College Life
Life Lessons You Learned In College in 2020
The year, 2020 is finally over, the new year has been rung in and with it, the most abnormal semesters are, hopefully, in the past. Almost every college student can let out a collective exhale of relief from the anxiety of this past year. But through all the challenges we faced, we also learned many life lessons.
Zoom became the college student’s new reality for most or all of their classes this past year, and in particular cases, for the foreseeable future. And even with the COVID-19 vaccines being distributed, college students continue to adapt to life lessons you learn in college.
Unsure decisions and stress around time management with more free time cause challenges in adjusting to online courses. But it’s not just students; professors who are at risk must continue to teach remotely, along with their students. One thing is for sure: this past year forever changed the dynamics of the purpose of a college education.
Everyone faced their own challenges as a result of normal in-person courses moving to online classes. I was definitely one of those people that always had technological difficulties in my three semesters studying almost completely online, in addition to other students I know. But of course, for every student, there were new major life changes, especially in how they dealt with time management.
A fellow student at my own university shared her experience with doing online courses this semester. Her quote has a lot of meaning as isolation and stay-at-home orders became an irritant for many students.
“I had to focus on self-discipline and making sure I split my time up for each class. I also appreciated group messages a lot more, it was a good way to be held accountable.”
For me and several of my other classmates, a large-scale dilemma was facing the obvious risks versus benefits of being in in-person classes during this last semester. Having to go back and be in a place that wasn’t behind a screen after eight months was beyond strange. However, because of the conditions and new reality, it felt like I was able to give myself a lot less pressure.
Knowing there was nothing perfect about the infrastructure of these classes, and that they are oftentimes improvised, I had to just remind myself that I handled months of being afraid to even breathe the air outside, and handling coursework wasn’t that deep. So turning in assignments or taking breaks was okay throughout this semester, because both I and my professors were in new territory.
Prior to March, everything had to be done to others’ expectations, which was a rather harsh and tiresome use of my energy. After this last semester, there was time for me to catch my breath, especially seeing that professors can become just as low and frantic as us students, despite their constant pestering to achieve the ‘perfect standard’ they expect college students to be at.
For me, that was enough to stop wanting to be perfect, because they weren’t going to see my work that way, let alone being someone who needed to figure out what fit their rules. And classwork for my major had begun to dwindle, interest- and creativity-wise, so I just didn’t have much inspiration. Being at home almost full-time gave me back that mentality of learning without having to be perfect.
“There are far better things ahead of us than anything we leave behind.”
This quote by author C.S. Lewis was a constant reminder for me to enjoy the ride of progressing, and that not every detail has to be figured out at the moment, because it causes stress, and limits new ideas. If anything, imperfection after these last few semesters is obvious and shows that our current learning system is flawed but necessary, especially within higher education. It’s okay to not be sure every minute about things being perfect for college students.
Much of the world’s historical cultures and traditions have been preserved in literary pieces that can be studied to learn about the older ways of life.
Most literary pieces contain encounters filled with various human experiences that help broaden one’s understanding of the world they live in. In a nutshell, studying literature courses can help you learn about various cultures and histories through commentaries, stories, and theories.
But, there’s more. Modern literature programs and classes are usually structured in ways that enable students to absorb a lot more.
This means that today’s literature programs can help students develop several transferable skills like essay writing, critical thinking, and more.
Thus, those students who study literature in college can learn several skills that can later be beneficial to employers. In this article, we will take a closer look at how literature classes in college can help you in life ahead.
But before we jump in, students reading this should also know that certain aspects of taking literature classes can be tough. For example, it is never easy to write great essays without a thorough knowledge of the process.
Thus, to perform better, students need all the help they can get.
Today, several digital platforms help students with their academic work. For example, students can use a top platform like Studyfy for their ‘help write my essay’ or ‘edit my essay’ services.
Using such services enables students to boost their academic performance while also giving them insights into their essay work.
In no particular order, here are 8 ways literature classes in college can help you in life.
1) You Can Improve Your Communication Skills
One of the best ways of learning to communicate better is through reading more. While studying literature, students need to continually read through various types of text like prose or poetry.
They are also provided with various study notes and are also encouraged to create their own.
Literature classes can also be very interactive and engaging. Most literature programs include discussions, debates, seminars, and more.
Overall, students would be able to learn better communication through more reading, listening, evaluating, and writing.
2) You Will Be Motivated to Weave Your Life’s Story
The main essence of any work of literature is that one can always find a story in them. This is because most literary pieces are created to record various events experienced in one’s body, mind, and surroundings.
And these experienced events are usually recorded as stories. Thus, reading more literary works can help mold the idea of ‘story creation’ early on in students.
And attending literature classes in college helps students understand the know-how of how it can be done.
3) It Can Help Improve Your Evaluation Skills
Studying literature properly is not just about plain and simple reading. But it also has a lot to do with being able to discern what one reads. And learning the art of discernment can improve one’s overall evaluation skills.
Being able to discern and evaluate then goes to help students communicate and write a whole lot better.
And this skill – of reading, evaluating, and understanding – is of paramount importance in the professional world.
4) You Can Become More Articulate
Most literary works are written in different styles because they are written by different people. And the more one reads, the more they would understand the complexities behind different writing styles.
But studying literature in college has more benefits than this.
Throughout one’s literature program, they will be put through various tests to gauge and improve their literary abilities. And one of the main abilities one can work upon is being more articulate.
This means that a good literature student would always include all the details when making any type of argument or point.
5) You Can Become a Better Writer
Yes, the ability to write well depends a lot on one’s imagination and frame of mind. But, to become a great or even good writer, one also needs to do a bit of reading.
This is because, without reading previous works, one will not be able to know the required standards for great pieces of text. And without it, one will not be able to write such that it grips their readers.
In the professional world, writers are some of the most well-paid workers. This is because they can convert heaps of information into understandable and engaging texts.
And this can help a business connect with its audience a whole lot more.
6) You Can Improve Your Interactive & Social Skills
Literature courses and programs are some of the most interactive ones around. Why? Because it involves a lot of discussions, debates, storytelling sessions, and more.
