First Draft - a study blog

𝒶𝒸𝒶𝒹𝑒𝓂𝒾𝒸 𝓇𝑒𝓈𝑜𝓊𝓇𝒸𝑒𝓈

Hello, my study friends,

Welcome to the treasure trove of academic tools! This page serves as a curated collection of essential academic tools that cover a wide range of needs, from staying organized and taking efficient notes to acing exams and honing writing skills. As I continue to explore and find new gems, I promise to keep this page updated so you can access the latest and greatest resources.

To help you navigate this page, I've categorized these tools into five distinct sections: Organization tools, note-taking tools, memorization tools, writing tools, and learning tools.

- 𝑜𝓇𝑔𝒶𝓃𝒾𝓏𝒶𝓉𝒾𝑜𝓃 𝓉𝑜𝑜𝓁𝓈 -

𝒩𝑜𝓉𝒾𝑜𝓃 - When I first was introduced to Notion, I thought it was too good to be true! It is my go-to place to write down my daily tasks and any other notes I might want to have saved. It comes with an infinite number of templates and features that allow you to customize the website according to your own needs. You can even create workspaces and invite your colleagues/classmates via email to either work on a group project or just share class notes. This is perfect for those who want an all-in-one experience. Notion is free, however, there is a limit to how many "blocks" you can use. (Note that each new paragraph, image, or really any time you insert something or press enter counts as a block.)

𝒮𝒸𝒽𝑜𝑜𝓁 𝒫𝓁𝒶𝓃𝓃𝑒𝓇 - This is a mobile app that you can download for free but comes with in-app purchases. I recently paid seven euros for premium and it is honestly so worth it. School Planner is exactly what the name suggests, an app where you can keep track of your class schedule, assignments, tests, and events all in one functional and easy-to-use space. The design is really simple and easy to get a hang of! This is a must-have for a student.

𝒯𝒶𝓈𝓀 𝒫𝓁𝒶𝓃𝓃𝑒𝓇 - In the past, I have tried to use Google Calendar to keep track of upcoming due dates and any other activities I have planned. Though, I can't be the only one who perpetually forgets to log everything, right? Well, Task Planner has got you covered! Bookmark this website to your browser, and you've got a much easier way to plan your weeks and actually remember to check your calendar! It's free and all you have to do is sign up with your email.

𝒢𝑜𝑜𝒹𝓅𝓁𝒶𝓃 - I recently discovered this Google Chrome Extension and thought it would be a lovely tool for those of you who like having a digital planner to look back on throughout the day. Just jot something down, and Goodplan is guaranteed to keep it safe for you! I know some people can get overwhelmed at the sight of a busy calendar, so take it one day at a time with this amazing extension.

𝒢𝓇𝒶𝓉𝒾𝓉𝓊𝓉𝒶𝒷 - Instead of asking 'What do I have to do today?', ask yourself, 'What do I get to do today?'. Write down any unfinished tasks and sort them into "urgent" and "non-urgent" categories. This allows you to prioritize certain assignments, as well as remind yourself that even the "non-urgent" tasks such as "making your bed" or "reviewing your biology notes" deserve to see the light of day!

𝒯𝓌𝑜𝓈 - Your hub for remembering things! It reminds me a lot of Notion, only it has a focus on keeping track of everything from birthdays to exam dates. Very simple to use, has nice bullet-point formatting, and is available on most devices!

- 𝓃𝑜𝓉𝑒-𝓉𝒶𝓀𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝓉𝑜𝑜𝓁𝓈 -

𝐿𝒶𝓉𝓉𝒾𝒸𝓈 - Where do I even start with this one? It is literally the perfect desktop app for note-taking and much like Notion, it comes with a plethora of features/templates that are perfect for organizing your notes. With an integration of mind-mapping and visual tools, Lattics is ideal for learners of all types. So, what are you waiting for? Ditch the notebooks and join me on this lovely platform!

𝒢𝑜𝑜𝑔𝓁𝑒 𝒟𝑜𝒸𝓈 - What can I say? I'm a sucker for anything Google! I love how you can save and organize all of your Google Docs in Google Drive and even create/download your own templates for note-taking. I think I will eventually write a post about note-taking on Docs and how you can maximize your experience!

- 𝓂𝑒𝓂𝑜𝓇𝒾𝓏𝒶𝓉𝒾𝑜𝓃 𝓉𝑜𝑜𝓁𝓈 -

𝒬𝓊𝒾𝓏𝓁𝑒𝓉 - I think everyone is familiar with this one already, but I just love how you can create your own flashcards and memorize facts/ vocabulary via the features that the app provides. My teachers use this all the time, and it is honestly a great way to hammer down difficult concepts.

𝒦𝒶𝒽𝑜𝑜𝓉 - This is also a great tool to use when you want a fun way to play trivia about a subject you are studying. Additionally, it is a great way to challenge your friends and play in groups while staying productive!

𝑀𝑒𝓂𝑜𝓇𝒾𝓏𝑒𝓇 - This is a random website I found online, but I was very surprised as to how effective it was. Just copy and paste a text or fact you want to memorize and Memorizer helps you remember it step-by-step.

- 𝓌𝓇𝒾𝓉𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝓉𝑜𝑜𝓁𝓈 -

𝒢𝓇𝒶𝓂𝓂𝒶𝓇𝓁𝓎 - Whether you are a student or just writing for fun, Grammarly is an essential tool to have! It helps improve your sentence structure, word choice, and punctuation as you type. Not to mention, it comes with a very cool dictionary feature; so while you browse other websites you can double-click a word and Grammarly provides a definition for it! I am very tempted to get Grammarly Premium but I am holding off for now haha

𝒞𝒽𝒶𝓉𝒢𝒫𝒯 - It's not cheating if you use it properly. AI can be a great tool to revise your writing, give you ideas/inspiration, and break down difficult writing prompts. Sometimes, when I have no idea how to start an assignment or interpret a prompt, I turn to ChatGPT.

- 𝓁𝑒𝒶𝓇𝓃𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝓉𝑜𝑜𝓁𝓈 -

𝒦𝒽𝒶𝓃 𝒜𝒸𝒶𝒹𝑒𝓂𝓎 - Quit crying over calculus homework and use Khan Academy. Trust me, it has saved me from a few tight spots and I am so grateful to have used it. With free lessons and practice questions, Khan Academy is the friend that every student needs. It has a wide range of instructive videos covering nearly every subject you can think of! How to write an essay? Yup. Political Systems? You got it. Osmosis? Absolutely!

𝐵𝓇𝒾𝓉𝒶𝓃𝓃𝒾𝒸𝒶 𝐸𝓃𝒸𝓎𝒸𝓁𝑜𝓅𝑒𝒹𝒾𝒶 - Sometimes it can be hard to find trustworthy and reliable sources online, that's where the Britannica Encyclopedia comes in. It provides students with helpful articles that explain different topics in a way that is easy to understand. You can read and use Britannica knowing that what you're consuming is authentic and factual.

𝒦𝓃𝑜𝓌𝓊𝓃𝒾𝓉𝓎 - This is an excellent app for getting your hands on very useful "cheat sheets", essays and flashcards. It even gives students the opportunity to ask questions and get feedback on their work! I will note, however, that the content you see on Knowunity is posted by other students, so take everything with a grain of salt. Nevertheless, this is a perfect tool for finding notes that are easy to understand since they are written by your fellow peers!

I hope you found this page helpful and that you have a nice toolbox for when you study and prepare for exams! I will update this page as I find more resources that I think you'll like!

Happy studying,

Omi ヾ(•ω•')o