As a college student, studying is likely an important part of your daily and weekly routine. According to the 2019 results from the National Survey of Student Engagement, “the percentage of first-year students who spent more than 15 hours per week preparing for class (studying, reading, writing, doing homework or lab work, etc.) increased from 34% in 2004 to as high as 45% in 2017.”

Nerdify Reviews experts state that you can utilize those hours spent preparing for class efficiently if you use the proper productivity tools. 

Which productivity tools are the best? 

Read on to see the Nerdify Reviews team’s research of the best productivity tools for students. You will find something you can add to your workflow that will make you much more efficient with your study habits.

Nerdify Reviews Why Are Productivity Tools Important? 

Productivity tools are important for students for a couple of reasons. A productivity planner allows students to keep track of crucial daily assignment deadlines while also helping them get things done faster.

Trying to keep track of everything for all of your classes can be a stressful experience, but using productivity tools will help alleviate some of that stress before it becomes an issue.

Keep reading to see which apps the Nerdify Reviews team selected for this list. 

Nerdify Reviews 5 Productivity Tools For Students

1. Spotify

You might be surprised to see Spotify on this list. But according to study.com, “Background music may improve focus on a task by providing motivation and improving mood. During long study sessions, music can aid endurance.”

Many students, 75%, according to some research, listen to music while studying. One potential benefit is the improved focus the music can provide. The type of music might vary for each student, but this tool could be worth trying out.

2. Dropbox

One of the best features of Dropbox is the fact that you can access it on any device that has an internet connection. It also gives you access to all of your important documents in one place. This will make you more efficient since you won’t search for material elsewhere.

Another benefit of using Dropbox is its ability to create shared folders. These can be used for group projects when all group members can’t be in the same place simultaneously. All materials can be stored in the shared folder, so everyone has access. 

3. Evernote

Evernote has quite a few features that make it great for student productivity. If you take notes in the app, you have the ability to attach tags to them. The tags allow you to easily categorize your notes and find them again later.

If you are researching information for an assignment, another beneficial feature is the web clipper. This tool lets you clip anything important you find and put it into a note. Once you have all the information you need, it is all in one place, which will save you time in the long run.

4. Litero

Litero is an indispensable AI co-writer and editor designed specifically for students, serving as a comprehensive all-in-one writing tool. It goes beyond the capabilities of free alternatives like ChatGPT by offering features such as paraphrasing, expansion, simplification, summarization, and more.

Struggling with writer’s block? Litero acts as a content starter, allowing you to create a basic sample to overcome creative hurdles. The tool incorporates AI autosuggestion to shape your thoughts and autoreference to seamlessly add recommended references and citations. With a built-in ChatGPT, grammar checker, plagiarism detector, and formatting tool, Litero provides a holistic solution to enhance the speed and quality of your writing.

5. Google Calendar

This is an excellent tool for people that have to see everything they have going on each day, week, or month.

How can it help students?

Each class can be entered into the calendar along with your commute time if you don’t live on campus. You can also block off dedicated study time, so you are sure you will get to it.

Color coding each activity is another great feature that will allow you to quickly scan the calendar to see what event is coming up next. Each entry can also have notes attached to it to remind you of important information that is needed. 

In Conclusion

Creating an efficient, easily repeatable productivity workflow allows you to focus on the actual assignments and projects you must complete in a college or university class. 

While it may take more time and work at the beginning, these workflows will improve your time in school. Consider this article from the University of Nebraska Omaha.

They outline four ways in which being organized in college will benefit you. Having less stress is the biggest reason you should consider using productivity tools. Stress can cause many problems, so it is important to eliminate some of it when you can.

Be sure to check out Nerdify Reviews 3 Tried and True Habits of a Successful Student in 2023 and other useful information for students on our blog. There is something for everyone when it comes to making your college or university experience successful. 

Discussing this matter with our experts at Nerdify reviews, we came to the conclusion that it is not only the fear of the unknown as some new subjects or assignments must be faced but also not being ready to go through all of it again. The trick is to manage these concerns in advance. You must accommodate your daily life and schedule to a more structured plan where you do not stay up too late and spend some time analyzing things, getting yourself back in shape.

1. Join Free Online Courses. The best way to overcome the stress of coming back to school is to resume your studies with the help of free online courses. For example, you can take the basic writing skills course online to remind yourself about grammar, style, and punctuation. It will help you to avoid the most common mistakes and make you feel more confident as the first days of school finally come. Moreover, consider taking various online courses related to your upcoming studies. This way you will not have to worry about what is to come since you will already relieve initial stress.

2. Get to Know Your School Professors. Take an opportunity to meet your school professors in advance if it is possible. If some of them are new to you, make sure that you introduce yourself properly or do so with a group of fellow students that you already know well. It is a good idea to get in touch since we all have been exchanging contacts remotely. Our Nerdify reviews experts recommend entering your online campus and advance to discuss things and see all the updates. As a rule, the majority of schools in the United States offer so-called open days, so you can visit your school campus and talk to both old and new school professors.

3. Start With a Personal Blog. Consider starting with a personal blog to get back to writing and composing things. This is where you can get creative and learn more about planning. If you already have a blog that does not make you happy, add new life to it by focusing on something else. Share various tips, describe things that you do really well, cooperate with various Instagram or Facebook influencers. Just give it time before your school starts and keep yourself engaged in something interesting.

