Discover the best planning apps for students! Elevate your productivity with top-notch organization tools tailored for academic success.
Staying organized and managing time effectively are critical skills for academic success. With busy class schedules, long to-do lists, and competing priorities, students need helpful tools to plan their days and keep on top of responsibilities. Planning and scheduling apps provide customizable solutions to fit individual student needs.
By leveraging the features of the best planning apps, students can become more productive and reduce stress. The ability to block off study sessions set reminders, collaborate with classmates, track assignments, and visualize schedules can lead to better work habits. Finding the right app makes it simple to schedule classes, organize tasks, manage projects, and meet deadlines.
| Key Takeaway Points from the Article |
|---|
| – Planning apps enhance organization and time management for academic success. |
| – Upbase, Notion, Google Calendar, Todoist, Trello, Power Planner, and others offer task management, reminders, collaboration, and customization features. |
| – Consider factors like platforms, integration, pricing, and ease of use when selecting the right planning app. |
| – Tips include time blocking, setting reminders, collaborating, and analyzing productivity for maximum benefits. |
| – Consistent use reduces stress, improves grades and focus, fostering good time management habits. |
| – While apps provide organization templates, success requires student effort and discipline. |
| – Test different apps to find the best fit for your study flow and preferences. |
| – Integrating planning apps optimizes schedules, productivity, and paths to academic success. |
This article will explore the top 11 best planning apps for students. Whether you need to schedule every hour of the day or track upcoming tests and assignments, there are great options to choose from. We will cover the key features of each app and their pricing options. You’ll also find tips on how to maximize planning apps for success.
With the right planning app, you can enter the new semester feeling organized, prepared, and ready to thrive.
Best Planning Apps for Students
Here are some of the best planning apps for students. To be able to make the best out of these apps, you must make sure you know how to create a study plan. This earlier post about the “Ultimate Study Schedule Guide for Academic Success” will help you understand how the planning process works.
1. Google Calendar
As part of Google Workspace, Calendar is a free and intuitive scheduling app. Easy-to-use features for creating events, setting reminders, color coding calendars, and configuring view settings help students stay on top of classes, meetings, and deadlines. Calendar integrates directly with Gmail, Drive, Tasks, and more.
Using Google Calendar in combination with Google Sheets, you can create the perfect schedule without splashing any cash on premium packages. This earlier guide about “How to Create a Study Schedule Online” explains how you can do that easily.
Pricing:
A completely free version is available.
2. Todoist
With customizable task features, Todoist enables students to track assignments and break down projects into manageable steps. Tools like priority levels, due dates, notifications, labels, filters, and productivity analytics help boost the organization. Todoist also facilitates collaboration for group projects and sharing tasks with classmates.
Pricing:
- Free version available.
- The personal plan ($4/month) offers unlimited tasks and reminders.
- Business plan ($6/month) provides additional admin tools for teams.
3. Notion
This powerful workspace app is fully customizable to fit any student’s needs. Key features include calendars, task lists, notes, wikis, and databases to organize absolutely everything. Notion enables students to track assignments, plan projects, take notes, and more in one place. Flexible widgets allow you to view your schedule exactly how you want.
Pricing:
- Free version available.
- Plus plan ($8/user/month) offers unlimited blocks of storage.
- Business plan ($15/user/month) provides onboarding assistance.
4. Trello
Trello empowers students to organize their workflows into customizable boards and lists. By breaking down projects into cards in various stages, it’s easy to track progress. Trello facilitates collaboration through mentions, assignments, comments, and attachments. Other key features include due dates, reminders, calendar integration, and mobile apps.
Pricing:
- Free version available.
- Business Class ($10/month) offers administrative tools, advanced checklists, and templates.
- Enterprise ($17.50/month) provides additional security and support.
5. Power Planner
Specifically designed for students, Power Planner provides features to stay on top of classes, assignments, activities, and goals. Planner extends beyond basic scheduling to include progress tracking, productivity analytics, reminders, notes, and habit builders to help students succeed.
Pricing:
- Free version available.
- Plus ($2.99/month) and Pro ($4.99/month) offer premium customization, themes, and support.
6. myHomework Student Planner
This cross-platform app allows students to track homework, assignments, classes, and tasks in one place. Useful tools include schedule creation, reminders, notes, grade/GPA calculator, and color-coded calendar integration. myHomework also provides productivity analytics to help build better study habits.
Pricing:
- Free version available.
- Premium ($4.99/year) offers additional customization, widgets, and features.
7. iStudiez Pro
iStudiez Pro provides robust project, homework, and time management tools for students. Planners can schedule classes and assignments, set notifications, organize tasks, and view calendar-based productivity reports. Group messaging and document sharing also facilitate academic collaboration.
Pricing:
- Standard ($2.99) and Pro ($4.99) versions are available as one-time purchases.
8. Egenda
Egenda offers user-friendly calendar and scheduling features tailored for academic life. Students can easily add classes, track assignments, set reminders, organize tasks, and view schedule overviews. The daily planner view simplifies time management and planning each day. Egenda also lets you collaborate with classmates and share calendars.
Pricing:
- Free version available.
- Premium ($2.99/month) offers expanded cloud storage, themes, and customization.
9. My Study Life
My Study Life empowers students to organize schedules, assignments, exams into an intuitive calendar. Useful features include task prioritization, reminders, study planners, notes, grade tracking, and statistics to boost productivity. Students can also collaborate with peer-to-peer study groups.