In any literature class, one can always find various types of commentaries and speeches from professors and students alike.
Literature students have the unique opportunity of digging deeper into various subject areas. And the best part is that they can do so with all of their peers together.
Learning such interactive and engagement skills from one’s classroom can help them greatly in their future careers.
7) It Can Improve Your English Skills – Better Grammar, Punctuation, & More
English is not only the most spoken but is also considered a standard language across several international communities. Thus, to grow to greater heights, sooner or later, one needs to brush up on their English skills.
Most literature programs and classes around the world are conducted in English. When one takes up a program in English, they have the opportunity of learning the language usage from the masters.
Thus, learning literature early on in life can profoundly improve one’s overall English skills, which can be crucial for career progression.
8) It Can Teach You Critical Thinking & Broaden Your Horizons
To efficiently power through a literature class or program, one needs to be able to contribute adequately. But one’s contribution is often seen as beneficial when they are also able to communicate their knowledge neatly.
A study of literature can achieve this by making students find various patterns and meanings in texts. Literature from various periods of the world also contains much information about historical cultures and traditions.
It can give a lot of insight to students about how people during different times in history were, what they did, how they thought, and more. This broadens one’s horizons and makes one look at the world in an autobiographical way.
The Bottom Line
There is no doubt that studying literature in college has several benefits for one’s life. But that being said, literature programs can be difficult in terms of learning and scoring higher grades easily.
Students should learn beforehand about all the intricacies and semantics of their desired programs. Doing so would help them know which particular literature program would be the most suitable for them.
College Life
What To Bring To College – The Ultimate 2022 College Packing List
Are you having trouble knowing what to bring to college? We’ve got you covered! Check out this essential list of what to bring to college.
This post probably contains affiliate links. Our full disclosure is long, but you can find it here.
This post is all about the college packing list!
Going away for college is the beginning of a brand new journey. You are leaving home behind for three or four months to live in a place that you have never been to before.
You now have to go to classes, move into your dorm room and receive a whole new set of responsibilities since you are off on your own. This is a big transition for any college student because you are going from having to abide by your parents’ rules to forming ones of your own.
Your parents will still check in with you and make sure you are okay, but now, in college, you are allowed to become independent and make your own decisions.
Now, it is your turn to have faith in yourself and make the right choices, starting with preparing what to pack away for college. You are going to be away from home for a whole semester, so you have to make sure that you have all of the things you need.
You need accessories to jazz up your dorm room. You need enough personal care products to last the entire semester. You have to make sure that all your school supplies are packed in your backpack and that you are up to date with the latest electronics.
If you are fortunate to have your own kitchen in your dorm, you must have all of the right tools with you so that you can learn to cook your meals on campus. Through this guide to packing what you have to bring to college, you will know exactly what you need and get you on the right track!
In this article
- College Packing List for your Dorm Room
- College Packing List of School Supplies
- College Packing List of Kitchen Supplies
- Essentials for Cleaning and Bathroom
- Packing List of Personal Care Products
- Packing List of Electronics
- Food and Snacks
- Packing List of Fun Stuff
College Packing List for your Dorm Room
You can charge your phone and earbuds while simultaneously powering your lamp and laptop with this useful powerstrip.
It has 3 outlets, 4 USB cords, and a long, braided extension cord that is sturdy and durable.
With this handy tool, there will be no more overcrowded outlets between you and your roommates!
Keep your dorm room neat and organized with this laundry basket made by DOKEHOM.
When unfolded from its collapsed state, this hamper is 28” tall and 15” wide with aluminum handles for easy transport to the washroom.
Additionally, if you are having friends in your dorm, this laundry basket can be promptly folded up and put into your closet for easy storage.
Do you want a dorm room that always has a relaxing fragrance to it when you return after a long day of classes?
This diffuser has 8 soothing colors, 2 misting modes, and will run as long as it has water in it.
The essential oils are sold separately, but this diffuser will mark your first step into the amazing world of aromatherapy.
In your many college adventures, you always need to be prepared for any possible scenario and with this first aid kit by Johnson & Johnson, you can be one step ahead.
This kit comes with 140 pieces of emergency equipment including Band-Aids, Neosporin, hand wipes, gauzes, Benadryl itch cream, Tylenol tablets, and much, much more.
Spruce up the drab walls of your dorm with these wonderful string light decorations.
With 50 clips and 50 LED lights that stretch over 17 feet long, you can hang up all the pictures you desire.
Begin with old photos from high school, then add new ones that you took while away at college!
6. Personal Fan
Most of the time, when you have a roommate or two crammed into the same small dorm, there isn’t a lot of air circulation in your room.
This fan can change this by keeping the air flowing with its 2-speed manual control.
Due to its small size, this fan should be put on a nightstand or desk.
Related: College Move-In Day Hacks – The Comprehensive Guide
College Packing List of School Supplies
In college, you are going to need a good planner to help keep all of your classes, assignments, papers, and projects organized.
If you are as forgetful as I am, then this planner will do wonders for you!
It comes with 50 sheets of material and sections pertaining to certain tasks, ideas, notes, to-do lists, goals, and so on.
8. Mechanical Pencil Variety Pack
With this enormous pack of 60 mechanical pencils, you will probably never run out until you graduate.
This set comes with three different sized pencils ranging from thin (0.5 point) to average (0.7 point) to thick (0.9 point).
They are refillable, multicolored, and definitely an upgrade over the classic wooden pencil.
This travel laptop backpack with USB charging port is what every 15- year- old boy needs!
Comes with one separate laptop compartment which accommodates 15.6-inch laptops as well as 15-inch, 14-inch, and 13-inch laptops; one large packing compartment with plenty of space for daily needs and tech electronic accessories; and the front section comes with multiple compartments, pen pockets, and a key fob hook to keep his items organized and easily accessible.
And finally with a built in USB charger outside and built-in charging cable inside, this USB backpack offers him a more convenient way to charge his phone while walking.
10. Pen/Pencil Case
After you buy all your pens and pencils, you are going to need a cute case to store them in!
