Best Online Study Tools & Apps for Students

College is fun, but it also comes with its challenges. When you’re a first-year student, you’re just trying to get used to it all. As a sophomore or junior, you’re finally getting into the groove, but still need a little help. As for seniors, you’re probably just scrambling to finish your last few credits on time.

A man using a stylus to take notes on a tablet in a shared study space.

So, how do you juggle a social life with staying on top of deadlines, keeping track of notes, and submitting your best work? The answer is: By using good online study tools and apps! Here’s a list of ideas to tuck in your tool belt—so you can organize your world and put your best foot forward.

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Master the art of organization and notetaking. Deadlines and tests and parties—oh, my! There’s a lot to keep track of when you’re in college. No matter how hard you try or how good you are at remembering dates, it’s unrealistic to expect yourself to keep everything straight without help. Stay on top of it by putting those digital calendars and alerts to work. When it comes to prepping for tests, a notetaking app is the best study tool for sorting all your content across notebooks, sections, and pages, as well as highlighting and tagging important notes, recording audio notes, inserting online videos, adding files and so much more. One handy digital notetaking tool is the ability to “write down” your thoughts and jot down annotations using a stylus or your finger.

Practice with digital flashcards. Gone are the days of messy, old-school paper flashcards. When looking for that notetaking app we mentioned above, make sure to find one that lets you create digital flashcards quickly and easily! Whether you have a Spanish test coming up, need to memorize important historical dates, or anything else you have on the horizon, you can test your knowledge in a question-and-answer format. Once you’ve created them, you easily reorganize or modify them on the fly—and then take them with you wherever you go. Now you’re ready to ace any college exam.

“Deadlines and tests and parties—oh, my! There’s a lot to keep track of when you’re in college.”

Use a great spelling and grammar editor. A LOT of writing goes on in college. For those with the innate ability to do it without breaking a sweat, that’s great! But most of us aren’t natural writers. Take the pressure off by choosing software with built-in, intelligent features like an excellent spelling and grammar checker that not only checks writing in your documents, but also across social media, email and beyond. A premium grammar checker will be powered by artificial intelligence (AI) in order to offer truly intelligent writing assistance and advanced editing suggestions that’ll help you write more naturally. While the term “premium” sends starving students scrambling, don’t panic. There are some pretty good deals available to college students that’ll include all those premium apps you need, without the high price tag.

Discover the possibilities of cloud-based storage. Sure, the cloud is a great way to backup important files and photos—but it’s so much more than that. There are a ton of cool things you can do with cloud storage. For example, in college you have a lot of different classes and group projects. A good cloud storage provider will have an easy-to-use sharing feature that lets you create your own group of people and then easily invite students, teachers and anyone else you choose to share files, photos, videos, presentations, and albums within your group. You can even create customized groups for each class. Aside from easy sharing, cloud storage frees-up space on your device, adds an extra layer of protection, and gives you instant access to everything on-the-go.

Someone researching sustainability on a laptop in a classroom.

Make eye-popping visuals with graphic design tools. Not everybody is Picasso. So, how do you make great visuals for your projects without any artistic ability? Use a good AI-powered graphic design app that lets you instantly create things like social media posts, invitations, graphics for school projects, and more, all in a flash! Just start with an idea and let the AI do the heavy lifting. No artistic ability required and, since you can find one for free, it’s definitely in your budget. But what if you need to create a video? Use a free video editor to create amazing videos in no time, whether it’s for your daily vlog, a presentation, viral dance video, highlight reel, or something else. A good video editor will let you pull together pro-style video, sound, and effects quickly and easily.

Protect your sanity. Whether you’re in med school or a history major—setting boundaries can be difficult for any student, especially when technology keeps everything in your face 24/7. But boundaries are important for your mental health. Without them, you could easily work hard all day, party all night and then sleep through that important test the next day. Set realistic expectations for your study time and social life. Use a simple calendar alarm to not only remind you to finish your work, but to also take a wellness break. You can also block time for school projects, workouts, lunch dates, personal appointments and beyond.

Stay on top of your college game, while also carving out plenty of time for fun, by finding the best study apps and tools for you, at the best possible price.