moleskinestudies:

this post is part of the student guide and the technology mini series

One of my goals next year is learn how to use technology more effectively in order to stay productive and organised. Thus I thought it could be helpful for me as well as you guys to make this post - a masterlist of different websites, apps and extensions that will make your life as a student that little bit easier. I’ve sorted these by purpose rather than device, so that whether you’re looking for a note-taking program or cooking ideas you’ll be able to find something useful. 

Plan / Organise

• Todoist: Beautiful and powerful project manager and general to-do list 
• Any.do: Simple, flexible and well-integrated task manager
• Carrot To-Do: Motivational and simple to-do list with personality
• Pocket: Save articles, videos and other digital content to read later
• Pinterest: Collate and sort inspiration into image-based ‘pinboards’ 
• Swipes: Easy task manager that focuses on what’s really important
• Trello: Well designed and intuitive project planner / manager
• Clear: Minimalistic and beautiful to-do lists
• Focus: To-do extension with inbuilt focus timer

Manage Your Schedule

• My Study Life: Organise your class schedule and homework tasks
• The Homework App: Very pretty and highly functional class schedule and homework tracker
• Calendly: Schedule appointments with others using this availability tool
• Google Calendar: Simple and smart scheduling app
• Glass Planner: Combined, distraction-free calendar and to-do list
• Lanes: Simple tasks, calendar and pomodoro timer in new tab
• Plan: Gorgeous planner with productivity analytics
• Handle: Simple planner and to-dos with email inbox integration

Take Notes

• Evernote: Save and sync short multimedia notes ( +Penultimate: Handwritten notes that integrate with the Evernote app )
• Notability: Create longer handwritten notes + annotate pdfs
• Paper: Lightweight app for beautiful and intuitive notes and sketches
• Google Docs: Crisp and collaborative word processor with automatic integration with Google Drive
• Outline: Highly organised digital multimedia notebooks
• Coggle: Create simple mindmaps
• Mindly: More complex and beautiful mindmaps, although more expensive
• Day One: Keep a digital journal

Store Files

• Google Drive: Store various file types in a cloud-based program
• Google Photos: Back up and organise your photos / image files

Focus Better / Manage Time

• Forest: Focus for 30 minutes to grow a cute virtual tree
• Flat Tomato: Pomodoro timer with additional time management tools
• Tide: Simple and attractive pomodoro timer + white noise
• Pomodrone: Minimalistic pomodoro with goal setting and analysis tools
• Pomello: Desktop pomodoro that integrates with trello for easy task management
• Noisli: Simple background noise for focus + relaxation
• Be Limitless: Analyses how long you spend on different websites and offers productivity suggestions
• StayFocusd: Block access to distracting websites while you work
• Timewarp: Gentle reminders to stop using distracting sites

Be More Productive

• IFTTT: Automate processes that use multiple apps for higher efficiency
• Toby Tab Manager: Manage tabs to avoid overload + up productivity
• Tab Snooze: Snooze tabs until later
• Infinity: New tab extension with bookmarked pages, to-dos, notes, etc.
• Spark: Smart email inbox manager to stay organised and save time
• Inbox: Another email organiser designed by Google for Gmail
• MyScript: Handwritten, intuitive input makes calculating quicker
• GistNote: Highlight web content and sort highlighted material
• RefMe: Quickly and automatically create bibliography references
• Spaces: Collaborate with groups easily in this shared-space program
• XKit: Tumblr extension that makes tasks such as reblogging and tagging faster

Improve Work Quality

• Wolfram|Alpha: Data engine / tools makes knowledge easy to access
• Grammarly: Powerful editor / grammar checker improves writing quality
• DataShine: Conduct research with mapped UK census data
• Wikipedia App: Get lost in this treasure-trove of information

Revise Well

• Quizlet: Smart flashcard program with collaborative fucntionality
• Memrise: Adaptive revision for learning languages and other vocab
• FlashTabs: Flashcard in every new tab you open helps you revise consistently 
• Duolingo: Learn / revise languages via this interactive and fun program
• Khan Academy: Do practice tasks and take prep courses for the SAT and other tests - great way to efficiently revise maths !!
• CliffsNotes: Cram easily with summary guides and test prep - also has really great guides to popular and classic literature ( +alternative )
• Kahoot: Fun and highly useful group revision games / competitions

