With the New Year around the corner and colleges are back in session, it's the perfect time to think about how you can increase your productivity and decrease spending this semester. Face it, we all spend way too much time on our phones and laptops and we could all benefit from a productivity boost. Also, cutting down on the amazon shopping when you're in lecture wouldn't hurt! So whether it be through utilizing websites or apps, we've put together some of our personal best tools and programs for any college student who wants to take their productivity to the next level.
1) iStudiez Pro
Description: iStudiez Pro syncs all of your courses, classes, assignments and homework for the semester in one organized place. The intuitive program automatically updates your schedule for when an assignment is due or when an exam is scheduled; with this app you'll never miss another assignment or be late to class again! You can also keep track of your GPA, plan out your future schedule and communicate with your teacher or professor directly through the program.
Pricing: The app is free for iOS, Android, Mac, and PC users. No ads, no spam. The only caveat is the $2.99 mobile sync and $9.99 desktop sync features. With multiple years of using this app under our belt, we can confidently say that the sync is totally worth it.
Cons: Certain schedule blocks don't have the biggest flexibility when using iStudiez, and it could be a bit of a hassle to type all your assignments out since they don't connect to school platforms like Blackboard and Canvas.
Download: They have a variety of download links depending on device, but you could visit their website and get directed.
2) Copilot.Money
Description: This app is for those of you that have trouble getting your finances straight. Copilot.Money can help you create a budget, monitor your expenses throughout the month and allow you to see exactly where all of your money is being spent. This tool can show you how much money you are using on rent, utilities, and those late night Domino's orders... helping you save more towards the things you actually need. Copilot has near real-time smart money features, enabling you to build better credit over time, prevent overdraft fees, stick to your budgets (or make one if you don't have it), understand your spending, stop fraud in its tracks, know the moment you get paid. The app lets you import bank accounts, credit cards, and investments so you can see your whole financial picture in one place.
Pricing: There is a $8.99 monthly fee for this app, but it allows for unlimited connections and transaction monitoring which we will definitely say is worth the price! For those that prefer to do their banking online or on the go, Copilot makes it easy to access your money, see what you're spending and track credit limits. You could also purchase the yearly plan for $69.99, saving you almost $40 for the year!
Cons: Can be a bit pricey for a budgeting app. There's other apps available for cheaper, but you don't get the full flexibility and extensive features on other apps as you would with Copilot. We recommend you start with their free trial before purchasing
Download: Head over to download Copilot today and start your free trial!
3) Notion
Notion is an absolute killer note-taking and organization app you can use for your classes. It has been designed from the ground up to support knowledge workers and students of all kinds. It's a great note-taking tool because it's an easy way for you to write down notes, ideas, lists, and much more. On top of that, Notion also makes it possible for you to organize your information with headings and sub-headings. This way you can group related pieces of information together.
Notion is a far more effective and versatile solution than traditional note-taking apps like Evernote, OneNote, and Google Keep. Notion integrates with your favorite tools & services to help increase your productivity: Zapier enables you to easily send data from Notion to other tools like Slack, Trello, Todoist, Gmail and many others. This way you can stay on top of all your tasks & projects while you're taking notes.
Notion doesn't limit the size of your boards (a board is like a notebook in traditional apps). The more stuff you put into Notion, the more value you're going to get out of it. Notion works great on Desktop, Tablet and Phone so you can access your notes wherever you are.
Pricing: Notion is a free app so there's no risk in trying it out
Cons: Notion is best for power users and people who want a lot of flexibility. People who just want to take simple notes should stick with simpler tools like Evernote or Google Keep. The Notion learning curve is a little steeper than other apps as it offers much more functionality than traditional note-taking apps
Download: Notion is web-based (but offers cross-compatible apps) so you can get it on any of your devices here.
4) Toggl
Description: The Toggl app is probably one of the most straightforward and simplistic time tracking programs out there. With this program you can easily track how much time you're spending on your work for any project or class; all you have to do is open the program and start working! You could also set goals, provide task names or tags, and monitor your projects in real time.
Pricing: This program is free for up to 5 users on a team, which you shouldn't have to worry about if you're using it for your personal endeavors
Cons: Some students have complained that the app is buggy and tends to freeze more frequently, but it's free. Hopefully they'll have it fixed soon!
Download: The app is available on the web or as an app, you could download it here
5) Quizlet
Description: Quizlet is an incredibly useful website that basically allows you to create your own flashcards and study sets. Create cards with key information, quiz yourself on your mobile phone, test out of class material... the sky's the limit! There are also a ton of pre-made flashcards to help you get started.
Pricing: You can sign up for Quizlet for free, which allows you to create an unlimited number of sets and study material. If you feel like upgrading, they have a yearly plan at $39.99 a year (which comes out to about $3 a month). QuizletPlus has personalized study paths and verified step-by-step solutions for problems you might be struggling with.
Cons: Flashcards can be a bit outdated and boring, but they're still useful for memorizing information. If you prefer a more "fun" or engaging way of studying, you might prefer other methods.
Download: You could visit Quizlet on the web or download their apps on their respective app stores
Bonus) All The Trivia
All the Trivia is has fun trivia quizzes for kids on a few different topics including animals, geography, Harry Potter, and Disney movies. The best part is it's completely free! Whether or not this is directly useful to you, it could be a great resource to reference to a younger sibling or family member. The site has over 50 trivia quizzes and a database of over 3,000 trivia questions. New quizzes are added periodically, so there's always something new to test your knowledge on.
To Summarize
We've introduced you to some of the best web-based student tools that could help you accelerate your success. For those utilizing budgeting apps, Copilot can be a great asset as well as Quizlet for those looking to study effectively and efficiently. Their respective websites/apps are linked within this post if you have decided to download them. Best of luck to all students out there! If we missed any helpful tools or if these programs seem overwhelming, feel free to shoot us an e-mail at team@goldpenguin.org. We'd love to hear from you!
