7 Apps Every High School Student Needs in 2020

Life in high school can be crazy. Between the demands of class, homework, and extracurriculars, we know there’s often precious little time for anything else.

We’ve pored through dozens of mobile apps claiming to help connect all the dots in a busy high-school student’s life. We focused especially on these apps’ convenience and motivation as well as other user reviews. 

The result: Seven apps we recommend, one for each of several important aspects of a high-school student’s busy life.

Lifestyle app: Habitica

iOS: Free / Android: Free

Who knew chores could be rewarding? Previously named HabitRPG, this app claims to “gamify your life” through self-created challenges. By taking on your daily tasks, such as flossing, doing your homework, or going on a run, you can earn points, level up, and uncover unique prizes. 

They’ve also built a social platform into their app where you can brag about your accomplishments. And, you can join up with similar interest groups to complete challenges together. There are even monsters you can battle because hey, it’s an RPG!

Brainly’s take: This is a stimulating app for students who love conquering new challenges but sometimes struggle with repetitive tasks.

Focus app: Forest

iOS: $1.99 / Android: Free

Of the more adorable on our list is Forest, an app designed with the simple goal of helping you stay off your devices. 

Starting a timer on Forest for 10 to 100 minutes plants a seed. Avoid your phone for the duration, and you’ll have earned a cute little tree. Break early, and face a lifeless stump, no thanks to you. Track your success over time and cultivate… a forest!

Forest can be used during class, homework, or even with friends. Start a timer to make sure you’re not distracting yourself from what’s around you, whether it’s work or play.

The Pro version ($1.99) earns you some cool features, like an opportunity to plant real trees using the digital currency you’ve earned. The app brags over 500,000 real trees planted as a result!

Brainly’s take: If you’re easily distracted by your phone, Forest can give you a gentle nudge back to reality when you need it.

Or, if your work is on-screen, check out RescueTime. This is an awesome app that visualizes your device usage during work time and can block pesky distractions when you need it most.

Scheduling app: School Planner

iOS: n/a / Android: Free

There’s a lot to remember from class to class: Room numbers, books, homework, tests, names, and that’s before even getting to class material. Every student seemingly has a different way of keeping their school life together.

We tried many apps to break it down, but we found Student Planner does it more clearly and more thoroughly than the others.

With over 5 million downloads, Student Planner helps many students with everything from schedules to notes. Most importantly, their system ties information to your classes. During class, pop it open to record your lectures and take notes. And after, put reminders and assignments in there as well to keep it all together. And lastly, keep track of your grades and areas to improve.

If the ads are getting in your way, buy the developer a coffee for a distraction-free experience. No, really.

Brainly’s take: Move your class material chaos onto School Planner, where you can see things where you want them.

News app: Pocket

iOS: Free / Android: Free

You won’t often find reading the news high on a high-school student’s priority list. So, when a student sees a headline or hears about a current event, he or she might want an easy way to read about it later. Well, wouldn’t you know, there’s an app for that!

Pocket offers an app, a browser extension, and nearly unlimited other ways to table interesting content for another time. Save articles, videos, and social posts for whenever it’s not invading your usual productivity.

The Pro account ($4.99/mo) gives you features like save history and in-article search, for those who are looking to take a deeper dive.

Brainly’s take: It’s not the best idea to read the news during class. Use this if you’re sick of trying to remember, messaging yourself, or god forbid, preserving your banner notifications.

Writing app: Grammarly Keyboard

iOS: Free / Android: Free

If you’re completing your English and writing assignments on a laptop or tablet, Grammarly might just save your grade. Going farther than your typical built-in spellchecker, Grammarly analyzes elements like sentence structure, conciseness, and syntax to keep your writing A-level.

Throw their integrated platform into Google docs, email, social posts, and so much more. (We may or may not have used it for this very article.)

Their Premium version offers in-depth grammar analysis like readability, synonyms, and plagiarism checking, but can add up fast on a student budget.

Brainly’s take: If you struggle with spelling or want to make your essays perfect, run your assignments through Grammarly. You might be surprised how much you learn from its suggestions!

Money app: RaiseMe

iOS: Free / Android: n/a

Scholarships for college, you say? Just for publicizing the greatness I’m already achieving? That’s right: RaiseMe connects hard-working students to forward-thinking schools by celebrating the milestones they hit in high school. 

Whether it’s an A in physics or a varsity letter, RaiseMe equates prevalent high-school achievements to scholarship value among over 250 college-level partners. Track your major feats (which is a great habit to get into!) and share them with the colleges and universities who you want to notice.

Students on RaiseMe “follow” colleges that interest them, posting their school successes to see how much it could save them. After applying to the colleges they choose on RaiseMe, accepted students receive their RaiseMe earnings as a scholarship.

Brainly’s take: If you’d benefit from seeing scholarship options and don’t mind the extrinsic incentive to work hard in school, this app is worth a try.

De-stress app: Calm

iOS: Free / Android: Free

Ahhh. A one-stop-shop for everything from stressful to sleepless, Calm is the app to unwind after school. Listen to familiar voices like Matthew McConaughey and Bob Ross as they take you through stories to take your mind off of school drama. Or, take on mindfulness and breathing exercises to help you relax.

Calm Kids targets youth, ages 7-18. With their family sharing capability, students can share the benefits of the app with up to 6 family members.

A subscription isn’t free, but you’ve got 30 days to try it out and see if it’s helpful for you. Rest assured, there are plenty of cost-friendly options on the app store if Calm’s $60/year price tag is over your budget.

Brainly’s take: If you want to relax, get better sleep, de-stress, or practice mindfulness, give this app a try.

Conclusion

For those who find success with nothing but a trusty, spiral-bound organizer, bully for you. But if you’re someone who could benefit from a helping hand with keeping your thoughts and plans in one place, these apps are a great place to start!