The Ten Best Apps for Studying

The school year here at PV High has finally kicked into high gear! With more tests and responsibilities, it can be hard to stay organized and motivated to keep working. But what can you do to make sure that your grades stay sky high? Luckily, with the rise of technology, these ten apps can help you while you are studying. Get smart with just a swipe of your mobile device!

1. Grades (iOS)

             Grades has blown up among PV students as a reliable app to monitor their grades on the Aeries information system. The app was produced by Adrien Truong and has a full five-star rating on the App Store – all with good reason. With this app, you will have no need to log in every time you want to see your grades. You can also figure out what grade you should get on tests and assignments to ensure a good grade in your class. The bright colors and simple interface also make it a very utilitarian app that should definitely be on your Apple device.

2. WolframAlpha (iOS; Android; Windows)

This is another fantastic app that should be integral on every student’s mobile device. Created by Stephen Wolfram, it boasts a hefty 4.5/5 rating on the App Store, Google Play Store, and Windows Store. WolframAlpha functions using their large domains of algorithms and data to compute answers in response to your questions. The domains that this app covers are many basic subjects such mathematics and science, but also subjects such as nutrition and astronomy. Wolfram Alpha’s app leans towards the sciences and maths and is a very helpful tool to visualize and understand the processes and answers provided by this great study tool.

3. EasyBib (iOS; Android)

It’s often troublesome to have to cite your sources for your essays and research papers. But fear not! EasyBib resolves this issue, providing citations in all of the academic formats, such as MLA, APA, Chicago, and more. EasyBib resolves the issues involving bibliographies and makes it much easier to focus on your writing. It’s very efficient and is definitely an important program to have on hand while writing for your various courses.

4. Dropbox (iOS; Android, Windows)

Dropbox is a file hosting service founded by Arash Ferdowsi and Drew Houston. The app’s purpose is to store and share photos, documents, videos, and other files. This is great for backing up important information just in case anything unfortunate happens to your phone or other digital devices. Another great aspect of Dropbox is that large files can also be sent to those who do not have an account. Dropbox provides 2 GB of free data, but also allows for more storage to be boughten.

5. SparkNotes (iOS; Android)

Have you often had a challenge with interpreting that line of Shakespeare? Or maybe interpreting the literary devices in that one chapter of your core novel? Luckily, Sparknotes resolves all those issues! Sparknotes is a digital study guide that covers the Humanities, English, Philosophy, Drama, others. It helps to decipher the meaning behind the text in a modern vernacular that is easy to understand. Sparknotes also has almost all of the core novels that is required for PV High students to read, and is helpful for book exams and essays.

6. Quizlet (iOS; Android; Windows)

Quizlet is a very simple app that uses digital flashcards and other study tools to help students study their material. Quizlet is particularly effective for memorization, and helpful when learning vocabulary and languages. This is a great mobile app with a simple interface that is optimized for digital devices. This app also provides two features to help learn the information more; one being a gaming function that gets all the terms and produces a matching game; a testing function, in which all the terms are arranged into a test that includes multiple choice, and the second being test features.

7. Google Drive (iOS; Android; Windows)

Google Drive needs no explanation – the uses are practically infinite. Google Drive can be used by both students and teachers to help share information as well as providing good storage for important files. Google Drive also encompasses Google Docs, Slides, and Excel, which are great when utilizing for certain projects and tasks. And with the automatic saving feature, there is no need for you to be carrying a USB drive or worry that your document didn’t get saved!

8. Duolingo (iOS; Android; Windows)

Duolingo is a big favorite of ours when it comes to studying languages! The app is catered to language acquisition and maintenance through different levels of the app. You start as a novice but then proceed to higher and higher ranks. A fun aspect that Duolingo provides is the competitive player mode, where you can battle your friends to see who knows the language the best. Duolingo is also integral for learning of the go, as it provides simple, essential phrases for many languages. The great thing about Duolingo is that it constantly changes to fit your language expertise, and can make studying fun in the long run.

9. Sleep Cycle ((iOS; Android; Windows)

This an app not specifically for studying per say, but it addresses a common issue among students – lack of sleep. Often, students who are stressed or pressured have problems going to sleep early and effectively, but Sleep Cycle combats that very easily. Once downloaded, this app registers your sleep cycle and monitors the best time it is for you to sleep in order to wake up in your lightest stage of sleep. This allows you to awake when being a better stage of sleep instead of disrupting your deep sleep, leaving you awake and well-rested. They utilize this by using soothing tones to slowly wake you up. Definitely, something to try out!

10. Skype (iOS; Android; Windows)

Students are able to utilize this video chatting app by being able to connect with people through a different way. Users can send homework files and have a face-to-face chat with other students to talk about their lessons and questions that they have during class time. This can be helpful if you have been absent from school for long periods of time. The fun emoticons and pictures provided also makes it a great app for just simple communication as well!