Being a student nowadays is quite a challenging task. You have tons of homework, deadlines, and exams, and you still want to enjoy your social life as much as possible. Fortunately, there are plenty of free tools out there to make studying more efficient and a bit easier. Regardless of whether you need assistance in organizing your studying process, making notes, or even writing essays, there will be a tool for you. Let’s take a look at some of the best free tools a student can use to supercharge learning.
1. Google Docs
Google Docs is great for writing papers and working on group projects. It’s free, it’s easy to use, and you can work on the same document with your classmates at the same time. Your documents are saved in the cloud, so you can’t lose your work if your laptop dies. You don’t need to hit the ‘save’ button every five minutes to keep your work because it’s done automatically. You can collaborate by commenting or suggesting an essay draft or project.
2. Quizlet
It’s an excellent site for creating and studying flashcards. You can design your own or use pre-made ones shared with you by other students. It’s a perfect site for memorization, especially for terms, definitions, and concepts, for learning subjects such as biology, history or languages. What makes Quizlet different is that it also offers fun ways to study, such as games and quizzes, so you can pique your interest. With the app, you can take that long bus ride to school and study on the go.
3. Grammarly
Let’s face it: proofreading the final draft of an essay is not one of the most enjoyable aspects of essay writing. To take some of this burden from your shoulders, you could always use Grammarly, a free grammar, spelling, and punctuation checker that can be uploaded directly onto your computer to review your final drafts in real time, making sure that your essays are well-written. Grammarly also makes suggestions about tone and clarity to help you write more powerfully. It’s a personal editor inside your browser.
4. Khan Academy
Want to get up to speed on some math, science, or economics? Check out Khan Academy, where you can find free, world-class lessons on just about any topic and explanations of even the most complex subjects made simple. You can watch instructional videos, then follow up with exercises and a practice quiz. The lessons are available in a wide range of subjects, from calculus to the Second World War, so regardless of what you’re trying to teach yourself, Khan Academy probably has something on it. It’s also a great way to brush up on material before an exam.
5. Notion
It is really helpful for a student who is taking many courses at one time and is very busy. Notion is a workspace where you can create lists, notes, and projects. You can customize the way you use Notion, such as setting up a schedule for your studies or organizing your notes for your lectures. With its template system, you can set up a template configured for, say, your daily tasks, your reading list, or your plan for a semester. You can even combine and copy different templates, and all your notes are accessible in one spot. Which will make you so much more organized.
6. Zotero
Citations are perhaps the worst part of paper writing, so go ahead and install a free tool called Zotero, which helps you collect, organize, and cite your research sources. It will create a bibliography for you in the citation format of your choice (APA, MLA, etc.). Just download the Zotero extension for your browser, and with one click, it will save articles, books, and websites for you. When you’re ready to write your paper, Zotero keeps your sources sorted out for you and will even create the citations.
7. Google Calendar
One of the most important things a student can do is learn how to manage time, and Google Calendar is a simple but powerful way to do it. You can set reminders for due dates of assignments, schedule study blocks, and even plan some downtime so you don’t burn yourself out. It’s free and easy to use, and it will ensure that you never miss a class or forget a deadline. Colour-code your events and sync your calendar across your computer, phone, and tablet.
8. Custom Essay Writing Services
Sometimes, you may struggle with writing a paper or juggling all your assignments. If that happens, you can contact a custom essay writing service – they can write a paper according to your instructions. Such services can help you through the difficult steps of an essay structure or provide a template to follow, so long as you learn from the process.
9. Evernote
Evernote is a great choice for note-taking. Its interface is simple and straightforward. You can jot down notes, re-organise your lecture notes and even record audio notes. This app is useful if you want to stay updated about your assignments and classes. What’s more, it syncs seamlessly across devices. You can tag your notes, create notebooks for different topics, and clip web pages directly into your notes so everything stays organized. You can also jot down thoughts as they come to you or do deep research without getting distracted.
10. TED-Ed
The TED-Ed site gives students a chance to find fun and interesting ways to broaden their knowledge base – including in subjects that might not be the most exciting in the classroom. Unlike TED-Ed talks, most TED-Ed lessons come with a quiz or discussion prompt, encouraging you to actively apply what you just learnt. If you have ever been captivated by a TED Talk, then try TED-Ed, as it’s a fun, free, and easy way of enhancing your learning. It doesn’t matter whether your interests lie in history, science, or philosophy – TED-Ed is worth exploring.
Supercharge Your Learning with Free Tools
There’s no need to make learning hard when there are so many free tools at your disposal to help you get better grades. These tools can assist you with organizing your schedule, writing a paper, or preparing for an exam, giving you that extra boost you need to do better. The key is finding what works for you, integrating it into your study routine, and watching your productivity and grades soar!
