10 Best Apps for Students in 2021
Whether you want help with finding the best note taking apps for students, keeping focus during study sessions, or even finding discounts to help keep you under budget each month, we’ve got a comprehensive list of apps for your smartphones, tablets and laptops, to help you navigate through your student years
Referencing can be a tedious process, especially if you lose track of what books and resources you’ve used along the way. Fortunately, RefME has developed a clever app that makes the process of finding and citing resources much more efficient, saving you time (and endless headaches).
For new students, the app has thousands of open educational resources which can be a great place to start your academic reading and prompt further research. This saves hours spent scrolling through Google, trying to find relevant papers for your studies.
But its main highlight is the ability to automate citations, reference lists, and bibliographies with ease – again giving you plenty of extra time to spend improving your work. How? Simply scan the barcodes of all the books and journals you’re using and RefME will automatically generate the citations within seconds.
Student safety apps
A number of apps for students have been developed promoting personal safety, for use both on- and off-campus. These student apps help to keep users safe if out alone at night. The Circle of Six app works on both Android and iOS, and was designed for university students to keep connected with close friends. The app is particularly useful for locating lost friends on nights out and also allows users to send their circle of six friends an instant call for help at the touch of a button. The GPS tracker will mark your location on your friends’ devices, ensuring you’ll always be able to find one another if necessary. Other student apps to promote safety include bSafe and React Mobile.
Microsoft Office
Now, unless you’re a total hipster, you’ll almost certainly use Microsoft Office to get your work done. Chances are that you only really use the Three Amigos (PowerPoint, Excel and Word), but it’s comforting to know that you also have access to Outlook, OneNote and OneDrive if necessary.
The good news is that Microsoft has made apps for Office’s leading lights, and they’re available on all the major platforms. It’s great to be able to escape your work but, equally, it’s a massive pain when you’re out and about and suddenly realise there’s something huge that you should (or worse, shouldn’t) have included in your essay.
What we like most about Microsoft Office: Microsoft has finally caught up with Google and introduced a collaboration function, meaning anyone with access to a document can simultaneously edit it. Aside from the obvious prank potential, this is a great feature if you’re working on a group project.
Oxford Dictionary of English
We’ve gone for the Oxford English Dictionary (OED) because, well, it’s the daddy of dictionaries. The OED is the ultimate authority on definitions, spelling and whether a word is actually a word (a godsend for when Microsoft Word isn’t prepared to help you with technical terms).
Plus, in what’s quickly becoming a trend in this list, the app lets you take a picture of a word in order to search for it. Academics love to show off how many big words they know, so this could be a real time-saver when trying to figure out what the hell they’re actually on about when you’re keen to reference them in an essay.
What we like most about the Oxford Dictionary of English: The Word of the Day feature is as good a way as any to expand your vocabulary and woo your tutor with some absolutely stonking adjectives.
The Bookworm
If you have a favorite study spot in your school’s library, keep a highlighter and flashcards handy, and enjoy reading the course literature before every lecture, you might be a studious Bookworm. As you’re clocking long hours in your study circle, it’s clear that you love learning, and your good grades show it! Study apps will make your life even easier by placing efficient study tools at your fingertips.
Quizlet flashcard app
No matter what subject you’re studying, flashcards are an effective way to help your brain remember connections. With the Quizlet flashcard app, you can create customizable flashcards – helping you remember the key pieces of information you need to ace your classes!
If you’re running out of study time, this student planner app has a flashcard library with millions of pre-created flashcards available for free! This app is especially helpful for international students looking to learn some of the local language in their study abroad country. Browse the library to find a deck of flashcards in your subject area and add them to your daily study routine!
Evernote
Tired of rifling through notebooks and folders for the right notes? Organize your coursework, track due dates, type notes, and save related handouts, websites, and whiteboard pictures- all in one place. Evernote also allows you to save webpages for markups, and can even be integrated with Google Drive and Outlook!
If you are always forgetting where you save things, you can search tags and text, even within uploaded photos of your handwritten class notes. You will never have to worry about losing connection, as this student planner app is usable even if you’re offline.
The Language Lover
There are many reasons to learn a new language. Maybe you want to travel, communicate with new friends, or would just like the pleasure of learning something new. Whatever your current level of fluency is, study apps made specifically for language learning online can help you make progress outside the classroom. If your goal is to order a coffee on your next trip overseas or if you’re nearly fluent and want someone to practice with, these apps will make it even easier!
Duolingo
It’s a fun and addictive game-based learning platform where you earn points for correct answers, race against the clock, and level up. Exercises are adapted to your vocabulary and learning style, and you’ll receive feedback immediately as well as tips for improvement. Duolingo forums also provide a great way to talk to others about specific linguistic questions or language learning in general!
This app is ideal for Language Lovers looking for a fun, fast way to boost their language skills. A study has shown that just 34 hours of Duolingo is equal to 1 university semester of language courses, making it one of the best apps for college students who want to learn languages!
HelloTalk
They say the best way to learn a language is by using it with native speakers, and this app delivers the ultimate language exchange! HelloTalk allows you to learn a language while exploring new cultures and making new friends around the world.
The app hosts a worldwide community of users dedicated to helping you practice more than 100 languages. Connect with native speakers who will teach you their language while you teach them yours! Chat via text, voice recordings, voice calls, video calls, and even doodles.
Resources:
https://oxfordsummercourses.com/articles/best-apps-for-students/
https://www.topuniversities.com/blog/most-helpful-apps-students
https://www.savethestudent.org/bills-utilities/mobilephones/essential-apps-that-every-student-needs.html
https://www.educations.com/articles-and-advice/apps-for-every-kind-of-student-18489