5 Apps to Help You Study at Home

Exams. It’s a word that’ll get most people’s stomachs sinking and hearts fluttering.

Exam anxiety can be really tough to tackle and it can affect anyone, from the most super-conscientious student to the last-minute crammer. While it’s a tough ask to eliminate exam stress completely, there are some apps that can help make it all a little more manageable.

1. Flora 

Are you finding that you’re struggling to focus on studying from home? Can’t help but dive into the ultimate distraction: picking up your phone? It sounds like you need a little Flora in your life. Flora is a free app that helps you to manage your screen time via a virtual garden

Each time you put your phone down, Flora plants a seed and a tree begins to grow. The less you use your phone, the better your garden grows. The best bit is you can use Flora with a friend and grow a garden together. While there are plenty of apps designed to help you avoid procrastinating, none are quite as much fun as Flora. Now get gardening!

2. Atmosphere: Relaxing Sounds 

While some people love the sound of silence while studying, others crave the chaos of the outside world. If you’re stuck at home but need a little background chatter to help you focus, Atmosphere is the app for you. 

The free ambient noise app offers a whole bunch of sound categories: Beach, Countryside, Underwater… or our personal favourite, Urban.

There is something strangely soothing about listening to the distant roar of a digital train as you hit the books.

3. HabitBull

One of the hardest things to do when preparing for exams is getting into a good study routine. It’s just so easy to get distracted by the internet, friends, your phone or games. After all, you’ve got stacks of time! No need to rush studying, is there? But before you know it, you’re cramming the night before a test rather than preparing for it weeks in advance.

Enter HabitBull. A motivational app, HabitBull allows you to track and input good habits, even giving you a score based on how well you’re keeping up with routines. It’s great for noticing patterns in your behaviour, too: maybe there are specific days when you’re more alert than others, or maybe you tend to work better on the weekends rather than on school nights.

"It offers young people control," one user wrote of the app. "I liked that the application is a gentle encouragement to uphold personal goals and good habits in your life."

4. Recharge

When you’re studying hard for an exam, often the first thing to go out the window is your sleep cycle. You stay up late, you wake up early… and even if you’re not spending all night studying, you’re spending all night thinking about studying, which is just as disruptive.

Recharge can help with that. The app helps track your sleep schedule, gives you some activities to do in the morning to get the blood pumping, allows you to track your mood, and, maybe best of all, comes with a super-loud, super-effective wake-up alarm.

"[I liked] the inability to turn the alarm off without getting out of bed," one user wrote. "It made it much harder to ignore the alarm!"

5. 7 Minute Workout: Fitness App 

One of the best ways to send stress packing is by getting your sweat on. This free app offers daily workouts that are designed to get your heart rate up and clear the mind. Each workout takes just seven minutes (hence the name) and doesn’t require any equipment, so it can be done anywhere, at any time!

The app also includes a health tracker, so you can chart your progress, and a custom workout builder, which allows you to pick and choose your favourite exercises.

We've borrowed this content from ReachOut—Australia's leading online mental health organisation for young people and their parents—with their permission. You can find the original article here. Check out more of their full range of practical support, tools and tips at ReachOut.com and ReachOut.com/Parents.

Are you experiencing suicidal thoughts, sexual assault or domestic and family violence? Seeking to support someone who is? Call Lifeline on 131 114 or Kids Helpline on 1800 551 800.

Visit ReachOut to get support to help you with everything from everyday issues through to tough times.

Header Image: RyanKing999 via Getty Images