With the new school year approaching, I have been taking inventory of the apps on my phone that I use for school. I find that the apps I always come back to are the ones that are super easy to use, intuitive and, in true Gen-Z fashion, aesthetically pleasing. So without further ado, here's a list of some of the apps I'm planning on using this coming school year. 📲
If I had to choose only one app to use, Notion would definitely be at the top of my list. It’s a great way to organize your life, and I love that you can have different tabs for the different facets of your life. For example, I have a page for community involvement in the clubs and organizations I’m a part of, one for different courses, budgeting, and so on! It’s like a massive digital agenda.
One of cool parts of U of T is that there’s a lot going on! At this point, I feel like it’s a blessing and a curse and this app is the perfect solution. It’s the best to stay informed about what’s going on on campus, access student support services and learn ways to get involved. Browse the categories or use the search function to to find what you are looking for.
For me, Goodnotes and Notion go hand in hand. Goodnotes is a popular note-taking app that is designed for taking handwritten notes. I use it to annotate slides during lectures and pdf readings. On the other hand, I prefer to use Notion for things like writing essays.
If you can only choose one thing from this list, this would have to be it. Google Calendar is THE best way to stay organized, as it allows you to have multiple calendars and has as a coloir-coding feature. You can have calendars for different purposes, such as personal, academic, and extracurricular activities. The ability to colour-code events helps in visually organizing and distinguishing various activities. Google Calendar is an excellent tool for students, offering features that can help them stay organized, manage their time effectively, and collaborate with others. Its integration with other Google services and cross-platform accessibility make it a convenient choice for students using various devices.
One of the best learning techniques I’ve learned about is spaced repetition and Anki is flashcard software designed to help you learn and retain information effectively. To be transparent, when I first started using the application, I found it a bit hard and confusing at times, but if you take some time, you’ll definitely get the hang of it quickly.
Final thoughts
While these are some of my favourite apps, I'm always a huge advocate of taking the time to figure out what works for you, especially before the school year starts!
-bolu 🫶🏾
As a bonus, check out this video for some more tools you can use this school year ⤵️
The one app I use for certain every year is Microsoft OneNote
Other than being a digital notebook that I can sync with multiple devices, it’s great for taking notes/writing hand written digital notes for lectures/tutorials in all of my classes.
I can create a notebook binder for the year and create separate folders for each class and new pages for different concepts or lecture/class
I also use it for brainstorming for assignments, for keeping my notes for research in one place
It also has great features:
Drawing, recording
Uploading pdf versions of readings and lecture slides
I can also add lined pages or dots or squares which might be helpful for science students.
Over all its very simple to use and helpful!