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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. 

We all love shopping online, which is only natural as it takes away the burden of standing in front of the shop windows and gazing through the neon lights of the cold-starred mannequins. Seriously though, college students belong to the most popular target audience of online shoppers. According to Nerdify reviews, one of the reasons why online shopping is so popular among college learners is their strict schedule and endless run for discounts and special campaigns. Online shopping is awesome, yet it will get even better if you follow these 7 online shopping tips as you plan your next purchase:

1. Set Your Budget In Advance

We all know how challenging it may be to limit your spendings when you see that fancy dress online or would like to buy a new pair of headphones that just came out. It’s only natural to feel this way, yet it is vital to set your budget and even limit your daily or monthly spendings by logging in to your online banking system. This way you will always think twice and ask yourself whether you really need this something! According to our experts at Nerdify reviews, having a budget keeps you away from impulse purchases that you may regret at a later stage!

2. Make An Online Shopping Plan

It might sound like a minor trick but it always works wonders when you plan your online shopping time just the same way as you would plan a physical shopping day. When we do some shopping online, we try to come up with a list of good retailers and unusual shops that we have found to determine where we must go first and what alternatives are out there for those rare items that are not so popular. As a way to save your money, study the prices of the shops that you know well because it’s always safer to start with familiar sources.

3. Use Only Trustworthy Websites

Even though it has been repeated over and over again, always check the legit side of every website that you visit and make sure that they list guarantees and have retail registry information, refunds, and contact numbers that can be reached. Read online reviews and check for testimonials that go beyond the website itself. If something sounds too good to be true, it’s most likely so! It is better to be safe than sorry even if you have an awesome proposal right on the screen.

4. Read Online Shop Reviews

One of the best things you can do to stay safe as you shop online as a student is taking your time to read the reviews that may be available at places like TrustPilot or Sitejabber among others. Just add the word “review” to the shop’s name and see whether they provide accurate information. Do not just make a purchase until you collect enough information about the online store. See how accurate they are regarding returns, packaging, and many other factors like secure payment methods and retail licenses. Even if you shop on Amazon or eBay, read the seller testimonials first!

5. Seek Only Safe Payment Methods

Our team at Nerdify reviews has encountered it way too often when an online company would list all the popular payment methods in pictures but would not accept the major cards and require cash upon receipt or other odd requirements that went against common sense. The safest method would be using PayPal with their safe shopping option. If you’re in doubt, always check twice with your bank manager and do not run any financial transactions alone as it is unsafe to shop online without at least 256-bit SSL encryption and website certification.

6. Take Screenshots Before Checkout

Another little trick that our friendly team at Nerdify reviews uses is taking screenshots before the checkout to ensure that one doesn’t forget what they wanted to buy or what will require card payment in a bit. This way you can have proof that can be presented later if a computer crash occurs or the shop’s webpage malfunctions for some reason. It’s also a good way to keep your own history of the shopping activities that go beyond the browser history.

7. Seek Discounts For College Students

Even if you are sick of all the budget shops that offer discounts for students, you can also enter the brand’s name by adding “student” to your search inquiry and see what unique results you may get. At the same time, do not ignore social media and special campaigns that are not really advertised but still aimed at young people. Have some fun, participate, show your skills, and it will always pay off as you will get generous discounts or presents in most cases just because you have taken the time to join the campaign!

Are you struggling with your time management while learning or working online from home? Here are some tips for maintaining control of your time. First and foremost, get up at your normal time and complete your morning routine, including getting dressed and eating breakfast! Learning and working from home can cause you to focus solely on working. Second, set up a workspace away from your bed/bedroom. Third, at the time you would leave, go to your workspace, and prepare for your day.

1. Have a calendar with time slots, electronic or paper, available to plan your day

2. Plan your day including:
a. Work times
b. Activities at specific times, such as class, study, lunch, and breaks
c. Meals
d. Communication with colleagues, family, and friends
e. End of workday
f. Bedtime!

3. Use a timer or electronic reminders to move to the next item on your list.

4. Begin working.

5. End working.

Set aside time for cooking, cleaning, leaving to exercise (even if just in another room), weekend activities, and shopping if needed. Finally, remember to include due dates for assignments. As you plan for your day above, check the learning management system (LMS) used at your school for assignments, activities, and meetings. Add these to your calendar as well. At the starting time of your class or job, begin working.
For those of you working together on projects, there are several ways to communicate easily. Programs such as Zoom, Skype, and social media applications can reduce the perception of distance. Download these easily from the appropriate website onto the computer and phone. Classmates can set up daily review meetings in Zoom. Learning management systems also have Wiki features for discussions.
This may seem obsessive, but as said above people either focus on one thing for a while or shift from one thing to another in minutes without completing any given task. By creating a schedule to work with and using a timer or alarms, one can complete many tasks and feel accomplished at the end of the day. Using the regular schedule will assist in returning to a normal schedule when the isolation period is over. With a schedule in mind, new habits can be formed to assist in a normal schedule later as well.

Anne Montgomery