering people’s names. You answer a few questions about yourself—like whether you’re a student, a parent, or a quiz taker, what time of day you prefer to study, and how long you plan to study each day—and the app creates a plan for you.
To use features like custom cards and the Leitner system, and flip an unlimited number of cards per day, you’ll pay $4.99 per month or $29.99 per year after a free three-day trial. Of course, you can add your own cards, but there are plenty of pre-made decks to choose from.
For mind maps: Xmind
Oh, do you prefer learning with mind maps than with flashcards? No problem. Download Xmind , which is free to download from the iOS App Store, but will cost you $99 per year after a two-week trial. You can create a blank mind map to organize your notes—it also includes a ton of templates for mind maps focused on problem solving, creating business plans, project management, or anything else. They’re color-coded, easy to create and edit, and can be accessed by multiple accounts so you can work on them in tandem with other members of your team. (Ideal for group projects!)
To minimize distractions: Flora
Flora , available on iOS and Android or via a Chrome extension, is really less of a learning app and more of a focus app, but when you’re learning, it makes a big difference. It’s similar to some other apps on the market in that you grow “trees” in a virtual forest, but they only grow as long as you don’t interrupt them with your phone.
What I like about it is that it is free to download and use. You have the option to make a donation if you want to plant real trees based on your own forest , as well as the option to bet real money that you won’t kill your tree, which will only happen if you give up the focus within the preset time that you have scheduled for the focus app. For example, I successfully grew a tree by telling the app that I wanted to work for 10 minutes straight and then take a five-minute break. You can choose what trees you grow, how much time you spend working, how long breaks you take, and whether your app stores your concentration time and/or resets the data after a week or month. It’s easy to use and very relaxing.
To stay organized: MyStudyLife
I like MyStudyLife as a planner because it’s specifically designed for school in a way that apps like iCal and Google Calendar are not (though you can import your iCal data here too).
The tool is available on iOS and Android and is free but extremely customizable: you can enter assignments, tests, and course information down to the room the class is in and the name of the professor teaching it. The app will remind you when you have something available and organize it all into a very simple calendar. It has a simple interface that’s very easy to use and navigate, and for $4.99 per month or $29.99 per year (after a free one-week trial), you can access additional features like rating tracking, widgets, and dark mode. However, it works absolutely fine in the free version, which is why it is the best scheduler on the market at the moment.
For notes: Evernote
Evernote essentially always wins the note-taking app battle, but that’s because it’s truly excellent. You get a planner, documents you can access from anywhere, and plenty of note-taking tools so you can write down everything important, which the app will then help you organize.
However, excellence comes at a price: the Best of Evernote package costs $4.99 per week or $169.99 per year, and the Essential package costs $3.99 per week or $129.99 per year. However, the free version still allows you to create 50 notes, upload up to 250MB of media and attachments per month, search for images and documents, and use features like Tasks, Calendar, and Web Clipper, which lets you save online content to your account.
A feature I like is the ability to take a photo of text and ask the app to transcribe it so it can be edited. It’s easy to use and fits into so many more elements of everyday life than just studying and note-taking, so it’s perfect to have on hand. Go to class, take notes, and head to the grocery store with your shopping list, then get home in time for your scheduled 7:00 pm phone call without leaving the app. (You can leave, however; Evernote will send you push notifications about what’s coming.)