Trying to get new information to stick with can be a daunting task, especially if you’re trying to cram ahead of an exam or test. Or, maybe you’re procrastinating on learning and can’t focus on the content. If all you find yourself doing is reading your textbooks, taking notes, and making flashcards occasionally, you might benefit from changing up your regular study habits.
While you can try to avoid it while studying, your smartphone can be helpful if you are using some apps designed to help you study better. These apps let you learn more, help you with challenging content, and keep you focused.
Making your own flashcards can be tedious, although it’s a great way to learn. Quizlet can help you do this by making the process of writing flash cards faster and giving you more ways to learn with them. For example, you can match terms, write answers, or even take a mock test with flashcards you’ve created.
If you don’t have time to make your flashcards, you can also try searching the database of other user-created flashcards. Many teachers make them, so you can definitely find the right ones to use.
Highlights:
- Sort flashcards by class and file
- Quickly create your own set of flashcards
- Many ways to use flashcards
- Hundreds of user-created sets available
Download: Quizlet for iOS and Android
Khan Academy started with videos that helped students learn math and it was well received because it was so easy to understand. Today, Khan Academy boasts hundreds of videos, covering not only math-related topics, but also covering other topics like Arts & Humanities, Economics, and even Life Skills.
In addition to the videos, the app to help you learn has post-lesson quizzes to help you recap, and discussion sections if you need extra help. Khan Academy is a tried and true program for many students to help understand concepts and get you through tough assignments or tests. The app itself is very well designed and organized so you can study with less hassle.
Highlights:
- Explains the concepts very well
- Hundreds of videos available
- No-frills videos keep you focused on the content
- Offers quizzes to test your knowledge
Download: Khan Academy for iOS and Android
Stuck with a difficult assignment question? Socrates was created just for this situation. It guides you through a question when you might not have someone there to help. You can scan questions directly from the exercise and the app will search Google to find you the most relevant answers.
After you scan a question, Socratic will give you the top answer and then, below that question, you will find more content to help you understand it, such as Explanation , Q&A, sample problems from YouTube, and many more answers found online.
You can also find resources on specific topics by scrolling down to the various topics. No matter what you need to study or do your homework, you can find the answer with this app.
Highlights:
- Provides many resources for questions
- Scan your problems directly from your exercises
- Find a video to explain the problem
- Easy to use
Download: Socrates for iOS and Android
Having a classmate is a great way to stay accountable, but sometimes it’s not always possible even when you use tools like Zoom to study with others. However, the Study Bunny app is a great alternative to help you focus and make your study sessions more fun.
You can set the timer you want to focus on studying and after each study session you will get some coins in return. You can use these coins to buy additional accessories for your bunny, such as clothes or backgrounds. There are many other features in the app, like links to music study, checklists, and flashcards.
You can also access graphs that track your study habits for the month, like when you focus or how often. Study Bunny is a unique app that will keep you motivated to study.
Highlights:
- Happy to use
- Timer to help focus
- Lots of features to help you study
- Track your study habits
Download: Learn Bunny for iOS and Android
Chegg Study has a variety of student resources to help you with assignments, complex concepts, or just studying in general. With this app you can type or scan a question and get the answer instantly.
You can also create memory cards in the app or search for sets that others have made. This app is great if you are stuck on some problematic homework and need answers to questions quickly. Chegg Study is simple and easy to use, so it won’t interfere with your study sessions.
To use all the features on the app, you can subscribe for $14.99 a month.
Highlights:
- Get help from the experts
- Scan problems directly from assignments
- Create flashcards
Download: Chegg Study for iOS and Android
Crash Course videos are widely available informational videos covering everything from chemistry to philosophy. Originally, Hank Green hosted Incident Course videos, but you’ll also find many other teachers in these videos. The videos became student favorites for their quick and fun style while still giving you meaningful insight into whatever you’re learning.
Crash Course is great for getting a bigger picture of concepts that you might have trouble grasping and they explain everything in an easy to understand way. In the app you can download courses, so they are always available to you and all videos are free. Some courses also come with memory cards to help you memorize information from the videos.
Highlights:
- Easy to understand video
- Many topics
- Downloadable videos to watch anywhere
Download: Incident Course for iOS and Android
Tired of studying in silence? Some kind of Music can help you focus, motivates you and helps you stay informed. Brain.fm has put together a lot of such music so you can play in the background while you study.
When you first open the app to study, you’ll answer a few questions so Brain.fm can determine what kind of music to play for you. You can then pull down the music/timer screen to search for other types of music if you want. You can also skip the track if you’re looking for something else.
Highlights:
- Focus, Relax, Sleep and Meditate categories for music
- Timer helps you keep track of your focus
- Choose the intensity level of the music
- Filter music by genre
Download: Brain.fm for iOS and Android
