As students, we know firsthand the struggle with staying on task, whether that’s writing an essay a day before its deadline or studying for a test.. And so, we compiled a list of apps: some we actively use, some we’ve researched, all to help us find our readers the best tools to maximize their productivity.

Slack

If you’ve had to work with a large group of people for a project or organization, chances are you’ve at least heard of Slack. The Post itself uses Slack regularly for our day-to-day communications. It’s a team collaboration platform with channels for various topics, direct messages, and small-group messages. Slack also integrates with over 2,600 third-party collaborative apps, such as Zoom and Google Drive, allowing users to transfer all the data they need while staying on Slack. While Slack is free to use, the past messages the user is able to view are limited to 90 days without a premium subscription (so plan carefully)! 

For a large team, I think it’s one of the platforms that provides the most flexibility and utility; that being said, it can be a little hard to navigate and learn its intricacies (and also the 90 day rule can become annoying).

Routine

Routine is an advanced calendar application for anyone who needs a detailed system for keeping track of their tasks, time, and events. Alongside a comprehensive calendar with timestamps (with adjustable time scaling), users can enjoy a place to take notes, set reminders, and input tasks that need to be done into a to-do list. Routine integrates with Google Calendar, and Microsoft Outlook as well as iCloud Calendar are said to be coming soon. 

For those who want an easier way to organize their life, I would totally give Routine a try! Not all schedules I set for myself tend to go to plan, but everybody’s different, and this app might be what keeps you in your rhythm.

Goodnotes

Goodnotes is an excellent and flexible handwritten note-taking application, easy to use both individually and in collaboration with others. The application allows users to edit PDFs, write in a saved notebook and whiteboard and use an AI organizational assistant. The platform features a free tier with a limit of three notebooks, or a subscription of $11.99/year (or $1/month) for unlimited notebooks. For students looking for a way to store all their writing digitally in one place, Goodnotes might be the application for them.

Whether or not buying the subscription plan is worth it can be debatable; however, from my use of the free plan, it’s proven very useful, both in collaborating with people that I work with remotely and in taking notes.

Asana

Asana is a cloud-based work management platform designed to help teams organize and manage projects and tasks in one centralized location. This is perfect for easily communicating with collaborators, group projects, and managing workflows in student organizations. The platform allows members to assign tasks, set deadlines, share files, and automate processes to shorten busywork. It might take some time to learn how to navigate the platform with so many features, but it makes group work so much easier once you get used to it. 

Todoist

To-do lists are a classic. Todoist is great for students looking for a platform to manage tasks. Todoist allows users to manage their daily lives through lists, project tracking and reminders. The platform features excellent natural language processing, cross-platform syncing and a clean interface ideal for personal productivity. This is an excellent choice for any busy student. With that said, I don’t think Todoist makes much difference compared to regular to-do lists; it just offers a fancier interface. 

Forest

While the Forest app requires purchase, it is a fun way for students to practice deep work and take a break from screens. Users plant a virtual tree when they want to focus. If users leave the app to check social media or other apps before the timer ends, the tree withers and dies. You can also get coins that you can use to buy different trees in the app, or even plant a tree in real life that helps environmental conservation. If you struggle with procrastination, this might be a good investment, but I would not recommend it if you are not looking to use it regularly.

Notion

Of all the productivity platforms I have used, Notion is by far the most versatile. The platform is essentially my second brain where I organize my schedule, create to-do lists and journal. Notion is an all-in-one digital workspace that has a wide range of features like AI editing and database automations. But by far the best feature of Notion is that you can build your own pages with text, images, calendars and more. It can also be a collaborative environment where you can invite other people to work on pages together with inline comments, mentions and instant page updates. Notion might have a slight learning curve, but it feels second nature once you get the hang of it.