This case, made by EASTHILL, can hold up to 90 pencils or 50 pencils and has mini compartments to store all of your other trinkets.
The design is also very aesthetically pleasing and the product comes in 9 beautiful colors.
11. Office Clips Set
This is for the person who needs to have everything in their book bag so that they can be prepared for any scenario.
This set comes with 340 pieces of office supplies, including tacks, rubber bands, paper clips, binder clips, and key tags.
With this product, you may become the most organized person in your class!
12. 3-Hole Punch
If you like to store all of your class papers in your binder, then this hole punch is an absolute must-have.
In case your professor gives you a very long assignment, this tool can pierce up to 12 pages at once and it is made of alloy steel, so it won’t be breaking any time soon!
These might be the most gorgeous notebooks that I have ever seen.
This pack of 4 books comes with 160 pages each of A5 paper and durable double-ring binding.
However, what makes this set stand out is how aesthetically pleasing the style is!
They come in 4 lovely colors: wine red, brown, green, and ivory.
14. Highlighters
If you are the kind of person who loves to highlight their notes, these highlighters are the best tool for you.
They come in 6 pastel colors and have a clean chisel point so that you can highlight words with ease.
They are also very small, so they will fit perfectly into your pencil case.
Forget about buying regular sticky notes, this organizer might have the most impressive collection of notes that I have ever seen.
It comes with 2 sets of rectangular note pads as well as 6 sticky note index arrows.
Everything is held in a sleek leather box that comes with an added ruler!
16. 4-Pocket Binder
This is the binder that everyone should have.
It can hold up to 300 pages and has 4 expanding pockets, so you should be able to hold all of your notes, assignments, and exams.
This product is durable, so it will last you a long time, and a good size, so it will fit in your backpack nicely.
Related: 70 Best Dorm Gifts For College Students – The Complete Guide
College Packing List of Kitchen Supplies
How can you bring your amazing food creations to life without the proper tools?
This set has got you covered with 33 different utensils, perfect for any type of meal you are looking to prepare.
This includes a spatula, tongs, a measuring cup, tongs, a soup ladle, and much more.
Have a lovely cooking night with your friends and roommates!
18. 2-Slice Toaster
If there isn’t a toaster in your dorm room, it may be time to get one of your own.
This toaster looks like it is straight from the 1950s.
It is a great product for a college student who loves bread and bagels as much as they love a good retro aesthetic.
It would be the perfect addition to your dorm kitchen!
Once you are done cooking, baking, and preparing your meal, you are going to have to complete the next step: straightening up your kitchen.
This set of 5 brushes by Holikme is ideal for every part of your cooking space, from scrubbing your pots and dishes to polishing your pans and countertops.
Cutting up fresh fruit and vegetables in your dorm room is impossible with a good cutting board.
This set of three cutting boards in three varying sizes is exactly what you would be looking for.
These boards are made from rubber material which makes it difficult to slice through them and they are reversible as well, so you don’t have to cut meat and produce on the same side.
21. Digital Food Kitchen Scale
Certain recipes require an exact amount of an ingredient in order for the dish to come out just the way you want it to.
If you are cooking from scratch on a weekend, this kitchen scale is the way to go!
It gives accurate measurements in ounces and pounds, so your meals will always be flawless.
22. Kitchen Conversion Chart Magnet
This mini conversion chart is an absolute lifesaver.
With this magnet, you can convert liquid volumes and dry measurements with ease.
Unless you are the type of person who knows how many tablespoons go into a cup off the top of your head, this is the most useful accessory to stick on your mini-fridge or cabinet whenever you are cooking something new.
Essentials for Cleaning and Bathroom
This durable mesh caddy made by Attmu can organize your shower in seconds.
With 8 outer compartments, you can hold your combs, soaps, shampoos, conditioners, razors, and other bathroom accouterments.
Your bathroom space will be neat and free from clutter with this necessary accessory!
This mop is small but incredibly mighty and also very easy to use!
It functions with a push pedal to wring out the mop and the mop head can simply be disinfected in the washing machine.
It is perfect for cleaning up any little messes in your dorm room before your friends come over.
25. Tall Trash Bags, Set of 90
Between you, your roommates, and any visitors that you may have, your dorm room is going to have a lot of trash.
These Glad trash bags are cheaper when you buy them in bulk, with this set of 90 bags costing less than 20 dollars - a bargain in my opinion.
They are also lemon-scented, great for eliminating any foul odors wafting from your trash can.
26. Linen Towel Set
This towel set is exactly what you need for the bathroom in your college dorm. These towels come in a set of 6, with 2 bath towels, 2 hand towels, and 2 washcloths included. They are made with 100% cotton and are sold in a variety of colors, so be sure to choose your favorite!
If you track dirt into your dorm room, it can be quite frustrating to clean up your mess without the proper tools to do so. This broom and dustpan set is easy to use and can be easily stored in a closet or corner. There is also a comb on the inside of the dustpan so the bristles of the broom will always be clean the next time you use it!
Packing List of Personal Care Products
28. Face Masks
Honestly, you can’t beat 12 dollars for 12 masks. These are perfect for a mini spa day with your friends. They come in a variety of materials including peppermint, avocado, green tea, tomato, and so on, each with a different way to make your skin healthier.
29. Coconut & Honey Hand & Body Lotion –
This product is wonderful for those winter months on campus when your skin is really dry and cracked. The set includes hand lotion, body lotion, and a stick of lip balm, all made from natural ingredients like beeswax, honey, aloe vera, and sunflower seed. Everything is paraben-free, cruelty-free, and gluten-free with no added dyes or pigments!
30. Facial Tools
This is the perfect tool to use on a relaxing spa day after a week of assignments and exams. Made of pure Brazilian quartz, this jade roller and gua sha set alleviates inflammation, reduces puffiness, and relaxes your skin. You can even put these tools in the fridge for an extra bit of cool soothing power!
31. Beard Kit
For anyone looking to grow or maintain a luscious beard in college, then this kit may be just what you are looking for. This set comes with beard shampoo and beard balm, to help keep your beard full and healthy, as well as a beard comb and trimming scissors, for easy maintenance.
