#study apps

📱🖇️ STUDY APPS I HAVE USED AND LIKED ⟡ ݁₊ .

── list updated as and when i use new apps . . . ( ★ = fav )

( 🔗 ) STUDY / FOCUS TIMERS

study bunny: focus timer → work alone or with friends, earn carrots and decorate your room

focus friend by hank green → weave scarfs to decorate your room, customise character

focus plant: forest phone lock → locks your apps to avoid distractions

focus traveller - flow timer ★ → work alone or with friends, calm focus app, connect apple music / spotify

( 🔗 ) ORGANISATIONAL APPS

folderly - academic organizer → create academic calendar, schedules, courses and save files + flash cards

this is gonna sound absolutely unhinged but i'm genuinely addicted to climbing the leaderboard on my study app and it's done more for my grades than any amount of parental pressure ever did.

let me explain lmao.

i used to open my textbook, stare at it, feel my soul leave my body, and then dissociate on youtube for three hours. studying felt impossible and lonely and like screaming into the void with zero feedback on whether i was even doing it right.

then leaderboards entered the chat and suddenly studying became a GAME.

every problem i solve gives me points. every lesson completed makes my rank go UP. that notification saying "you jumped from 156th to 98th!" hits SO different than any grade weeks later. it's immediate, it's visible, it's happening NOW.

and here's where it gets fun: i started recognizing usernames at the top. there's this person "ChemistryNerd2024" who's ALWAYS top 5 and honestly they're my nemesis slash inspiration. don't know them, probably never will, but their existence pushes me to do better. it's like having an anime rival except we're fighting with physics problems.

the app breaks leaderboards down by subject so i can see where i'm crushing it (english lit babyyy) and where i'm dying (math why do you hate me). instead of general anxiety i have SPECIFIC data on what needs work. vague dread becomes actual strategy.

oh and there are REAL PRIZES. weekly winners get free premium stuff. monthly champions win tablets. annual top performers get SCHOLARSHIPS. i'm not studying for some abstract future, i'm competing for stuff i can win TODAY.

plot twist: the app rewards consistency not cramming. it's not about one all nighter, it's about daily streaks and sustainable habits. i'm on day 47 and lowkey terrified of breaking it which means i study even on lazy days.

another plot twist: i've made friends?? there's a chat feature and some top students share tips and we've formed this weird supportive community. studying isn't lonely anymore it's actually... social??

i have an android, so i don't know if these are available to iOS users, but here's what i've used for productivity lately:

Structured - another form of calendar with pop up reminders, allows you to schedule out your day

I am - affirmations to repeat with confidence. also good if you're learning a second language and want to practice translation

Ascent - blocks short term scrolling, gives you a countdown before actually logging into a social media app. if you have premium, you can set up study sessions which will block most distracting apps

Flix Clock - i like to have a big reminder of time visible to me when working, and this clock displays different colors too

WordBit - i don't use the feature where it pops up on your homescreen, but it'll teach you small vocabulary in a different language (i do french)

a today tab showing what is due today no matter project it's for

a pomodoro clock

reocurring tasks without needing to pay premium

statistics of focus history: including a pie chart of what you've focused in during the day

the syncing with other apps I can take it or leave it, but the core reason I got it was bcs of the statistics and now it's giving me issues with the reocurring tasks

8/30 Days "Back to Uni" Challenge

Q: What's your favourite study tool? I definitely use a LOT of different study tools depending on what I'm studying/trying to learn but the number one tool I use for everything is definitely Forest! It's an adorable app/browser extension that lets you plant and grow trees while studying to keep you off of your phone/social media sites! I don't even use it for that anymore since it trained me out of it, I just absolutely adore the cute little plants you can grow - so if you want to be friends on Forest, then here's my referral code: 387HHQASG

1. stay focused – helps block apps, websites, and keywords

2. alarmy – for alarms that won't turn off unless you finish a specific task

3. notion – for almost anything like note taking, to-do lists, _ tracker, etc.

4. by heart – helps memorize lines (literally saved my sst and science marks)

5. habits – helps track habits, sends reminders that are customizable.

6. math tricks workout – for all of you who can't use calculators at school

5/10/23

Day 11 of my 100 days of studying challenge!

3 DAYS TO MIDTERMS!!

I woke up at 4, started studying data communication and computer networks for Monday’s midterm. I had a study date planned with two of my friends during the day and we worked individually at a cafe. I attended one of my CAT trial classes too.

In the evening, I covered Kohlberg’s and Gigilian’s theory for human values.

All in all it was a pretty productive and fun day I’d say!

Today’s jam was ‘Edge of seventeen’ by Stevie Nicks