So, it’s December, and here we are again. You’ve grinded it out for a whole semester, had a restful Thanksgiving break, and you’re looking forward to a well-deserved winter break of holiday fun and bringing in the new year. Frankly, you’re just ready to go home. But as a college student, you know that to get to winter break, you have to first get through the three-week ring of fire known as finals season.
It can all feel overwhelming in the moment, but with some organization and planning, it’s certainly nothing you can’t handle. There are also several on-campus resources you can use to make finals season a little bit easier. Plus, as a member of Gen Z, you’ve got the internet on your side to help you get through studying. And of course, there are apps that’ll help you keep your ducks in a row. It’s important to not lose any of your steam!
So, if you’re the type of person who prefers to digitize everything, or if you’re freaking out about staying organized, or even if you just like learning about new apps, come one, come all to this listicle. Here are the seven best study apps and websites for finals season.
- Quizlet
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The holy grail of studying apps, Quizlet works really well for when you have an exam to study for and you have a lot to memorize. You fill out a bunch of “flashcards” so you can quiz yourself using them, and star the ones that you may not know as well. There are even games and quizzes to keep you entertained and having fun, all while working hard and keeping track of your progress.
Another awesome aspect of Quizlet is that it’s totally collaborative. If you’re studying in a group, you can make a flashcard set that your whole class can access. Or if you’re pressed on time, you can find another set someone else has already made.
- Forest
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Keeping you focused on your work and helping the environment, Forest kills two very important birds with one stone. Basically, you open the app when you want to work on a project, and the longer you work, the more your tree grows. However, if you quit the app halfway, your tree then dies. So keep at it for the sake of your tree!
The cool part about Forest is that it actually teams up real-life tree planting organization Trees for the Future. When you spend virtual coins on the app, Forest then pays Trees for the Future for a tree order. Your studying might be the reason a tree gets planted somewhere.
- Trello
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Are you a visual learner? Or are you always worrying you’re going to drop the ball on a major task or assignment? If so, Trello is a dream come true. This app is basically a virtual bulletin board that helps you keep track of all of your tasks. It’s like putting up a bunch of sticky notes in your dorm, except now you’re wasting less paper!
You can divide your tasks and set your boards up however you want, and even collaborate with project partners using features like comments and pins.
- EasyBib
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Citations can often feel like a tedious final stretch when writing a paper, but not anymore! For those of you tasked with what feels like an endless amount of essays this finals season, EasyBib will come in handy when it comes to sorting out all your references (or Works Cited, depending on what style you’re using). EasyBib is a free citation generator that makes citing your sources a quick and easy process. You just put in the details of whatever it is you’re citing 一 and the citation style you’re using 一 and you’ll have all your citations ready in no time.
- SelfControl
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As fun as they can be, apps like Twitter and TikTok really can end up taking a toll on productivity, and sometimes, “out of sight, out of mind” is the best way to go with distractions. SelfControl is a free Mac application that helps you avoid internet distractions while you work. You just set up the amount of time you want certain websites locked, turn on the SelfControl, and the application blocks those sites for the amount of time you’ve previously set up. You can’t access those sites even if you delete the app or restart your computer. So as you can see, SelfControl takes your studying pretty seriously.
- Brain.fm
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Brain.fm is the perfect app for those of you who don’t like working in silence but get too hyper-focused on what playlist or music to put on. (Who knows how much time you waste skipping all the songs on your Spotify?) Essentially, Brain.fm is an app dedicated to focus music that’ll help you stay focused and study hard. Except, Brain.fm adapts itself to your individual brain and the sounds around you in order to create the right sonic atmosphere for productivity. The app operates on an idea known as neurostimulation, which focuses on optimizing the state of your brain. Talk about making the most of technology!
- Evernote
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Never worry about losing all your important notes again with Evernote. This app syncs all of your notes across all your devices. You can also add PDFs, images, or anything else you might need for your notes (as well as taking notes and annotating on the actual app). Plus, it’s super easy to find your notes; all you have to do is type in a keyword. You can even pair up the apps you normally use, like Gmail and Google Drive. From your school notes to your professional goals, Evernote has got you completely covered.
Maybe you feel more productive writing out your notes by hand and studying the old-fashioned way, and that’s totally cool. However, technology also exists to make things easier on yourself, and things can certainly feel overwhelming during finals season. So take a minute to look into these study apps. You might find something that really works for you!