9 Essential Apps to Help You Survive Your Online Classes

Online learning is both a convenience and a challenge. It gives you a great deal of flexibility…but with that freedom comes great responsibility (to quote Eleanor Roosevelt). When you study online, you need dedication, self-discipline, and likely many cups of coffee. Thankfully, there is a lot technology can do to facilitate learning, and keep you organized. Behold, all of the apps you will ever need as an online student in one definitive ranking! (Unless you discover others, in which case, please share!)

1. MyHomework
[1] You might think: “I’m taking an online course, so I can do whatever I want whenever I want, right?” Wrong. Online courses are notorious for sneaking in multiple due dates throughout the week. Frustrating, eh? Multiply that by three classes and…well let’s not even go there. With the help of MyHomework, all of your classes and assignments can be organized in one convenient location.

*Note: If you’re a Colorado State University student, the Canvas learning management system has a built-in feature that functions similar to this. Find more info about Canvas features here [2] .

Cost: Free
Available for: iOS, Android, Windows, online version available
Similar apps: iStudiez Pro, Studious, iProcrastinate

 

2. Evernote
[3] Trust me when I say that you’re going to want to take a lot notes in your online classes. You’re also going to want to organize said notes. Enter, Evernote. Take ALL the notes and organize them into notebooks and entries. Evernote also syncs b-e-a-utifully with all of your devicesâ€"start a note on your computer, finish on your phoneâ€"modern technology at its finest.  Full disclosure: this listing was compiled using Evernote.

Cost: Free
Available for: iOS, Android, Windows, online version available
Similar apps: Notella, Simplenote

 

3. Dropbox
[4] We’ve all been there. By the end of the semester, your computer is completely bogged down with all of the documents you’ve created. Or your computer has crashed causing you to lose EVERYTHING including your final paper. Or your work just gets lost in the ether that is your “My Documents” folder. Well, meet your new best friend, Dropbox. Store files in the cloud and never lose anything again. You can even configure documents to automatically save to Dropbox avoiding the hassle of logging on to upload every new versionâ€"set it and forget it.

Cost: Free (up to 2 GB)
Available for: iOS, Android, Windows, Mac, Blackberry, Kindle Fire, online version available
Similar apps: Box, Google Drive, OneDrive, iCloud

 

4. EasyBib
[5] Term paper due in the morning and you’re stressing about your reference page? Repeat after me: EasyBib. There’s a Web version that works great, but if you download the iPhone app, prepare yourself to be amazed! Using the camera on your phone, scan the bar code on the back of any book and EasyBib creates an instant citation. I’m convinced it’s magic.

Cost: Free (Basic and Mobile Version), $19.99/year (Pro)
Available for: iOS, Web
Similar apps: Son of Citation

 

5. SelfControl
[6] No matter how much you want to finish your work, Facebook will always sound better. If you lack self-control, there is literally an app for that. You can add certain sites to a “blacklist” for a designated period, during which time you won’t be able to access them. WARNING: Consider this a last resort. If you finish early, you won’t regain access to your blacklist during the time you indicated, and there’s no way around it. Not even uninstalling the app. Not even restarting your computer.

Cost: Free
Available for: Mac

 

6. Any.Do
[7] There’s a good chance you have a busy life in addition to your online courses. To-do lists are probably the only way to keep your peace of mind. Any.do is a great way to take your list obsession to the next level. Organize your lists by category time, date, and location. If you’re not a list person, Any.do does a good job of turning you into one with the daily Any.do moment.

Cost: Free
Available for: iPhone, Android, Web and Chrome versions available
Similar apps: Wunderlist, Awesome Note, Carrot

 

7. Mendely
[8] Somewhere along your academic journey, you probably will be doing research. Mendely allows you to organize and share your research and keep your stress level (relatively) low. You may love it so much that you’ll consider getting a Ph.D.

Cost: Free
Available for: iOS, Mac, Windows

 

8. Doodle
[9] Online courses do not exempt you from group work. How is that even possible? Doodle, that’s how. Organize an online meeting of your peers instead of worrying if and when your classmates will do their part. Not that that’s anything you’ve ever worried about.

Cost: Free
Available for: Website
Similar apps: Tungle, ScheduleOnce, TimeBridge

 

9. Skype
[10] Now that Doodle has helped to plan your online meeting…you have to meet. With Skype you can video chat with anyone (who has Skype), and with the recent addition of group calling your group project just got so much easier. Even some professors are on Skype, so if you’re one of those students who utilize every minute of office hours, this app is for you.

Cost: Free
Available for: iOS, Android, Mac, Windows
Similar apps: Google Hangout, Oovoo

 

Tell us how these apps work for you, and be sure to share this list with others!

Links

1. ^{^} MyHomework (myhomeworkapp.com)
2. ^{^} Find more info about Canvas features here (info.canvas.colostate.edu)
3. ^{^} Evernote (www.evernote.com)
4. ^{^} Dropbox (www.dropbox.com)
5. ^{^} EasyBib (www.easybib.com)
6. ^{^} SelfControl (selfcontrolapp.com)
7. ^{^} Any.Do (www.any.do)
8. ^{^} Mendely (www.mendeley.com)
9. ^{^} Doodle (doodle.com)
10. ^{^} Skype (www.skype.com)

source: blog.online.colostate.edu