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Top 5 Productivity Apps for Back to School 2013

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Conn Coll chapter.

Need help keeping organized now that you’re back at school? Here are 5 awesome apps to keep your to-do lists in order, organize your documents and pictures, and ensure that you’re never without your text books!

Wunderlist: Compatible with both IOS and Android, Wunderlist is all about simplicity when it comes to your to-do list. The app keeps all your lists organized neatly and allows you to set up homework assignments, projects, reminders to call mom in 3 days, and so on. The app allows you  to add due dates so that you can set reminders for each assignment. Another great feature is that is will sync to all of your devices, you will be all up to date when you are on your phone, desktop, or tablet. Oh and an added bonus: for everyone on a student budget- because it’s free!

Evernote: Available on all platforms (IOS, Android, Windows Phone and Web), Evernote is a portable notebook (filled with many more notebooks!) that is accessible on all your devices. Great for taking notes and researching, Evernote allows you to pull information from all over and save it to one place. Write text notes, add web pages or snapshots and add all of them in one easy to access file. A great element is the sharing feature, you can share notes or collaborate on projects with friends and you both will always be up to date. So, if you have a professor who lectures and never takes a breath, you and a friend can share notebooks and see each other’s notes and never miss a vital piece of information again! As an added bonus it is free!

MindNode: This app can lead you to some of your best ideas through its vibrant graphic organization. While mind-mapping may seem a little cooky, it is a well established method for brainstorming. The idea of the application is to mirror the way our brain works through the pictorial networks and make it easier for us to find the connections so we can add new ideas. Instead of yet another vertical list, MindNode allows you to organize your brainstorming into a colorful web of concepts which split out in different concepts and ideas to the point where seeing connections will make you dizzy! The app is IOS specific and automatically syncs up between your Mac and your iPad so you will have all of your thoughts on your devices. The one downside to MindNode? It will set you back $10. 

Kno: This app is designed for the student who downloads all of her textbooks online. Kno is the app that will help you stay ontop of your school work. The app has some of the best tools for for taking notes and getting into your digital textbooks. Kno has worked with textbook companies to make these your digital textbooks more interactive. They’ve played with 3-D models, videos and also added a super handy functionality perks like automatic flashcards(which comes with a test for each chapter in the book to keep you on point) and collaborative tools. Another cool feature is that you can upload all the PDF files that your professors send you. Free for IOS and Android.

iAnnotate: For the iPad users (and soon for Android) If you just want a straight forward easy to use annotation application then worry not iAnnotate is just that. The app  has an intuitive interface and is customizable for your preferred note taking needs. It is great for reading, marking up, sharing PDFs, Word docs/PowerPoint files and images. Marking up professor’s slides or your assigned reading will be a breeze. You can highlight, draw, add comments,  and much more with iAnnotate. You don’t even have to have the PDF on your machine you can access it from any number of “clouds” be it Dropbox, Google Drive, Sky Drive, etc. This way you can go from your phone to your iPad to your computer and access your marked up work all over! The only catch on this app is that it is $9.99 to download. If you have the cash to spare-don’t pass it up, this app will save you from needing to print out a long reading to only lose it, and all your work, a week later!

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I am a sophomore here at Connecticut College. Go Camels! My plan is to double major in Computer Science and Art, tying them together with the Ammerman Center for Arts and Technology. My home town is Stormville,NY a tiny hamlet two hours north of the big NYC. This year on campus I am a Student Advisor for incoming freshmen, a Peer Tutor as well as a Her Campus writer. I'm really into public art, mason jars, coffee, snuggly sweaters and kittens.
I am a junior and a Campus Correspondent for Connecticut College! I am majoring in American Studies and a PICA scholar. I was a High School Ambassador for HerCampus in 2010-2011 and a contibuting writer 2011-2012. I love writing, editing, and social media. This fall, I am a Student Coordinator for the Women's Center, a photographer for College Relations, and am also a member of SafetyNet. When I'm not writing, I love being outside and enjoy many many different types of music. I also enjoy shopping at the Container Store, sharpie markers, thunderstorms, onesies, Gilmore Girls, The Newsroom, New Girl, 60 Minutes, and The West Wing.