Three apps to help you through that final end-of-semester push
It’s that time of the semester when you feel like you might be drowning. As university students are forced to juggle adult responsibilities, end-of-semester deadlines and exams, time management becomes more important than ever.
For us students, it sometimes feels like there simply aren’t enough hours in a day to tick off every item on our to-do lists. Luckily, the app store is never short on useful apps to help guide us through our studies, and help us survive the end of our semester.
Get Revising
This app and website allow you to quickly create a schedule tailored to your individual study needs. The app lets you fill in information about the classes you’re taking, your target grade and the classes and assignments you deem a ‘priority.’
Get Revising also allows you to block off time slots when you are not available to study. These blocks of time can include hours during which you have class, work or other important commitments, and the app essentially helps you work around those commitments. Deadlines and exam dates can also be added to the schedule.
Students can then choose the time they want to begin their study sesh, and set a target for the number of hours they want to dedicate to that session. The site then combines the student’s priorities, deadlines and available study time to create coherent and realistic weekly study schedule.
It can be difficult to set aside time for breaks during your study sessions without feeling guilty.
Sometimes, a spontaneous, 10-minute break is all you need to power through the rest of an essay that’s due tomorrow.
Here’s where the Headspace app comes in handy. You can have access to 10 free meditation exercises, and each session is 10 minutes long and guided by the soothing British accent of former Buddhist monk, Andy Puddicombe.
The sessions guide students through the process of deconstructing, decluttering and, eventually, reorganizing their mind in a more orderly manner. This app is perfect for when students need to take a step back from homework.
The sessions are organized by levels, allowing you to work your way up to more independent meditation sessions with less guidance. It also creates a sense of achievement as users move up through the levels. Headspace allows listeners to reap the benefits of meditating without possessing the intellectual discipline of a Buddhist monk.
myNoise
Even when you’re sitting at a desk with every intention of getting work done, it can be difficult to actually focus. Some people study most efficiently in complete silence. Others need a little white noise. The myNoise app and website offer a plethora of realistic soundscapes and noise generators to fill the silence in a way that won’t distract you.
Among countless others, these include natural noises, such as rain on a tent, streams or the sounds of a rainforest. You can also choose the calming sounds of a winter walk, an exam hall or a coffee shop, or synthetic noises, such as the classic white noise generator.
Additionally, each noise is highly customizable, allowing users to manually adjust which particular sounds they want to enhance.
With a strategic schedule, a clear head and a stimulating environment, the final weeks of the semester are sure to be more bearable thanks to these helpful study apps.
These free apps are available on iTunes for both android and apple phones.
