Where you can get it: Google Play, Apple Store, Microsoft Store, or sign up directly on You can also share projects with people, which is great for group projects. Then, organize your workflow with to-do lists, in-progress cards, and complete cards. Use: Originally built for the workplace, Trello has also proven to be great for students! Trello allows you to set up boards for different “projects.” These projects can be classes, personal commitments, clubs or other activities, and major school assignments. Where you can get it: Google Play, Apple Store, Microsoft Store, or download directly from (already installed on Windows 10) This is great for students in creative/art majors, math and science students who need to draw out equations, and general doodlers. But the major bonus to OneNote is that you can customize your notes with text boxes and a drawing function. Use: OneNote comes with all the features of a standard notetaking app, including organizational features, tagging capabilities, file adding, and the ability to share your notes.

Bear Pro: $1.49 monthly or $14.99 annually.

The format is especially helpful for students who are in computer and engineering majors, as there are HTML/code-friendly features. There are several other similar features. Organization is unique in that you can use tags (#) to group your notes and the double bracket sign ([[) to link notes. Use: Bear is great for students who need a place to store more extensive, long-form notes. It has a sleek user experience that allows me to edit and share notes on the go.” – Scott Mann, University of Illinois graduate “I use Evernote as a centralized place to track notes for different projects I’m working on. Where you can get it: Apple Store, Google Play, Microsoft Store

Premium: $7.99 per month or $69.99 per year.

Plus: $3.99 per month or $34.99 per year.

The app allows you to organize these notes and other materials into categories. Use: Evernote uses a cloud system to store all of your notes, files, recordings, and photos. Download these helpful apps to your phone, tablet, or laptop–or all of the above–and go into the school year ready to work smarter. But if having reminders, technological features, and a more compact place to keep all of these notes, dates, study guides, and flashcards is helpful for you, the right apps will make the process a breeze.

If you prefer good-old-fashioned pen and paper, that’s perfectly fine.

Best free notes app