32. Under Eye Masks
After a long night of studying, these under eye masks will do wonders. They are good for reducing puffiness and inflammation and it tightens the skin under the eyes for a rejuvenated look. These masks also come in the color of 24k gold, so you can look simply stylish while you are waiting for the magic to happen.
33. Albolene Moisturizing Cleanser
Everyone needs a good moisturizer to hydrate their skin when they wake up in the morning. This cleanser by Albolene is not only a great moisturizer but it is good for removing makeup as well. It is made from only 5 simple ingredients with no soap or water required!
Related: 30 Best Dorm Room Ideas You Will Absolutely Need in College
Packing List of Personal Care Products
34. Scalp Massager
If you are looking for the perfect shower accessory that will relax your head after a stressful day in class, this scalp massager would be great for you! This product massages the scalp to reduce itchiness and promote blood circulation while preventing dandruff. It also comes in 9 cute colors!
With these healing patches, you don’t have to stress out about your skin anymore! This product comes with 96 total patches in two different sizes, 10 mm and 12mm. They are also vegan and cruelty-free. They can be worn all day and night, even throughout all your daily classes, to help get rid of any pesky skin blemishes.
If you don’t clean your pores often, you can get annoying pimples and blemishes. This device is the perfect pore cleanser that you need! The vacuum can be used in 2 intensity levels, so it works for those with sensitive skin and those with tough skin. It would be a very good addition to your skincare routine!
37. Foot File
When you spend all day walking around on campus, you can develop blisters and hardened skin on your feet that may be difficult to alleviate. This foot file will help remove any calluses or unnecessary skin on your foot so that they can become smooth and soft once again.
Packing List of Electronics
When you forget to charge your phone and it is on 1 percent battery with no charger in sight, it is one of the worst feelings in the world. This pack of 2 portable power banks eliminates the problem immediately. These banks are compatible with Google, Samsung, Apple, and Motorola models and include 2 USB ports, so you can charge two devices at once!
39. Sleep Headphones
These headphones are perfect for when you have trouble falling asleep and need soothing music to help wind your body down. This device could also be used while you are at the gym since they last for 10 hours of playtime in one charge and have a breathable headband.
If you are looking for a good device to play music in your dorm while you are studying, cleaning, or dancing, invest in the latest smart speaker from Amazon. You can listen to your favorite playlists from streaming services like Spotify, Apple Music, and SiriusXM, while also being connected to Alexa, Amazon’s virtual assistant.
41. 3-in-1 Wireless Charging Station
This wireless charging station is most useful for a college student who has all of the latest Apple products. With this device, you can charge your iPhone, Airpods, and Apple Watch all at the same time. It is compatible with recent Samsung models as well and is foldable and wireless for easy transport.
These are a durable pair of earbuds that will best suit any college student who loves to listen to their tunes all around campus. They can last for up to 8 hours with one charge and come with an active noise-canceling feature for the times when you are listening to music while studying and trying to avoid distractions.
Related: 50 Best College Apartment Decor Ideas – The Ultimate Guide
Food and Snacks
Most dorm rooms don’t have a stove or even a microwave, let alone a cooking appliance as messy as a deep fryer. However, this perfectly sized air fryer will do just the trick. It can cook up to 2 quarts of food without frying it in unhealthy oils and this reduces the fat content by 70 to 80 percent.
44. Food Storage Containers, 16-Pack
Don’t let any leftovers from last night go to waste! This set of 16 containers in 5 different sizes is just what you need to store any kind of food, from fruits and vegetables to the pizza you had for lunch that you want to save until tomorrow. It also comes with chalkboard labels and markers so you can always mark down when the contents will be expiring.
Every dorm needs a basic tableware set. This collection comes with 12 pieces of dinnerware, including 4 10-inch plates, 4 bowls, and 4 20-ounce cups. They are made of plastic so you don’t have to worry about losing an item or throwing something out by accident.
Become the king or queen of brunch with this adorable waffle maker! You will find yourself making 4-inch waffles every day if you have this cute machine. If you are feeling experimentative, you could also put hashbrowns or cookie dough in the maker and see what happens!
Packing List of Fun Stuff
47. Fitbit Versa 2
This step tracker is perfect for a student who is looking to get more active while they are away at college. The Versa 2 has so many features: it can play music, track your sleep schedule and your heart rate, can connect to Alexa, and last for at least 6 days without a charge. An essential product for those trying to be more fit!
48. Mini Projector
This mini projector is a must-have when you are having movie nights with your friends in your dorm room. It is compatible with laptops, smartphones, and TV boxes, so you can project any show or movie through these devices. This product is definitely more useful than just crowding around your computer!
49. Hand Warmers
These warmers are essential for those chilly winter months ahead, especially if you are a student going to college upstate. It can also be used as a power bank to charge your phone, 3 temperature levels ranging from “it’s a little cold outside, I need to keep my hands toasty” to “I just stuck my hands in the snow and I need to regain feeling in them once again.”
This clock looks like the strangest game of Scrabble ever played, but its unique design is a big draw for me! Not only does it look cool, but is still very useful, tracking the time through five-minute intervals. I think it would look perfect on someone’s nightstand in their dorm room.
Final Thoughts on College Packing List
Getting ready to leave for college is an incredibly difficult task because you are essentially leaving behind the life you had always known, at least for a few months, to a brand new environment.
You will become mostly surrounded by people you have never met before and you have to rely on your own decision-making to solve problems that may arise in the upcoming semester.
It may seem very overwhelming and it is easy to become stressed out during this period, especially with the preparations before you leave for college.
You want to make you have everything you need before you are off on your own, which includes your personal care products, electronics, kitchen supplies, and dorm accessories.
Hopefully, this list has helped guide you in choosing the right items to bring!
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College Life
The 30 Best Note Taking Apps – The Complete 2022 Guide
Are you looking for an easier way to take and organize your class notes? Check out these best note taking apps to help you raise your grades!
When taking notes in class, the most common way of taking them has always been with a paper and a pen, something that can be quite tiring and difficult to organize later.
