6 Top Apps for Students to Study and Manage Time

Do you have a child who is glued to his or her electronic device? You’re not alone.  Virtually all students, especially those with ADHD, have difficulty balancing the increasing amount of time they spend on their phones, tablets, laptops, and other gadgets.  In speaking with parents, I’ve found that this issue is one of the most common areas of concern. When used correctly, technology can truly benefit students, helping them to be more productive learners.  The trick is knowing which programs that are best suited for the unique needs of your child.  Because managing time can be such a pitfall for those with ADHD, I’ve organized my top picks around productivity and studying efficiency. Check out these 6 top apps for students to study and manage time:

myhomeworkMyHomework:

Is it a struggle to get your child to write down his assignments into the traditional agenda book?  Has he ever lost or forgotten his planner or gotten tired of carrying it around?  MyHomework replaces the old fashioned planner with an app that can be used with any IOS (Apple) or Android device. It is one of the easiest and most simple apps students can use to help keep track of their class schedule and tasks. The app allows students to track important assignments, upcoming exams and projects, and even upload important  documents. It’s a great alternative for the person who may be struggling to write everything down in a good old-fashioned planner.

istudiezpro

iStudiezPro

This app is similar to MyHomework, but only runs on IOS devices. My favorite part of the application is that you are able to put in all of your assignments and their weight to calculate your grade at any point.Additionally, the app also syncs with different calendar applications (Google, Outlook, etc.) giving the user to look at day or week at a glance.  iStudiezPro allows students to access the information from their phone or computer.

rescuetime

Rescue Time: 

This free computer-based software, tracks how you spend your time on the computer and sends you weekly summaries along with a productivity score.  So often, students with ADHD don’t realize how much time they’re spending on sites such as YouTube.  They’re often stunned to discover that non-homework browsing eats much of their time up.  But the software has an even more helpful feature. It will allow you to block certain applications or sites that the user deems “distractible,” (e.g. Facebook and Twitter).

3030

30/30:

30/30 is a great way for students to time themselves while completing homework or studying.  Quite frequently, those with ADHD see tasks as overwhelming, but by working for a short amount of time, those insurmountable assignments can be easily broken down.  30/30 allows students to schedule tasks and then has a timer which counts down the remaining time. Like the Time Timer (my favorite timer gadget), 30/30 has a visual depiction of the time remaining. This allows students to get started and focus on the assignments at hand in chunks of time.

studyblue

StudyBlue:

StudyBlue is a web-based program and an application that can be downloaded to any device regardless of your platform. It allows the user to take notes and then to turn those notes into digital flashcards. Students can study their own flashcards in a or take a software-generated test.  The software will keep track of how many you’re getting right and wrong. When you go back to study from the deck again, you have the option of studying the entire deck or just studying the items you answered incorrectly. That way you’re just focusing on the ones you don’t know rather than the ones you do.  In addition, the user can upload his or her own voice recordings (audio notes) or attach a graphic, making this app multi-sensory.  Moreover, 4.5 million students are using StudyBlue, making it one of the most popular and powerful apps out there.

 

SelfControl:selfcontrol

SelfControlis an IOS app that lets you block your own access to distracting websites, email, and anything else on the Internet.  All you need to do is set a period of time to block for, add the sites to your blacklist, and click “start”. This app doesn’t mess around.  By adding sites students know will distract them from their school work, they can get those mundane assignments done by working diligently until the time expires.  Even if they restart their computer or delete the application, they are still unable to access the blacklisted sites. According to my 16-year old (he’s the one who told me about this app) and his friends, SelfControl is their go-to app when they need to focus. I wanted proof that it really worked, so my son logged onto Facebook, and here’s what popped up on his screen:

SelfControl helps kids to be far more efficient and productive. The good news is that works like a gem and it’s free.  The bad is that it’s only available on Mac…for now.

In the end, there are thousands of applications and software programs out there that might make a world of difference to your child.  These are just a few I suggest.  Encourage your child to choose one and give it a whirl to see if productivity and grades improve.