By Samantha Bradsky | Reporter
Technology bombards every aspect of student life, from the phone alarm going off in the morning to the constant stream of digital feedback throughout the day. How can technology work for students and not against them?
Omaha, Neb., junior Trevi Ray and Carroll Crowson, associate director for the Center for Academic Success and Engagement (CASE), suggested a few apps to improve productivity.
1. Asana
“[Asana] is a digital planning and organizing system where you can create a project and compile a bunch of information there,” Ray said. “If you’re writing an article, for example, and you need your photo and your interview and some other information in one place, you can upload it all to one project in Asana. You can also share it with other people, so more than one person can work on a project.”
Predominantly, the app is used for its team-based management capabilities.
2. A Pomodoro app
“I started a podcast a few years ago that is called Student Success Stories, and I remember hearing a lot of students mention a Pomodoro app,” Crowson said.
Pomodoro refers to a technique engaging a unique productivity system for procrastinators and the easily-distracted. The concept utilizes a 25-minute timer for focused work, followed by a short break. The process repeats three times before segueing into a 20- to 30-minute break. All of that constitutes one Pomodoro cycle, according to the technique creator’s website.
Multiple apps have embedded the Pomodoro technique — including Pomofocus, a web-based version; Focus Keeper-Time Management; Pomodoro-Focus Timer; and Forest-Your Focus Motivation — which use multiple additional modes to boost productivity.
3. Grammarly
Grammarly is a web extension and AI-based grammar corrector. It actively scans text and gives suggestions, general corrections and feedback.
“I am terrible at comma placement,” Ray said. “Grammarly helps me with that a lot.”
4. Navigate
According to the Baylor website, “Navigate Student strengthens your customized academic experience with tools designed to support your success throughout your time at Baylor.”
Navigate helps Baylor students schedule academic appointments, view their class schedule, find study buddies for classes and keep a to-do list, among other things.
“The navigate app really can help with guiding students with a personalized guidance plan for pivotal moments,” Crowson said. “It’s a customized picture of helping you stay on track with the things you need to be doing throughout the semester and in a timely way.”
5. Waitz
“It tells you how busy spaces are on campus,” Crowson said. “If you are getting ready to go study and you’re thinking, ‘I’m going to go to Moody, but sometimes that Moody lobby is packed,’ you can check the Waitz app and see how busy, how crowded, it is.”
Waitz can also be accessed on the internet.
