Now you’re well into the first semester of the academic year, you’re probably starting to find your own routines and trusted methods that help you stay organised.

However, we could all use a bit of extra help sometimes. From time management to study planning, there are a ton of apps out there designed to help students manage their busy lifestyle.

Here are eight of the best organisational apps for students, picked out especially by Downing to help you keep on top of uni life.

1. Evernote

iOS & Android

An app you may be familiar with already, Evernote is quite possibly the king of note-taking apps. With it you can take notes in a variety of formats to align your ideas, including text, audio, video, drawings, photos and web clippings. Use your phone camera to scan and digitise paper documents, such as articles and handwritten notes, and locate anything you need quickly with the app’s effective search function.

Evernote is a fantastic way of organising group projects and presentations, as well as personal tasks. As well as your academic projects you could even use to plan parties or extracurricular activities.

2. SoundNote

iOS

If you’ve ever found note-taking in lectures a struggle, SoundNote is your saviour. As well as using it to record audio and capture all of your lectures, SoundNote will also track your typing as you take notes and even allows for hand drawings or annotations.

During playback, find any place you want in the audio track simply by tapping a word in your notes. Neat, right?! Tracks are also all recorded in standard mp4 format, making them easily sharable via email or your laptop or device.

3. LectureRecordings

Android

LectureRecordings is more-or-less the Android equivalent to SoundNote, making it an effective handy tool for all lectures or seminars. If you want to take notes whilst recording however, you’ll need to pair it with LectureNotes, which enables you to track of the notes you make with ease.

4. Timetable

Android

Timetable is a colourfully appealing and intuitive app that enables you to stay on top of classes, coursework and exams. Use it to create your very own study schedule that fits around your course contact hours, as well as map important deadlines.

Timetable also has a few other clever features, such as muting your phone automatically whenever you’re in class. You’ll also be able to sync your timetable across all devices, ensuring you’re always in tune with your day.

5. My Class Timetable

iOS

My Class Timetable is an essential organisation app for all Apple users out there. Like Android’s Timetable, it offers a colourful and visually pleasing interface and complete synchronisation across all devices, including the Apple Watch. Many of the same features apply, such as notifications to let you know when to leave for class, and reminders for tasks and deadlines.

6. Moovit

iOS & Android

Moovit is a revolutionary little app that tells you the fastest way to get around your city on public transport, including service timetables and updates. A little like Google Maps, it gives you live instructions for every step of your journey, but on top of that, it even lets you know when to leave your dorm so as to arrive at your destination on time, ensuring you’ll never be late again! There is also a bike sharing option, for those warmer, sunnier days.

Moovit is currently only available in London, Birmingham and Manchester, but new cities are being added all the time, so keep your eye out for yours.

7. Trello

iOS and Android

If you’re involved in a group or class-wide assignment, then Trello is a fantastic little way to store all your notes by date and topic, as well as share resources and articles between your tutor and classmates. Each ‘board’ is made up of lists (add as many as you like), which then contain ‘cards’ based on tasks relating to that list.

Use it as a clear and practical to-do list, to your notes up to date date from tutorials and study sessions, or to simply share and plan out ideas with others. Many lecturers use Trello to plan out their syllabus content, but it can be a great little app for students too.

8. RefME

iOS and Android

This award-winning referencing app has been described as a ‘life saver’ by many students the world over, helping you to throw together that dreaded bibliography with ease. Simply scan the barcode of a book or enter a URL, and RefME will generate a citation ready for you to use. This is conveniently stored in the cloud, so your references are always ready to hand no matter which device you’re using.

There are over 7,500 referencing styles available on RefME including Harvard, Oxford and Cambridge, so you’ll always be on point with your referencing. Use RefME for Word to automatically generate citations as you write in order to banish those bibliography stresses for good.