The world is filled with distractions. These distractions can cloud young students’ minds. They can also keep them from achieving their goals. Moreover, these distractions are multiplied online, which can make it tremendously difficult to stay on task. Here are a few Google Chrome productivity apps and extensions to help students stay focused and on task. These apps enforce healthy study habits. They may also improve grades.
Cite This for Me
Nowadays, it’s easy for students to find reliable sources on the web. However, it may not be easy to figure out how to cite these sources. The Cite This For Me app for Chrome provides a perfect solution. Simply browse to the page you would like to cite. Then, the app will generate a citation for your article. From there, students can double-check and then paste the citation into the document.
Stay Focusd
A classic time-saving app, Stay Focusd is an invaluable Chrome application. Not only does it block all the sites a student deems unproductive, it also offers customizable settings. These setting allow students to block certain domains and website extensions. It even adds brain-strengthening puzzles when a student can’t help but update their Facebook.
Habitica
For gaming-inclined students, Habitica turns menial tasks into interactive and entertaining experiences. Through this app, users create an avatar. Then, users plug in necessary tasks that they need to do within the day. These tasks can range from daily chores to studying. When they complete tasks, students are rewarded with points. They can then use those points to buy more weapons or armor. When they do not complete tasks, the health bar of their character will go down. Habitica makes studying fun, reinforcing positive learning habits.
Strict Workflow
Productivity apps may seem too complicated. Fortunately, the Strict Workflow extension offers a minimalist way to focus on those long nights spent studying. Utilizing the Pomodoro Technique, Strict Workflow blocks time-wasting sites like Facebook, Reddit and Twitter for 25 minutes. This allows a young student distraction-free study time. The app also gives them a 5 minute window for a break where they are free to relax on these sites.
One Tab
When writing a paper and using online resources, students can easily become overwhelmed by the amount of tabs and pages open. This can also cause confusion and waste valuable time. The One Tab app gives your student one page where they can see the name of each tab. This extension cuts out the confusion that comes along with twenty tabs of research and database search engines.
Text by Jonathon Page