In the middle of a class we may run out of ink, we may not have enough paper or we may not be able to write fast enough to keep up with the professor. And then after that, organizing the papers and folders can be a hassle.
For this reason and thanks to technology we can use our computer or our other various electronic devices to take notes in class. Taking notes from our devices can become something fundamental, since there are tools that allow us to have everything well organized and visually attractive.
Having good notes is essential in the long run when studying a series of subjects to prepare for midterms and final exams. To ease the time consuming task of taking notes, we can take them on the different models of electronics such as a tablet, phone, or laptop.
So here I leave you with the 30 best note-taking apps of 2022 to stay focused and get keep up those important grades of yours!
In this article
- Best Note Taking Apps for Mac (Ipad)
- Best Note Taking Apps for Windows (Android)
- Best Free Note Taking Apps
Best Note Taking Apps for Mac (Ipad)
1. Notability
Overview: Notability for iOS is a different notes app. And this is because it allows us to add written notes, both on its virtual or physical (external) keyboard and by hand thanks to the touch screen of the iPhone or iPad. It also allows for audio or graphic recording as well!
Pros:
- Capacity to insert audios directly into the notepad. Notability has the capacity to insert audio files such as recordings and voice memos into the notepad just as you´d import any other file. Adding content to the note while playing back the imported audio will sync that content with the recording.
- Page scrolling: With Notability you can scroll the pages up and down, so if you are a fan of the traditional PDF reader you will love this.
- Hyperlinks: Support for hyperlinks in typed text (web page addresses, phone numbers, emails).
Cons:
- Delete pages quickly: You can´t delete multiple pages quickly. Every page has to be independently selected and deleted via a tab menu. So that´s a major pain when you have to import a large document with many pages that you don’t want.
Price: Notability is now free to download, and will require a $15 per year subscription—or $12 per year for a limited time—to unlock all of its features.
Platforms: Available for iPad, Mac, and iPhone
2. Simplenote
Overview: Simplenote is an easy way to take notes, create to-do lists, capture ideas, and more. Open the app, type a few lines, and you’re good to go. As your collection grows, keep it organized with tags and pins, and find what you need with instant search.
Since Simplenote will sync with your devices for free, your notes will be with you at all times.
Pros:
- Very simple: Simplenote’s user interface is kept to a minimum. There are no formatting toolbars or extra features like notebooks to group notes. The entire desktop interface is comprised of a sidebar containing your tags and trash filters, a list of existing notes with search, a button to add a new note, and a simple view for looking at an existing note or writing a new one.
- Works Offline: Users can edit and create documents while offline, then sync their content the next time they connect to the internet. As a result, a user can work even when there is no data connection without fear of losing work.
- Time Machine: Each note edit is kept so that the user can return to a prior version of the document. This way, if you make a mistake or accidentally erase something, you may easily restore the previous version.
Cons:
- Search is limited to one tag: There appears to be no way to locate notes with both tags X and Y. This isn’t a major concern until you have a lot of notes and want to run a cross-search for two topics at the same time to limit down your results.
- No support for file attachments: Embedded attachments are not supported by Simplenote. This may limit the app’s usefulness for certain users, as many other note-taking apps include this capability.
Price: Simplenote is free to download, and Simplenote’s premium subscription costs $10 per year.
Platforms: Available for iOS, Android, Mac, Windows, Linux, or in your browser.
3. Noteshelf
Overview: You’ll love Noteshelf as a note-taking app. Take lovely notes in your own handwriting, much like you would on a notepad, but better. You may text, annotate PDFs, and make voice recordings.
Pros:
- Personalize your notepads: You can choose a cover for each of them and choose between different types of pages.
- Organize your notes into groups: Classify files within Noteshelf by folders.
- Protect your documents: Both notepads and folders can be protected from prying eyes.
- Labels in your notebooks: In this way, you can enter keywords that in the future will help you find what you are looking for.
Cons:
- Can´t move multiple pages at once.
Price: $9.99
Platforms: This app is available in the App Store for iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch and now on Android as well!
4. Liquid Text
Overview: LiquidText allows you to quickly examine, gather, and organize information across all of your papers and webpages, then use the results to write reports, prepare for meetings, or simply study.
Squeeze a document to contrast sections, draw lines to connect concepts in different papers, comment on many pages at once, expand on your ideas, and so much more!
Pros:
- Helpful hints: There are many useful indications in the shape of animations, chats, and dialogs.
- New Ways: This app allows you to design new ways of absorbing and viewing data from a variety of sources.
- Navigation: Easy navigation through longer documents.
- Send and receive: Good import and export functionality
Cons:
- Crowded: Work space gets crowded with lots of notes
Price: LiquidText is a free download on the App Store, but a $9.99 Pro upgrade is necessary to gain the new ink features.
Platforms: This app is available on the Appstore for iPad, Requires iPadOS 14.1 or later, and for Mac, Requires macOS 11.0 or later.
5. GoodNotes
Overview: Beyond handwriting, the ability to illustrate our notes, to add documents, images or texts, GoodNotes has a key idea: notepads. With this simple idea, it is postulated as a substitute for paper notebooks.
Pros:
- Inking: The inking of GN5 is preferred over the inking of other note-taking apps. GN5 ink seems closer to the native iOS notes ink.
- Organization: Superior file management, folder structure, and folders within folders.
- Shape Tool: The shape tool does not needlessly snap onto everything. The app does not dictate the decision of where to place each line. This gives you design freedom.
Cons:
- Images: The images aren’t well optimized. Images and backgrounds frequently disappear and return as you scroll through papers.
- PDF Size: Imported PDFs will have a preset page size that might be bigger than you like and this cannot be changed, but you can compress the document yourself before uploading it into the app.
Price: GoodNotes 5 costs $7.99 in the App Store as a one-time purchase.
Platforms: This app is available on an iPad, iPhone, iPod touch and Mac.
6. Whink
Overview: Whink lets you import PDFs to read and annotate, write and type new notes, or highlight and annotate existing ones.
