In college, my iPad and laptop are always with me, playing a role in everything from taking notes during lecture, planning out my day on a calendar, or writing short stories for my Intro to Fiction and Poetry class. Thus, I wanted to share some apps that have been immensely helpful, and I hope sharing bits of my workflow provides some inspiration.

Google Calendar

I write about this a lot, but with college, there’s so many moving pieces. Google Calendar allows me to keep track of when my lectures, midterms, and club meetings are. Then, I “schedule” time to do homework and work on projects and hobbies in between. It’s also a convenient way to store and track weekly to-do lists.

Using GCal has allowed me to remain realistic about what I could accomplish in a day, as I’m able to see all 24 hours in the day in front of me. In the past, I would make a lengthy to-do list, but neglect the amount of hours it would take to complete the whole thing, which became demotivating. 

In general, using a calendar has also ensured that I don’t forget something – such as a due date or meeting. I don’t need to remember all these times in my head anymore. 

Notability

Of course, I still take notes and do work on pen and paper. However, I write faster with a stylus, and during lecture, when a professor is giving a lot of information and talking fast, it’s important to note all the key points quickly. 

In addition, a lot of my practice and homework problems are digital, so importing them into Notability and completing them is very efficient. I also like how Notability gives the option to organize notes and create subjects and dividers for the classes I’m taking. I have a divider for each class I’m taking and subjects within those dividers, allowing me to categorize practice problems, exam review, and notes, helping me find all my work quickly.

However, Notability isn’t free – it costs $15 a year. I think it’s worth it, though. 

Google Sheets

Besides the typical word processors, like Google Docs, Google Sheets has been a lifesafer in tracking my college coursework and major requirements. It’s nice to see everything consolidated in one place, categorized in organized tables.

Freeform

Freeform is an app on the iPad, and it serves as a whiteboard to write down and organize my thoughts. Specifically, I’ve used it to create mind maps to study for my exams, as it’s a great to tie all the concepts together.

It’s really easy to create quick diagrams and sketches in Freeform, and I like it since I’m not constrained by the space of a page.   

Overall, all of these apps have helped me become a more productive student, and I look forward to sharing more posts like this in the future.