As the year starts to get underway, it may be time to start thinking seriously about coursework and study techniques. There are a whole host of study apps and software that are available to help you make the best use of your time. Today we’ll highlight a couple study apps and software which you may want to make use of. Given the different types of devices that you may be using, we won’t recommend specific ones, but you can easily find out more information online.

Mind mapping software

We’re not going to talk about any specific mind mapping software, but will highlight a few of the reasons to make use of this. Mind maps are useful for organising your thoughts and drawing connections. You start with a main idea or topic and draw branches which connect to other related ideas. The use of key words, colours and pictures to create a visual representation of your ideas, connect together. They can be especially beneficial for anyone who struggles to write essays or presentations that flow naturally with ideas that build upon each other. They can also be great for organising the main points that you need to know for an exam.

While you can always draw your own mind map by hand, many universities have professional mind mapping software installed on university computers. This is great to use because you can easily make changes and move ideas around, highlighting the connections between different branches without having to start all over. There are lots of videos on YouTube that demonstrate how you can use these programmes and why they’re useful. Check with your department or library if you’re unsure what software you may have access to.

Flashcards

Again, there are a number of apps which are available, where you can quickly and easily create your own flashcards. By doing this on your phone, you can test yourself whenever you have a few minutes, whether you’re on the bus, waiting to meet a friend or waiting for a lecture to start. These are especially great for learning languages or ensuring that you know important vocabulary for your field of study. Some apps will track how well you’re doing, so you can easily focus on the ideas where you need to improve. Flashcard+, Android Flash Cards and Study Blue are just a couple of ones out there, but there are many more.

There are a huge number of study related apps on the market, many of which are free. Software probably won’t be free, but many universities, colleges and schools purchase different programmes for students to make use of, so it’s a good idea to check what might be available. Figuring out good study techniques will help you in your academic career, but will also help you develop skills which will be of use when you’re done studying as well.