Stay Healthy

• Waterlogged: Track your water intake and get reminders to drink more
• Drink!: Drinking reminders for your web browser / laptop
• Sleep Better: Track your sleep and dreams + set smart alarms 
• Good Morning Alarm: Very pretty alternative to Sleep Better
• Take A Break: Reminds you to take a break while online
• Habitica: Track / manage your habits in this fun game
• Productive: Powerful and well designed habit tracker with many features
• Streaks: Alternative to Productive - prettier and better interface imo
• Streaks Workout: A version of Streaks designed specifically for working out
• Seven: 7-minute guided workouts to keep fit quickly
• Zombies, Run!: Motivates you to run by playing a guided ‘zombie escape’ game as you do
• Charity Miles: Raise money for charity by running, walking or cycling
• Lumosity: Fun and personalised brain training ( +alternatives: A | B )

Manage Mental Health

• Headspace: Quality guided meditations on different topics
• Pacifica: Simple and daily stress / anxiety management tools
• Smiling Mind: Meditations designed to improve mindfulness

Live Independently

• My Fridge Food: Enter ingredients you have, get recipes you can make
• SafeTrek: Stay safe while out alone via easy alerts when in danger
• Penny: Track your money / spending and see how you could save
• Honey: Save money by automatically applying promotions when shopping online
• Konmari: Organise your belongings by minimising what you own
• Roadtrippers: Plan road trip routes around America easily

Stay Entertained

• Flipboard: Automatically collate articles from all over the web into your own personalised digital magazine
• Quartz: Get current new in an interactive, easy-to-digest manner
• Medium: Read short and engaging essays on a variety of current topics
• Netflix: You know the deal
• Whichbook: Find a book you’ll love with this detailed search ( +Bookling: Motivate yourself to read more and track your progress )
• Letterboxed: Review films and create lists of favourites, to-watch, etc.
• Goodreads: Like a book version of Letterboxd
• QuizUp: Competitive trivia app

Post source: here

Okay so this is easily one of the best masterposts I have ever seen. I use tumblr mostly to view and not create but I still like to share things I really like with the audience I do have. So here is this for those of you who read my blog :)

1. Be a student who puts in effort towards your schoolwork and outside activities, striving to find the things that make you curious and passionate, and giving school the appropriate weight amongst all of the other things in your life.

2. Decide How You Define “Best” by exploring what is most important to you in you education. Pay special attention to things like what kinds of environment you tend to like academically and socially. Try to go a step further and recognize why some things are important (is it personally important to you to have small class size, or is it just something you’ve heard you should want).

3. Take stock of your academic credentials and then find schools that match your package academically. Know that extracurriculars are great and important and a vital part of your application, but that they won’t work miracles if your numbers aren’t in range.

4. Talk to your parents about finances before you start applying. Know what your full picture looks like, if there is any money saved, if you qualify for financial aid, if your parents will co-sign a loan, if your planned future career will make taking loans out a good or bad investment. Be realistic before you get your hopes up for a school you just can’t afford because “best” is also absolutely about best price.

5. Put a great deal of effort in on your applications and start early. Work on your essays, put thought into your supplements, give your teachers months to get your recommendations together. Spend time cleaning your resume to make the best possible use of the space the commonapp gives you. Try to be submitted a month in advance to give yourself enough time to fix any problems that might come up.

6. Wait. Distract yourself. Apply for scholarships (even small ones! they add up!) in the meantime.

7. Consider your options. Its more than likely if you picked good realistic schools that you’ll get a few to choose between. Compare financial aid packages, take the time to call the offices and do the “Your rival gave me 5K more a year, but I really like you better but that’s a lot of money” game. Visit the schools and go to admitted students day. Talk to people. Get a real feel for the schools that you might be attending.

8. Pick the school that your heart wants. You might be leaning towards one school or another when it comes time to pick, so listen to your heart. You often really want one school, but just don’t want to discredit the other options too early. Listen to your heart (but give your wallet a megaphone!) 

source: collegeapp-chick