It is a minimalist note taking app that is meant for anyone who just wants to take notes without the hassle of going through too many complicated features.
Pros:
- Simple: The app is very easy to use and understand, it can be used by almost any aged user. For adults who are not that good with technology, this will save their lives.
- Synced: The audio recordings are synced to the handwritten notes for easier and faster note taking.
- Pen: It has a chic gel ink pen and smart eraser for you to write clean and crisp handwritten notes.
Cons:
- Documents: Whink app does not support writing over web page documents.
- Minimalist: The app can seem minimalist and easy to use but it is also missing many important features.
- Search: Doesn´t let you search for keywords in your uploaded PDF.
Price: $ 4.99 one-time purchase.
Platforms: This app is available on an ipad and iphone.
7. Evernote
Overview: Evernote offers a wide range of complex modifiers and its own search syntax, making it much easier to find things. Evernote can also look for text strings in a variety of document types, such as Microsoft Office documents and PDFs.
Pros:
- Easy use: Data entry is simple – through typing, voice recording, and image capture.
- Data: Data can be stored, easily accessed and edited at any moment.
- Organizing: Helps you organize everything from your flight pass to your meeting notes, to-do list, and more.
- Search: The search of all notes, even scanned documents, is extremely fast and accurate.
Cons:
- Free Account: The free account includes a monthly data restriction of 60 MB, which can be expanded in order to expand the customer base.
- Offline: Notes cannot be accessed while offline browsing.
Price: Premium costs $7.99 per month and Business costs $14.99 per month.
Platforms: Evernote supports a number of operating system platforms including OS X, iOS, Chrome OS, Android, Microsoft Windows, Windows Phone, BlackBerry, and webOS.
8. Bear
Overview: Writers, lawyers, cooks, instructors, engineers, students, parents, and more utilize Bear, a focused, flexible notes app.
Bear’s rapid organization, editing capabilities, and export choices make it easy to write quickly and share anywhere while maintaining your privacy thanks to encryption.
Pros:
- Code: It’s got color code notes for a better organization.
- Images: You can add images directly into your notes.
- Sync: You can sync notes across multiple devices.
Cons:
- Available: Only available for Apple devices.
- Light: Extremely light on features.
- Paid: Syncing requires a paid plan.
Price: It costs $1.49 monthly, which offers a one-week free trial. It costs $14.99 annually, which has a one-month free trial.
Platforms: Available on iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple Watch.
9. ZoomNotes
Overview: ZoomNotes is the most comprehensive visual note-taking tool on the market, with an incredible zoom range. Make handwritten notes and sketches on large whiteboards, PDF files, pictures, and MS Word, Excel, and PowerPoint documents.
Pros:
- Pen Types: Choose from eight different pen types, including gel, nib, pencil, and more.
- Sticky Notes: Use sticky notes and create hierarchical visual files as sub-pages.
- Clips: Insert audio clips directly into your documents.
- Bookmarks: Save Bookmarks within your documents for quick and easy future reference.
Cons:
- Some users don’t like in-app purchases
Price: Free with in-app purchases
Platforms: The app is available for an iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, or Mac.
10. MarginNote 3
Overview: MarginNote is a program that allows you to read, annotate, and study long-form writings. Texts from EPUB and PDF can be imported and annotated using written text or highlights.
Users can choose different highlighter colors to represent different types of information, such as yellow for main ideas and blue for supporting details, and then display their highlighted text as an outline, flashcards (blue words on one side, yellow words on the other), or a mind map that shows how highlighted terms are related to one another.
Pros:
- Features: Flexible, extensive features give seemingly endless options for annotating and sorting preexisting texts into usable and organized notes.
- Pedagogy: While MarginNote won’t teach users anything in particular, its features give users many ways to sort info into formats that suit their preferred study modes.
- iCloud: The app syncs your PDFs and notes to iCloud so it is immediately available on all your I-devices. This feature is not available in any other apps with this PDF feature.
Cons:
- Complicated PDF reader: If you plan to use this software as your primary PDF reader, you’ll need to devote some time to learning how to use it, even if tutorials are available.
- No Auto backup: We don’t always remember to back up our files. That’s why it’s important to set up auto backup for your documents so that they’re backed up at regular intervals. You must manually back up your notes in MarginNote to a folder of your choice.
Price: Free with additional in-app purchases
Platforms: Available on iPhone, iPad, iPod touch.
Best Note Taking Apps for Windows (Android)
11. BlackNote
Overview: BlackNote is a black-and-white notes app for Android. This is the appropriate solution if the normal white background of most apps weary your eyes and you need a break.
Pros:
- Simple: Very easy to use, each gadget is self-explanatory.
- Easy to see: Its black background makes it easier to see without tiring eyes.
- Passwords: You can create notes with passwords so people can´t see them.
Cons:
- Doesn´t work: The checklist feature doesn´t work very well.
- Recover: It is not very easy to recover already deleted notes.
Price: It’s free!
Platforms: Android
12. ClearNote
Overview: ClearNote is a note app for Android made by the creator of BlackNote. It’s basically the same app except it’s colorful.
Pros:
- Bar: The ClearNote Bar appears in the top widget sections of your home screen and gives you access to ClearNote app, YouTube, Camera, Watch, Calculator, and Web Search.
- Ease: It lets you manage and maintain all the significant notes, to-do lists, checklists, and other notes facilities with real ease.
- Widgets: It provides note list widgets and sticky note widgets with transparency configuration.
Cons:
- Home screen: The notes on the home screen don´t immediately change when you edit them.
Price: Free with in-app purchases
Platforms: Android phone or tablet
13. Dropbox Paper
Overview: Create new documents or edit existing files, and share them with your team directly from the app so you can capture your inspiration wherever you are.
Pros:
- Free: This is a free product giving many advantages to users and at the same time, very easy to use. It lets you use your creativity for an excellent result!
- Integrate: This program has the ability to integrate many other programs and applications.
- Collaboration: Team members can each edit and view changes in real time.
Cons:
- Confusing: The default folder view is unappealing, and the slow to adjust UI can be confusing, resulting in the creation of many empty documents rather than opening an existing one.
