Your parents may take pride in the fact they had to go to the library every time they needed something but luckily for us, we have everything a student needs at the touch of a button. Check out our recommendations of the websites every student should use.
1. Canva
Canva is useful for those group projects where your powerpoint presentation is just looking a little tired and “been there…done that” It’s packed with free templates, stock pictures, fonts and design options. You don’t have to pay for premium or anything it’s still handy without, just make an account. I use it loads for student press and society related things; especially if you’re taking up a role as a social media manager or marketing role within societies it will definitely come in handy for making posters and flyers.
2. SH:24
Health is one of those things as student you wish you didn’t have to think about. Useful websites for students like SH:24 come in clutch when your parents say they’ll no longer be booking your doctors appointments for you. It’s also hard to go into an appointment or go through parents when somethings happened and you need quick or discreet guidance. Hey I get it, not everyone has that Lorelai-Rory type of relationship (Cheeky Gilmore Girls reference eh). SH:24 is a free service that provides sexual health screening, emergency contraception, treatment for STIs and clinical advice. It’s a non-profit run in partnership with the NHS, this service is great to keep yourself and others safe. Their blog is also a great resource for info on sexual health 24 hours a day.
3. Revolut
I swear by Revolut. Student banking is a tricky one as it is nice to have a few places to manage and delegate your loan, wages you earn, pocket money, savings all that jazz. I had a tricky time opening a student bank account because apparently credit matters (oops)! So I found Revolut to be a useful website for students. It’s basically a sophisticated piggy bank. I am the type of person that has to put away a chunk of money I can’t look at for too long because I know I’ll spend it on something useless. Its super easy to open an account and savings with them, they send you a card in the mail and you’re ready to start! I also love they have a disposable card for online transactions and its quick in the app to order or freeze for a new card when, as most of us have done, you lose your wallet on a night out.
4. Forest
Hands up of you’re addicted to your phone. Or as we of Gen-Z would say, the brain rot has consumed us. It’s actually so bad now I have to plant a cute little tree to get me to do more than an hour of work. I love the Forest app, I’ve been using it since GCSE’s. I’m a planting veteran. You can set goals, use different tags for the type of work and, add friends for some healthy competition. The concept of planting a little cute tree, growing your forest, being able to look back on weeks, months and years of studying is so rewarding and motivating. It is about £3 in the app store or google play but once you’ve got it thats it. Like I said I’ve been using it for years so if you do the girl math I’ve paid my debt in cherry blossoms and cat-shaped bushes. They have also added a nifty chrome extension for desktop too now. I’d highly recommend it for that little extra push in exam season and the joy of a cute virtual plant collection when everything else around studying can seem so grey.
5. StudyTogether.com
If the plants weren’t motivation enough, maybe being on Facetime with a bunch of students from all over the world in a study chatroom will get that dissertation written and submitted on time. StudyTogether is such a useful website for students even if it is kind of weird at first. It’s also a way to hold yourself accountable and romanticise the academic life along with a bunch of other caffeine addicted scholars. You can enter or create rooms with your own preferences, set timers within the room, use breaks, and you don’t even have to turn you camera on. It’s more just useful to be in that same headspace with other students online when your usual study partner is busy or you’ve just decided they yap too much and aren’t the best study partner for when the true academic comeback needs to happen.
6. GoStudent
There’s loads of useful websites for students where you can find for online tutoring gigs. Tutoring as a side hustle can help you make that extra bit of cash when the maintenance loan is running low but I found working with GoStudent to be easy and super flexible. With the ability to set your own calendar availability, teach subject levels to your preference it’s much more stress free than working in retail or hospitality. They have a great support team to help you communicate easily with mentors, other tutors and students through their chat and WhatsApp. It’s been a lifesaver when the CV sending gets a little repetitive. Tutoring is also a way to showcase your interpersonal skills, academic abilities and spice up your CV if your looking to work with children or in education in the future. Teaching can help you learn so much more about yourself and the subjects you enjoy too!
7. Archive.org (Internet Archive)
The Internet Archive (archive.org) is a non-profit digital library that offers free access to a vast collection of resources, including books, movies, music, and web pages. It is one of the most useful websites for students especially in Humanities because it provides a wealth of historical and educational content that is otherwise hard to find when journal articles often include paywalls or are not always authorised by our institutions log in. With millions of digitalised books, archived websites, and academic materials, it serves as an invaluable resource for research. I used it for finding movies for history classes and full length E-books that otherwise would have been a hassle to dig out or even have to buy even when I only wanted a couple chapters. Additionally, its “Wayback Machine” feature allows users to view archived versions of websites, offering insights into how online information has evolved over time.
8. