Studying doesn’t have to be a hard activity, as many would tell you. There are plenty of methods and tools that can help you study smarter rather than harder while still achieving good results. If not better! Keep reading to discover the best tools available online.
Essential Online Study Tools
We made quite some progress from the simple “sit on the chair and read until you know it by heart”. However, we’ve always used tools for studying, being dictionaries, encyclopedias, calculators, etc. What has changed now is that tools are more and more sophisticated and useful.
We can divide the most essential tools into these five categories:
- Writing Assistance
- Note-Taking
- Time Management
- Specialized Study Resources
- Collaboration Platforms
Writing Assistance
Depending on your major or the courses you’re enrolled in, having some writing assistance can be crucial. The best assignment writing service can help you not only complete tasks quickly but also teach you how to do them. For instance, you can have experts show you in practice what’s the best way to tackle an essay on Shakespeare or that paper on Science that you’ve never managed to get right.
Our suggestion is not to stop at having someone else write the task for you but to use this as a way to learn from experts.
Note-Taking
Having an app that can help you take notes goes a long way in optimizing the way you study. Not only will you have an efficient and properly organized method to take your notes, but you will also save a lot of time. Apps like Evernote or Microsoft’s own OneNote are examples of this.
First of all, they offer formatting options so that you can read your text clearly rather than try to decipher your hieroglyphs when you use pen and paper. Also, you can add images and even videos that can help you deepen some topics.
Time Management
Time management apps are often overlooked but can be crucial in reducing your stress levels by organizing your time efficiently. For example, having a calendar (even just Google Calendar) can help you visualize your upcoming exams so as to plan your studies accordingly.
Also, you can add other kinds of events and mark them with different colors to have an even better panoramic of what’s to come. Once you make your plan, there’s the option of having notifications so that you won’t miss anything.
Aside from Google Calendar, other valid tools are Trello, Notion, and Todoist.
Specialized Study Resources
Arguably the best feature about studying using online tools is that there’s a myriad of content at our fingertips. From online libraries to educational videos, from databases to dedicated platforms, you can find pretty much anything you need. Get advantage then of these resources to deepen subjects you’re interested in or clarify points you’re not sure you got right.
For instance, there are sites like Coursera, Udemy, or edX where you can find courses, both free and paid, about any subject. In most cases, you can even get a certificate upon course completion. Otherwise, you can also check YouTube where thousands of professors and professionals put their educational videos. Finally, don’t forget the power of encyclopedias. Though they might feel like a thing of the past, you’ll be surprised to see how easy it can be to get info from a reliable source like the Encyclopedia Britannica.
Collaboration Platforms
Even if this might be something that can change quite a lot from one person to another, studying with other people is arguably a very effective way to learn new things or prepare for an exam. Collaboration platforms are also very handy when it comes to working on group projects, making it easy to connect and work together regardless of one’s location. Both things can be achieved in two ways: synchronously and asynchronously.
The former is easily achieved with classic free tools like Skype, Google Meet, or Zoom. Just set up a call, invite your mates and you’re good to go. Alternatively, members of a group can work at their own pace while sharing documents. Google is again a good solution since you can easily set up Google Docs, Sheets, or Slides and have everyone add their input regardless of others.
Take away
As you can see, the sky is the limit when it comes to online tools that can help you study. From writing services to encyclopedias, with just a little research, you can find all the support you need to succeed in your studies. Just find the tools and methods you need, and don’t be afraid to experiment with new things!