4. Create a Flexible September Schedule. Regardless of what you may be busy with during your first weeks of September, consider creating an outline of your activities and do your best to finish tasks earlier to allow for more flexibility. This kind of training has always helped us at Nerdify reviews as we fought the stress of coming back to work. You can also plan your timetable by giving yourself some rewards if you do well. It will also help you to fight anxiety and the usual sadness that often comes along with summer having passed by!

5. Discuss Your Concerns With Friends & Family. Remember that you can always discuss your fears and thoughts with friends and family. We all have been through coming back to school fears, which is why it is vital to ask for support when you need it. It will also make your friends and family see that you appreciate them. After all, it is always better to seek efficient solutions together. Nothing can beat a friendly hug or those words of encouragement as you hear that everything is going to be alright because you are not alone.

6. Join School Support Groups. If talking to your family is not an option and you do not want to share your fears (and no, it does not make you sound weak!), you can join one of the school support groups. These are private and won’t share your information or the things you say with anyone. People on these support teams are professional educators and psychologists, which means that they will help you cope with the stress and anything that may occupy your mind. According to our Nerdify reviews experts, you may also talk to your fellow students who join such groups to help others in need.

7. Do Something Enjoyable. If you are good at sports or play a musical instrument, take your time to enjoy it. Do not be too hard on yourself as you anticipate all the challenging situations and feel like not doing anything at all. Play your guitar, sing, or kick the ball with your friends. One of the best ways to overcome stress related to anything is to do something that makes you happy. Bring in some positivity to your life and it will always pay off!

Living in a dormitory is a staple of the college experience. Many students make friendships in college that carry on for years. Others…well…do not. 

There are so many things that you can do to meet new students. You can offer help to those who can’t get a handle on the homework, go to the gym together, or even host a movie night. But what are some of the best ways to meet new people? Especially in a dormitory. 

It’s always beneficial to meet new people in your dorm because of the ease of access. Having friends in your dormitory means that you don’t have to wait until class to see someone again. Is it easy to make friends in a dorm? Well, that depends on how open you are to meeting new people. If you are, and keep in mind that most people are friendly, then you too can make friends in a dorm using these tips.

1. Smile at everyone

Remember to smile at others. That is a very important skill if you want to know how to make friends and expand your social circle. Smiling at others lets them know that you are friendly and open to talk. In turn, they can relax around you and open up a bit.

Protip: If you meet someone you like, make sure to ask what their name is and REMEMBER IT! One thing that we all have in common is that we love to hear the sound of our own names. And when in the middle of a conversation, be sure to actually LISTEN. Don’t just prep what you’re going to say next while they’re talking. People know when people are really listening to them.

Want to know how to grow a social circle even more? When somebody invites you to do something with them or their group, say yes! This will lead to you meeting all kinds of different people. It’s okay if you’re busy, but please remember that saying no too many times will cause people to stop asking, whether you have a good excuse or not.

This skill is also great if you want to know how to make friends in community college. These types of schools don’t usually have dormitories, but smiling at people is a great thing to do no matter where you are.

2. Attend as many college events as you can

This next step is perhaps the most effective step for making friends in college. Don’t just stay inside your room playing video games or reading Reddit posts. If you’re truly interested in meeting students with common interests, make sure to join a club. This way, you are guaranteed to meet people who have a passion for the same things you do.

You’ll learn more about your passion since your classmates will have a different perspective on it and might look at the same thing from a different point of view. They can tell you something about it that you didn’t know about. You can also discover what your strengths and weaknesses are in a particular area.

Attending events is an important lesson in how to make friends in college if you are shy because you can find a sense of belonging. There is something prideful about being part of a group where everyone has something in common. This is also important because you will learn how to work with a team of people. This provides you with soft skills that you will need after you graduate, especially when you start work. 

Speaking of starting work, you’ll be able to add your participation in a group to your resume. Joining a group proves that you have learned certain skills that will be useful to the company you want to work for.

3. Try to leave your door open

If you consider yourself an open person, consider keeping your door open. Many students are extroverted and want to know how long it takes to make friends in college. If you want to start quickly, this is great because you can meet new people without even getting up from your chair. 

When keeping your door open, you’re telling people that they are welcome to come into your room and chat you up. It shows that you are approachable. Eventually, other students will pop in and say hi. Some students are afraid to walk up to a stranger because they don’t know if somebody is open or not. Leaving the door open kills the nervousness that comes from trying to walk up and approach people you don’t know. 

Protip: if EVERYONE keeps their doors open, then it will be very easy to make friends with everyone on your floor. This is great if you don’t know how to make friends in class. Keep in mind that people WILL pop into your room. This tip is not for everybody, so if you’re the type of person who prefers privacy, maybe you can consider one of our other tips instead.

In Conclusion

With these tips, you will be able to meet people anywhere and know how to make friends in college when everyone already has friends. But no matter what tip you try, always remember to be approachable. Keep eye contact. Listen to others. Nobody wants to be around somebody who is in a bad mood all the time, so be sure to keep your spirits up when out and about with new people!

If you would like more tips on how to succeed in college and university, follow the Nerdify reviews blog for a comprehensive game plan on how to achieve great results in your studies.