According to the 2012 Survey of Online Learning, thirty-two percent of higher education students now take at least one course online. What’s more, in another recent Babson Survey Research Group study, 62.4 percent of colleges surveyed offer fully online degree programs, which is almost double the number of schools that did so a decade ago.
Staying motivated and organized when you’re studying online (or on campus) can be tough. To combat this issue—and to help students improve their scholastic achievement—here are five effective digital tools that online students can use to help keep you in good academic standing:
- Using Soshiku, college students can better manage courses and assignments by tracking when a deadline is approaching. This personal planning tool will even notify them via email or SMS before assignments are due.
- According to Mashable.com, Notely—a solution for taking notes and staying organized – can help students maintain their course and assignment calendar. This unique digital tool also offers note-taking tools and a to-do list, to help remind students of deadlines.
- Goal tracker 43Things enables users to enter a list of things that they would like to accomplish. The tool also has a social function that allows other users to “cheer” students on until their goal is reached, further rewarding and motivating them to succeed in school
- InClass allows students to take text, audio, and video notes. Using the app, they can snap photos of valuable information in the classroom, too—including handouts and slides. The free iOS app’s task management tool will help students keep track of their schedules and assignment due dates, as well as share them on Facebook.
- Great for procrastinators, StudyRails lets students schedule study time and alerts them via SMS when they need to hit the books. This digital tool can help students avoid distractions—such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram—and block out Web sites and computer applications during scheduled study or homework time.
Even the most sophisticated digital tool can’t help students stay organized unless they use it. Thus, it’s important for students to be consistent and realistic as to how such tools can help them accomplish their academic goals.
Written by Mandy Fricke and edited by Laura Morrison, the Content Manager of GradSchools.com. To learn more about online programs, click here.
