How to make your phone work for you?

No doubt, the advent of smartphones has made student life a bit easier. With a multitude of apps available to help in every aspect of student life, including timetables, calculators, note taking, course notes and problem solving, choosing the most efficient ones can be daunting. Don’t fear, we have picked out the must-have apps you should consider to help you get the grades you want.

Grammarly (MS Office plug-in, Chrome extension and website)

Grammarly offers an MS Office plug-in that will not only check your work for grammatical errors and spelling, but it also has a built-in plagiarism checker. For those not using MS Office, documents can be uploaded to the Grammarly website for instant checking. Grammarly is subscription based and can be paid for monthly or annually.

Photomath (IOS and Android app)

This app, available on the two most popular mobile platforms, allows the use of a smartphone camera to photograph math equations which it then solves in a step-by-step method. The app is controversial due to the fact that it could be used to cheat, although the developers stress it is an important learning tool.

Wolfram Alpha (IOS and Android app)

This app is aimed at college students and provides both a problem-solving feature as well as a knowledge database. The app uses a range of algorithms as well as data to help users find answers to various problems as well as create reports across hundreds of subject including math, statistics, data analysis, engineering, physics, chemistry, earth and life science, geography, history and culture to name but a few.

Homework planner (Android App)

This app aims to help students get organised when it comes to homework. It does this in a simple manner, allowing users to input various assignments, test dates and other deadlines, ranking them in order of importance.

Mathway (IOS and Android app)

This application is a perfect way to find solutions for a number of math problems in various disciplines including geometry and algebra. Much like Photomath, Mathway makes use of your smartphone camera to provide answers to these problems. The app also offers graphs to solutions that warrant them. What makes Mathway fairly unique is that it does not require an internet or network connection to solve problems.

MalMath (Android App)

Another math problem solver offering help in a range of math fields including trigonometry, integrals, algebra and equations, MalMath not only provides answers but shows a user the process by which each problem is solved. This includes step by step explanations, use of graphs and the ability to both save a solution and share it with other users.

Periodic table (IOS and Android app)

A simple app that helps students to learn the periodic table of elements. Not only will it help you learn but it also provides numerous facts about each element as well as providing clips of how to pronounce them in the correct manner. A quiz mode allows users to test themselves as well as providing links to YouTube resources.

Scribd (Website, IOS and Android app)

A massive digital library, Scribd offers a subscription service to e-books, audiobooks and even comics. The service has over one million book titles while also providing around 60 million other document types. A monthly membership fee allows users access to three books and one audiobook as well as many other documents and even sheet music.

CliffsNotes (Website and IOS)

CliffsNotes are an essential aid for students needing help with literature studies. CliffNotes help to break down the story with information on the plot, important characters and an overall summary. It also contains an audio version as well as inbuilt quizzes.

Easybib (Website, Chrome extension Android and IOS)

Easybib is a perfect way to help with the tough job of creating the correct citations for essays or any written piece. It works very simply; just enter your book title and the app or website will generate the correct citation format that can now be placed into your final bibliography.

Dictionary.com (Website, Android, IOS and Windows marketplace)

Dictionary.com provides a perfect outlet for students who write many papers or essays, helping with word definitions as well as finding alternative options for over-used words.

Self Control (IOS and Android app)

This excellent app helps students who are easily distracted to remain focused on their studies. It does this by disabling websites such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for a time determined by the user, allowing them to focus on the task at hand.

Scientific calculator (Website, various IOS and Android app)

Many scientific calculators can be found online, either in app form or chrome extension. These calculators offer a range of features all needed for math and science students.

Chegg (Website, IOS and Android app)

Aimed at students in both high school and college, Chegg is a platform that provides textbook rentals, online tutoring and course reviews while also having an extensive internship database as well as scholarships.

Duolingo (Website, IOS and Android app)

Wanting help learning another language? Duolingo provides courses in a number of languages including Spanish, French, German and Italian. Best of all, it’s totally free and presented in a fun and unique way.

Edusson.com (Website, IOS app)

Edusson is an online resource used to help students with essays, in-depth academic writing or any other form of writing work. Edusson also offers writing labs with numerous guides and boasts over 1000 professional writers available for hire, each expert in their particular field.

MyClassSchedule (Android app)

The best way to stay informed about your daily classes, MyClassSchedule also can remind students about all future exams as well as any coursework that remains uncompleted. It uses a vibrant color-coded timetable and notification system to keep a user up to date at a glance, either for a particular day or even the upcoming week.

Trello (Website, IOS, and Android app)

Trello provides a unique and visual way to help organise anything. From your studies to a group project, Trello gives an overall perspective of completion, every step of the way. Best of all, it can be used by one user or many, and it’s free! Trello makes use of boards for each project which along with checklists and “to-do” cards keeping you ahead of your deadlines. It also integrates fully with Google Drive and Dropbox, so files can be shared easily.

Lecture Notes (IOS and Android app)

With both an IOS and Android app, Lecture Notes provide a note taking platform for use in lectures using your smartphone’s stylus. Other features include a multi-page view of all notes taken, effortless writing, scrolling and zooming as well as an image importing feature. Notes can be compressed to PDF format and exported into other applications such as Evernote or OneNote.

SparkNotes (Website, IOS and Android app)

SparkNotes provides an excellent platform for study guides across a range of literature including poetry, drama, short stories or even Shakespeare. These can either be viewed through the app or downloaded for later reference. Users can also use the check-in feature as a way to start a study group based on their location.

AP Flashcards (Android App)

Flashcards are an excellent way to learn. Not only can you use them to increase the speed at which you learn, but they enable you to remember more in a shorter period, perfect for that last minute studying to cram your brain. AP Flashcards contains a number of built-in modes to enhance learning including study cards, slide shows, card matching and card memorising. Subjects include history, biology, status, geography, economics and literature to name a few. They are also fully customizable and allow users to change fonts and text colours.

iFormulas (IOS app)

Needing an app to provide you with important math, physics or chemistry formulas? iFormulas not only contains a host of them but a periodic table of elements as well as a measurement lists for quantities and units of measurement. Just for good measure, iFormulas includes a built-in calculator.

Magoosh SAT Prep (Website, IOS and Android app)

Studying for your SAT’s. Magoosh provides video lessons to help users with all their math, reading and written work to prepare effectively. Magoosh includes over 15 hours of video and audio studies that allow users to track their study progress. Every important SAT concept is explained extensively while Magoosh also provides test formats as well as strategies to study effectively. Finally, practice SAT tests help users to determine their level of readiness for their SAT exams.

Audible (Website, IOS and Android app)

For book lovers, Audible offers a massive range of audiobooks – over 180000 in fact – including works used extensively by students. These can either be streamed or downloaded.

Studious (IOS and Android app)

Studious provides students with an excellent calendar and to-do manager, helping them keep track of tests, assignments and other homework. A note function allows users to quickly make notes when needed while the application automatically goes into silent mode based on a student’s classroom schedule.

These apps are a sure-fire way to not only help you on a daily basis as a student, they will save you time and ensure you are prepped for those all-important tests and exams. There is also a chance to find some helpful apps for students on our blog.