Pricing:
- Free version available.
- Premium ($2.99/month) offers additional customization and support.
10. Microsoft To Do
Microsoft’s task manager app provides a simple yet powerful tool for students to stay organized. Useful features include creating personalized task lists, setting reminders, due dates, and notes. To Do enables students to prioritize assignments, break down projects, and track progress across courses and activities.
Pricing:
- Free with Microsoft account. Can integrate with Outlook, Edge, and other Microsoft apps.
11. Forest
Forest takes a unique approach to time management by gamifying focus. By growing virtual trees when staying off your phone, it incentivizes distraction-free study sessions. Forest lets you schedule tasks with timers and productivity analytics to build better habits.
Pricing:
- Free version available.
- Premium ($2.99/month) offers advanced settings and planting real trees.
Choosing the Right Planning App
With so many options, it can seem daunting to select the best planning app for your needs as a student. Here are some key factors to consider when evaluating planning apps:
- Platforms – Make sure the app is available on your devices, such as iOS, Android, Mac, Windows, etc.
- Features – Look for features that suit your planning style, like schedulers, reminders, notes, calendars, and list managers.
- Customization – Seek out apps that allow you to customize views, settings, themes, widgets, etc. to match your preferences.
- Integration – Choose an app that will sync across your devices and integrate with other tools you use.
- Collaboration – If you want to coordinate with groups, find an app that enables task sharing and communication.
- Price – Most apps offer free versions with upgrade capabilities. Decide what price point provides sufficient value.
- User experience – Test some apps to determine which has an interface and workflow that appeals to you.
The right planning app should streamline your academic life, not complicate it further. Find an app aligned with your individual study system that enhances how you already organize and schedule. Testing different options can help determine the best planning fit.
Comparison of the Best Planning Apps for Students
Let’s compare the best apps for students in a single table.
| App | Key Features | Pricing |
|---|---|---|
| Notion | Notes, tasks, wikis, databases, calendars | Free version available. Personal ($5/month). Team ($8/month). |
| Google Calendar | Event creation, reminders, integration | Free |
| Todoist | Task lists, due dates, notifications, labels | Free version available. Personal ($4/month). Business ($6/month). |
| Trello | Boards, lists, cards, due dates, reminders | Free version available. Business Class ($10/month). Enterprise ($17.50/month). |
| Power Planner | Progress tracking, analytics, habits | Free version available. Plus ($2.99/month). Pro ($4.99/month). |
| myHomework | Schedule, reminders, grades, notes | Free version available. Premium ($4.99/month). |
| iStudiez Pro | Planners, notifications, documents | Standard ($2.99). Pro ($4.99). |
| Egenda | Daily planner, reminders, collaboration | Free version available. Premium ($2.99/month). |
| My Study Life | Tasks, reminders, statistics | Free version available. Premium ($2.99/month). |
| Microsoft To Do | Task lists, reminders, due dates | Free with Microsoft account. |
| Forest | Focus timers, productivity analytics | Free version available. Premium ($2.99/month). |
Tips for Maximizing Planning App Effectiveness
To get the most out of your chosen scheduling and planning app, incorporate these tips:
- Effective Time Blocking
Block out specific times for classes, studying, assignments, and even free time. Scheduling your days in advance leads to better time management.
- Setting SMART Goals
Use the SMART framework (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound) to set productive goals and break down larger projects.
- Utilizing Reminders
Enable push notifications to receive reminders about upcoming events, tasks, and deadlines so nothing falls through the cracks.
- Collaborative Planning
If working on group projects, take advantage of collaboration features to assign tasks, share notes, and keep everyone on track.
- Analyzing Productivity
Use productivity analytics and reports in your app to identify strengths and weaknesses so you can continually optimize your study habits.
- Routines and Consistency
Build consistent daily and weekly planning routines rather than just occasionally adding tasks. This reinforces habits.
- Review and Adjust
Take time to review your schedules and plans, making any necessary adjustments to stay organized and on top of your studies.
Implementing these tips will help maximize the effectiveness of your chosen app and support greater productivity and success as a student. Find a planning system that works best for your needs and use it consistently.
Let’s wrap up
Knowing the best planning apps for students is just a piece of the puzzle. You need some tips and guidance to properly manage your time. There is a “101 Time Management Tips for Students PDF File ‘ uploaded just to help you manage your time. This PDF in combination with the apps, you should be good to go.
Utilizing a planning app can provide students with a simple yet powerful tool to stay organized and effectively manage time. With so many options to choose from, find an app that suits your individual needs and integrate it into your daily academic life.
Schedule everything from classes to assignments, to social commitments. Enable reminders and notifications to avoid missing important deadlines. Use productivity features to analyze your habits and stay disciplined. Whether you need detailed project management or just a basic weekly planner, there is a scheduling app to match your needs.
While no app can do the work for you, having a customized system to plan out your days and weeks will provide structure. With a clear overview of classes, tests, group projects, and more, you can focus energy on excelling at academics rather than just struggling to keep up. Find an app with features aligned to your study style and start planning your path to success.
These planning apps offer great templates—but remember, the effort toward improving your time management and organization still requires self-discipline! Form good habits with your selected app and witness your productivity reach new heights.