Top apps for increasing productivity at university

Organisation is the key to becoming a productive, and ultimately successful, student. In the past, this probably meant carrying around an ever-increasing pile of books, papers and planners to keep on top of everything, but modern technology has made this far less back-breaking. Nowadays there is a vast range of apps to help you plan your time, manage your workload, research the information you need, and keep track of your learning.

Here are eight of the most useful apps available to help your productivity.

Evernote (iOS, Android, Windows, Mac)

What it does?

Evernote is a web-based means of keeping materials organised and accessible as it allows you to arrange and store your notes, images, web pages and more in virtual notebooks. These can also be shared with others and even updated collaboratively, and you can easily sync material between devices. Add-ons include Evernote Web-Clipper and Evernote Peek.

What it costs?

The basic Evernote range is free, but there is an option to upgrade to Evernote Premium (USD 4 per month or USD 35 per year in the UK), offering increased storage, offline access, PDF annotation and more.

Wunderlist (iOS, Android, Windows, Mac)

What it does?

Wunderlist allows you to create, manage and share to-do lists via a simple interface that makes writing lists even more enjoyable than usual. Due to its accessibility on a range of devices, you can easily sync you information and access your lists from anywhere via cloud-based storage. Lists can be made for just about anything and arranged in different groups for ultimate organisation. Even better, you can set up alerts so that you never forget a task and tick off items once they’ve been completed.

What it costs?

The basic version of Wunderlist is free, but Wunderlist Pro costs £2.99 per month or £34.99 annually for added functionality.

iStudiez Pro (iOS, Mac)

What it does?

This award-winning app is the ultimate student planner for Apple users. Not only can you input tasks and lists, but also store lecturer contact information; lecture times, dates and locations; assignment grades; and much more. The interactive, colour-coded calendar allows for easy viewing, whether monthly, weekly or daily, and you can sync data across both devices and email. Alerts can be set to remind you of important events.

What it costs?

The basic version is free but, for added functionality, the Pro version is £1.99.

inClass (iOS)

What it does?

Although this app can function as a planner, it is best used for taking class notes. Capable of recording in audio and video, in images and in text, this versatile app will make sure you never miss an important detail again. It enables easy sharing with your peers via Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, creating opportunities for further discussion and study.

What it costs?

This app is free, but upgrading to an ad-free version costs £0.69. In-app purchase is also possible to acquire a drawing tool (£0.69).

Wolfram Alpha (iOS, Android, web-based)

What it does?

Wolfram Alpha gives you an encyclopedia in your pocket which is great for on-the-spot research tasks and studying on the move. This powerful research app can find the answer to almost any question in moments, with an emphasis on science and maths-based information. Additional app versions include: atlas, algebra and calculus.

What it costs?

The web-based version is free. App versions are £1.99 (iOS) and £1.86 (Android). In-app purchases include capability to use an image as input (£0.69)

GoogleDrive (iOS, Android, Windows, Mac)

What it does?

GoogleDrive (previously Google Docs) is a cloud-based solution giving word-processing capability, in addition to spreadsheet, database and presentation options. Students can quickly store documents and allow shared access for collaborative working, which makes this app ideal for shared projects. If you’re opting to study a postgraduate course following your initial degree, you’ll also have easy access to your old notes if you’ve stored them all in GoogleDrive.

What it costs?

Absolutely nothing, courtesy of Google!

AyClass bibliography (iOS, Android)

What it does?

Referencing made easy! AyClass has a variety of apps to enable straightforward citation and referencing in different styles, including Harvard, Chicago and MHRA, according to your university’s chosen approach. By scanning the barcode of the book used, the app generates the correct reference for inclusion in your bibliography.

What it costs?

Each app costs £1.69 (iOS) or £0.99 (Android)

Graphing Calculator (iOS, Android)

What it does?

Turn your device into a powerful graphing (scientific) calculator with a Graphing Calculator app. It gives all the functionality of a conventional graphing calculator without having to carry the typically bulky piece of kit around in your uni bag. Plus, you can create graphs on the screen and the Android version even allows images to be saved.

What it costs?

Free

There are plenty more apps on the marketplace which are well-suited to helping university students increase their day-to-day productivity. Even using one of the above could significantly help you to manage your time better, so you can stay organised, work more effectively and track your achievements, giving you measurable goals and helping you to make the most of your time at university.

Mimi is currently studying for an Mphil in Philosophy in London. When she left home for uni four years ago, she did not think she would still be there now, but she has learnt a fair few study tips along the way.