Price: Free
Platforms: Android, iPhone and iPad
14. FiiNote
Overview: FiiNote is a professional application that allows you to create and store notes.
Pros:
- Complete: It’s compatible with a keyboard.
- Handwriting: It´s one of the best note taking apps for writing with your hand.
- Simple: Everything is very simple and easy to use.
Cons:
- Bugs: Some problems with moving objects, they may appear and disappear or appear in a different place.
Price: Free
Platforms: Android phone and tablet
15. Bundled Notes
Overview: Bundled Notes is a beautiful, cross-platform note-taking, writing, list-making, and to-do app.
Pros:
- Complete: Notes and to-do lists in one app, with reminders.
- Boards: Support for kanban-style boards.
- Editor: Markdown editor that is easy to use and has no character limit.
Cons:
- Drawing: No drawing tools
- Sharing: No sharing options
Price: There’s a monthly tier going for $1.89, but you can also choose to pay for the yearly subscription at $15.
Platforms: Android phone and tablet
16. OneNote
Overview: OneNote is the digital notebook to organize your thoughts, discoveries and ideas and simplify your planning of special moments in your life. Microsoft OneNote lets you take notes on your mobile phone and sync them across all your devices.
Pros:
- Organization: It has Notebooks and sections and then individual notes allowing organization.
- Multi- format: They are multi-format – Pictures, words, formatting and can move things around the page.
- Accessible: The information is accessible both online and offline once synced to the computer.
Cons:
- Multiple: Not able to work with multiple notes at the same time.
Price: Basic (free) Premium ($7.99 per month) Business ($14.99 per user, per month)
Platforms: Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android.
17. Squid
Overview: Take notes by hand naturally on your Android tablet or phone! With Squid you can write as you would on paper but using a stylus, rubber-tipped pencil, or your finger.
You can easily fill out PDF forms, edit/grade papers, or sign documents. As well as import images, draw figures, add text to your notes, quick select, copy/paste, move objects between pages and notes.
Pros:
- Flexible: You can resize, duplicate, and annotate images with flexible image capabilities.
- Versatility: Multiple styles of background templates add versatility.
Cons:
- Missing: Missing some features that are standard in other digital notebooks, such as tags, folders, sync, and a search bar.
Price: Free
Platforms: Android phone and tablet.
18. Notion
Overview: Notion is a hybrid of a project management tool and a note-taking app. It combines the best features of both kinds of software.
Pros:
- All in one: You can do the work of several different apps all in Notion.
- Teams: It has the option for collaborating editing.
- Versatility: You can use Notion for personal, freelance business and planning startups.
Cons:
- Mess: Because of its versatility it’s very easy to create a mess using the app.
- Confusing: While the integration of products into Notion’s all-in-one software is generally convenient, it can be confusing and disorganized at times.
Price: Free download with option of $4/month personal plan.
Platforms: Android, iOS, Mac and Windows
19. Standard Notes
Overview: Standard Notes is a concise and private note-taking app. It securely syncs your notes across all of your devices, including Android, Windows, iOS, Linux, and the web.
Pros:
- Safety: Standard Notes encrypt your notes and information.
- Useful features: Has more features: tagging, markdown, themes.
- Sync: It is transparent about sync status and progress. When you open Standard Notes on your phone, there’s a little bit of text that counts up the notes that have been synced and saved in real time. No more fear or uncertainty about whether your notes actually synced.
Cons:
- Slow: Syncing+decrypting notes on mobile can sometimes be a little slow—and can sometimes make the app crash if it takes more than a second or two.
Price: Free download and in-app purchases for $4.17 per month.
Platforms: Microsoft Windows, MacOS, Linux, Android, iOS
20. Nebo
Overview: Nebo is capable of combining handwriting and text in a single word, sentence, or paragraph. No other note-taking app allows you to write when it’s convenient and type when it suits you.
Both active and passive styluses are now supported by the app. You can now write in the app with your fingers.
Pros:
- Converting: Best handwriting – converting app
- Languages: Supports 66 languages
- Equations: Supports Math and Chemical equations
Cons:
- Instances: Doesn´t support multiple instances
- Images: You can´t drag and drop images
- Recycle: Contains no recycle bin
Price: Free download and for complete features it costs just $11.42
Platforms: Windows, iPadOS, Android, ChromeOS
Best Free Note Taking Apps
21. Google Keep
Overview: Google Keep enables users to take plain-text notes and organize, edit, and share them with others via a suite of collaboration tools. You can also use Google Keep to record voice notes and set time and location-based reminders.
Pros:
- Search: The search functionality on the app is great.
- Pictures: Allows pictures to be part of the notes.
- Layout options:
Cons:
- Bugs: The iOS app occasionally becomes unresponsive and does not update your notes (does not display new notes from other devices or computers); this issue must be resolved by reinstalling the app.
- Space: Can take a lot of space of your Google account´s quota
Price: Free
Platforms: Apple and Android mobile devices plus a web app
Related: Amazon Prime For Students – How to Save Hundreds Every Year with Prime
22. Slite
Overview: Slite is a collaborative knowledge sharing app that improves teamwork even when members are separated. Slite is the place to keep your team’s wiki, organize project documentation, share company updates, and even keep personal notes.
Pros:
- Simple: The user is not distracted by the variety of features available. It just comes to you.
- Layout Options: The layout options for placing elements, along with all of the widgets available, make Slite a powerful tool while keeping the overall user experience light and intuitive.
- Meetings: Slite makes it extremely simple to create docs in which you can not only organize, add tips, and charts, but also collaborate with another team or team member on the fly, in meetings!
Cons:
- Small: Very small things, issues with how tables look on large monitors.
- Convenience: a more convenient interface for “tracking changes” or seeing what has recently changed.
Price: Free
Platforms: iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Android
23. NotesWriter
Overview: Whether it’s today’s journal entry, tomorrow’s thesis, or a future bestselling novella, you have handwritten notes, a business memo to share, an essay to write, a story to tell, an article to edit, or a lecture to record.
All of your notes and documents can be created, edited, and organized in one location using Notes Writer.
