27 April, 2016
Application software for computers or mobile devices can do a lot of things for students of all ages.
Apps can help students get better organized, study for tests and prepare research papers. In other words, they can help the user do his or her very best work.
Apps can help any users, even those who are not students, get more organized and improve their work.
Whether or not you are a student, here are some apps worth considering.
Quizlet
Quizlet is a study aid app. It is filled with flash cards on many subjects to study. Use the cards that come with the app or create your own.
Quizlet has links to subjects like:
- Arts & Literature
- Languages & Vocabulary
- Math & Science
- History & Geography
- Standardized Tests
- Professional & Careers
The app has a mix of text, images and audio recordings, including pronunciation of words in different languages.
Quizlet has games to play and tests to take. Cards are available on the app even when you are not connected to the Internet.
Quizlet is available as a free app from Apple's iTunes store.
You can learn more at the Quizlet website.
EasyBib
Sometimes the most difficult part of writing a research paper is creating the bibliography.
A bibliography lists all of the publications and other sources used in your research. Getting just the right citations to appear in the correct format can be difficult and take a lot of time.
The EasyBib app can make creating a bibliography easier. The app can help organize the information and find citations for books, websites and more.
EasyBib users can simply scan the barcode on a book with a mobile phone camera to get the information they need. You can also search for documentation in the app if the book is unavailable at the time.
The app offers over 7,000 different citation formats, including the commonly used Modern Language Association, or MLA, style. Users can change the way in which the information is organized and stored within the app.
Users can email information from EasyBib to others or to send it to a home computer.
You can sign up for an account at the EasyBib website.
EasyBib is free, but users have to pay for its premium features.
Free Graphing Calculator
An app called the Free Graphing Calculator is useful for students of mathematics or other subjects that require serious graphing. This free app gives the student more power to create lines and design images than many other calculator apps.
The Free Graphing Calculator lets the user create up to four graphs at once, and lets users resize the graphs for the best views. You can change measurements within the image easily using the app.
The mathematics and science guide within the app can explain some important math or science ideas.
The Free Graphing Calculator is free. Users can pay to remove the advertising.
Todoist
The Todoist app can help even the most organized person with day-to-day activities. With this app, individuals can create a list of everything they need to do, and set a target date or time for when each activity is to be completed.
Users can use different colors to create groupings for school, home and work. The app can provide reminders, even when you are not connected to the Internet. The app can also send reminders to a smart watch.
This video shows how Todoist can be used:
The app and most programs on Todoist are free. But some features are available at a cost.
You can find out more from the Todoist website.
Todoist is available for:
Evernote
Evernote is an app designed to help organize notes. Users can add images, links and more within the notes. Notes can be created from websites and tags can be added to help search your notes later.
Notes can be available using Evernote on both computers and mobile devices.
The Evernote app is free. Users have to pay for addition features.
You can learn more at the Evernote website.
PomoDone
Everyone wants to be more productive. The Pomodoro technique is one way to make the most out of your time. Pomodoro suggests that an individual works in time blocks, and plans for short breaks during the work day.
The PomoDone app can help divide time into blocks for work and for breaks. The app on the computer helps keep track of time blocks for each activity.
The app will say when it is time to take a break and when it is time to get back to work. PomoDone can work with other apps, such as Evernote and Todoist, and help the user keep track of one's activities over long periods of time.
The app is available for computers from the PomoDone website. The app is free. Paid premium features are available.
Google Drive
Google Drive is a cloud storage service where users can store and back up their files, including documents and photographs. With Google Drive, users can open their files from a home computer or mobile device.
Each user gets 15 GB of free space to store and back up files. With a recent update to Google Drive, users can choose which files to back up so they do not fill up their computers with all of their files on Google Drive.
The service lets the user share files, both as an email attachment and as a link. The user can also access those files when not connected to the Internet.
This video will get you started with Google Drive:
You can sign up at the Google Drive website.
Sunrise Calendar
Sunrise Calendar from Microsoft can work as a stand-alone calendar and connect with other online calendars to organize day-to-day events. The Sunrise calendar can connect with Evernote, Facebook, Todoist, and other services.
Sunrise app is available free for:
Note that Microsoft has said that the Sunrise app will be discontinued in the future, but many of the features of the Sunrise calendar are being added to its Outlook apps.
Infographic
Look at this infographic for more about these educational apps:
Carolyn Mohr wrote this report for VOA Learning English. George Grow was the editor.
Do you use apps to help you be a better student? Have you used any of these apps? Which apps are your favorite apps for students?
Share your thoughts in the Comments Section below or on testbig.com.
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Words in This Story
app - n. a computer program that performs a particular task (such as word processing)
flash card - n. a card that has words, numbers, or pictures on it and that is used to help students learn about a subject
pronunciation - n. the way in which a word or name is pronounced
bibliography - n. a list of the books, magazines, articles, etc., that are mentioned in a text
citation - n. a line or short section taken from a piece of writing or a speech
format - n. the form, design, or arrangement of something (such as a book, magazine, or television or radio program)
reminder - n. something that causes you to remember or to think about something
feature - n. an interesting or important part, quality, ability, etc.
technique - n. a way of doing something by using special knowledge or skill
calendar - n. a document, chart, etc., that shows the days, weeks, and months of a year
* Infographic used with permission of Study Medicine Europe.