Technology can really make life so much simpler. Only a few years ago you would have had to write all your essays out by hand and study big, heavy books. The internet has not only made a lot of information easily accessible, there are also websites that can help you to revise.
Here are our best websites for helping university students study more effectively.
1. Online Flashcards
Study Blue allows you to create online flashcards for revision on the go. The website can be used on your mobile or desktop or both. It allows you to upload your own material or create flashcards from the content they already have online. Subjects range from art history right through to aviation,
Alongside flashcards you can also create quizzes and review sheets, and share them with those on your course. The website lets you track your results and will keep testing you on the questions you are struggling to answer rather than the things you already understand.
2. Read with ease (https://www.readability.com/apps)
Web pages are often surrounded by links and adverts, but if you are trying to use them as a study tool, this can be distracting. Enter the page you want to read and this website will clean it up and can also send the formatted text to your reader, tablet or mobile phone.
You can also add Readability to your browser so that when you are scrolling through pages, you can save them to read later, or have the article sent directly to your Kindle or any other device, which also means that once loaded they are available offline.
3. Be kind to your eyes
Computers are designed for work during the day, when there is plenty of natural light to balance out the blue glow of the screen. But every so often you need to work after dark. F.lux (https://justgetflux.com/) installs a programme on your computer that makes your computer screen change to a warm glow that will be much nicer for your eyes. All you need to do is tell it where you live and what kind of lighting you have. Blue computer light also tends to keep you awake, so installing this app could mean less time procrastinating on the internet at bedtime and more time sleeping.
4. Block out distracting noises (https://www.simplynoise.com/classic/)
Background noise can be disturbing when you are trying to read or study, and although some people can listen to music, others find it even more of a distraction. Simply noise allows you to play white, pink or brown noise (different frequencies) through your computer speakers or headphones that not only blocks out external sounds but also helps you focus.
5. Read 45,000 free ebooks (https://www.gutenberg.org/)
Project Gutenberg has digital versions of texts that are no longer in copyright. This includes the classics in many different languages and non-fiction subjects including law, zoology and history. A recent addition to the website means that the texts are now grouped together by topic and genre, which could lead you to books that allow you to read around your chosen subject. You can either read them online or download them to your e reading device.
6. Try listening instead of reading (https://librivox.org/)
The lovely people at LibriVox know that reading can sometimes feel like a chore, so they started a project to get people reading text and books and recording them for other people. The section dedicated to plays is the best, as each character is voiced by a different person. You can also listen to texts in foreign languages.
7. Get your citations right (https://www.easybib.com/)
One of the most frustrating things about writing essays is creating a bibliography. Easybib has a great free resource which allows you to enter websites, books, journals and even comic books in MLA citation format. Not only will this save you a lot of time, but it will ensure that bibliography follows the same format.
8. Check if a website is working (https://www.downforeveryoneorjustme.com/)
It can be annoying when the website you are trying to use for research on suddenly fails. This nifty website allows you to see if there’s a problem with the site or whether it’s something at your end.
9. Broaden your horizons with TED (https://www.ted.com/)
We can guarantee that you will be sharing some of the great things you learn on this website with your classmates. TED attracts some of the most creative thinkers in the world, as well as designers, scientists and business people. The lectures are so interesting that you often forget you are learning as you go, and there are almost 2,000 talks to inspire you.
Often the internet is seen as a distraction to studying rather than a tool to help you focus. These nine website prove that theory wrong, by helping you find the resources you need and focus on the work that you need to do.
Websites can also be a great place to find out about apprenticeships and graduate jobs. Enterprise has many roles you might find interesting, so take a look.