Pros:
- PDF: One of the best apps for PDF reading.
- Brightness: It has a convenient option to adjust the brightness.
- Multitasking: Having open tabs is great for multitasking and studying.
Cons:
- Limit: There are roughly 36 pre-made notes and 6-7 folders included with the free software. When you try to create your own folders or notes, it warns you that the free version has hit its limit and that you must upgrade to have limitless notes.
Price: There´s a free version
Platforms: iOS and Android
24. Grammarly
Overview: Grammarly is an academic writing application that automates grammar, proofreading, and writing revision. Grammarly examines and checks a piece of text you’ve written for errors.
The free edition covers the essentials, while the subscription version goes a step further by providing stylistic and best-writing-practice recommendations.
Pros:
- Real time correction: Instead of writing everything out and then selecting the “check spelling and grammar” button, you’ll be able to tell straight away whether you’ve made a mistake.
- Highly accurate: There aren’t many mistakes made by this grammar software. It may occasionally misread what you’re trying to say or insert a comma where one isn’t required or desired, but it has a high rate of accuracy overall.
- Easy: Grammarly doesn’t just tell you when you’ve made a mistake. While that would be fine, this program takes a step further by providing explanations so that you can learn and develop.
Cons:
- Doesn´t work on everything: Grammarly does not work with Google Docs, which might be a big pain for those of you who rely on this writing program on a regular basis.
Price: Free with in product purchases
Platforms: Android and iOS devices
25. Paper
Overview: As a productivity tool, this app has a lot of potential. It can be used to jot down notes, brainstorm ideas, or draw out a tale. Paper’s adaptability allows you to blend the arts and productivity while working with digital technologies.
Pros:
- Pictures: You can organize, easily cut, and add pics and edit them.
- Quick: The ability to easily use and switch tools.
- Control: Gives greater control over the graphic elements that you are able to add to notes and sketches.
Cons:
- Brushes: The brushes are not very precise, which makes it hard to be exact.
- Tools: Very limited tools in the free version.
Price: Free
Platforms: iPhone, iPad and iPod touch
Related: 30 Best Blogs for Teenagers – The Ultimate 2022 Guide
26. Ulysses
Overview: Ulysses is a distraction-free, minimalist writing tool that works with both short and long-form projects. It is used by bloggers, authors, and content providers to write articles, novels, and other types of material.
Pros:
- One place: The app stores your writing in one single place.
- Distraction: Distraction free interface.
- Exporting: Comes with a lot of exporting options available for you to share your work and notes.
Cons:
- Template: No pre-designed templates
- Cost: The citation machine costs money.
- Only with sheets: Because Ulysses only works with sheets, there are no unique features or arrangements for taking notes or rapidly writing down uncooked ideas for future reference.
Price: Free version, paid version
Platforms: Mac, iPad, iPhone
27. My Note Taking
Overview: Perfect and simple notepad for journaling and taking notes everywhere you go.
Pros:
- Easy: Clean and beautiful interface with easy-to-understand functions.
- Search: With the quick search feature, you can find your notes faster.
- Customize: You can customize font size and style.
Cons:
- Ads: Full screen ads may pop up on your screen.
- Keyboard: The keyboard may sometimes block the words.
Price: Free
Platforms: OS: iOS, iPhone, iPad
Related: Bullet Journal Ideas – The Ultimate Step-by-Step Guide for Beginners
28. Zoho Notebook
Overview: Zoho Notebook is a free note-taking app by Zoho Corp, a cloud-based software business that specializes in low-cost solutions. Over the previous few years, Notebook has constantly evolved, and it now syncs your notes across all major platforms and the web.
Pros:
- Quick: Saves information in a quick way.
- User friendly: It’s incredibly user-friendly, with vibrant color note pages, and it takes very little time to install on most platforms.
- Customize: You are able to customize the covers of my notebooks as well as the color of each note.
Cons:
- Shortcuts: Lack of shortcuts which is frustrating when working on multiple tabs.
- Cards: Notes are presented as cards, there is no option to have a list view, which takes less space.
Price: Free
Platforms: Android and iOS mobile devices, macOS, Windows, Linux, and the web.
29. Quip
Overview: Take notes, organize your to-do lists, and collaborate with co-workers. Share folders to organize your projects at home or in the office. You can use all the functions perfectly without an internet connection: as soon as you reconnect everything is synchronized.
Pros:
- Concise: When your team needs to quickly brainstorm and scribble down ideas, Quip is a terrific tool to employ. It removes all extraneous formatting and user interface options, leaving you with a blank canvas on which to work smarter.
- Functionalities: Import and export functionalities are really good.
- Cloud: Having your notes accessible via the cloud is a fantastic way to stay on top of things.
Cons:
- Limited: Text formatting controls are limited.
- PDFs: Doesn´t work well with PDFs
Price: Free
Platforms: iOS and Android
30. Nimbus Note
Overview: Nimbus Note is a cross-platform information repository and note-taking application that lets users make and update notes, customize screenshots, save web pages, and share files with their peers quickly.
Pros:
- Sync: Note-taking web app which has a fully syncing android and ios app.
- Tons of features: Excellent organizational options (workspace, folders, multiple levels of subfolders), and a plethora of functionality.
- External elements: Ability to integrate external elements into a note as “Embed.
Cons:
- Order: Impossible sorting (defining the order of) workspaces and notes manually.
Price: Free
Platforms: iOS and Android
Final Thoughts
Taking good notes in class is essential, they help extend the teacher’s explanation, which then facilitates success in exams.
Taking notes with a pen and a paper brings with it the idea of boredom and quickness; students might just see it as an obligation of just jotting in everything that comes out of their teacher´s mouth in such a fast way they are not even understanding the meaning of their notes.
But today, with such advanced technologies, all those applications to write notes have saved and can save many students’ and adults’ lives at the time of writing their notes, ideas, or whatever crosses their minds.
These applications bring with them a number of tools that not only work for writing down each idea, but also let you organize everything your way, letting it look clean, colorful and even with incorporated images, videos and audios.
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