Life as an online MBA student means that you’re probably going to be studying anywhere but in a classroom on campus. Studying online is definitely a more flexible option since students have the freedom to choose to study wherever and whenever suits them best. But on the other hand, this can lead to lots of distractions, particularly at home, where you might have your partner, kids, or even the TV or the pile of washing up taking your attention away from the task at hand.
To help you focus and make the most of your online study time, there are plenty of tools and apps that you can download. Some are designed to help directly with learning, while others can be used for other purposes, but tend to be great for students as well. Check out the following apps and tools that you might find useful as you get your online MBA.
Unstuck
As an online student getting your MBA from Redlands Online, discipline is going to be key to your success. Not only will being organized and disciplined help you get better grades now, but it’ll also stand you in good stead for the future when the time comes to look for career positions.
Procrastination and mental blocks can be huge productivity killers when you’re studying for your MBA online. This app provides a handy tool that allows you to explore how you are currently feeling, then use option cards to help you with strategies to get out of whatever state of mind you feel you are in. You might feel:
- Indecisive
- Stumped
- Overwhelmed
- Unmotivated
- Anxious
- Conflicted
These are all common feelings for online students, but if you don’t know how to get yourself out of that state of mind, you could risk wasting time. The app will help you determine how you feel and give you some great options to choose from to help you shake it off and find your mojo.
Scanner Mini by Readdle
As an online MBA student, you’re probably able to submit most of your assignments, essays and other documents online. If you have tests or exams, they’re probably done online too. But even online students might find themselves with a need to scan documents, whether it’s a few pages of a book or some handwritten notes that you want to save on your computer.
But going to campus is probably not something that you do often, if at all, and purchasing a scanner or all-in-one printer can be expensive if you don’t need to use it frequently. That’s where this app comes in handy; Scanner Mini is free or you can pay $2.99 for Scanner Pro to enjoy more features. You can scan any printed or written documents into PDF files, and share them via:
- Evernote
- Dropbox
- Airprint
- Fax
- Google Drive
Dragon Dictation
Whether you’re reading online materials while studying or listening to an online lecture, needing to take notes when you don’t have your hands free can be frustrating. Dragon Dictation is a voice recognition software program that has been around for years, but the mobile app version is relatively new.
As an online student, you might be juggling a range of different responsibilities, which is where this app can help you save time on note-taking. Instead, of sitting down to write your notes down, you can recite and record them. You might even be able to do other small tasks simultaneously as you learn like preparing lunch or washing the dishes.
instaGrok
Being organized is key to success as an online MBA student. And, the instaGrok app is a great tool to help you organize everything and come up with learning plans that suit you best. You can use the app to organize your research and notes into:
- Concept maps
- Key fact lists
- Journals
- Videos
The app is designed to be an ‘educational search engine’, which takes your desired phrase or keyword and produces concept maps and more. Plus, you’ll get a tabbed dialog box of key facts, websites, images, videos, and other related concepts when you search for a term. You can also add your own notes.
IFTTT
IFTTT is an app that can be used to organize many different areas of your life. The concept involves a variety of different web services called Applets that are chained together, and you can program the app to do certain things when actions are taken. You can use it to help productivity and health by linking it to your bank account and regarding yourself for tasks like revising or going to the gym.
Have you used any of these apps as an online student? Do you recommend any others that we’ve missed?
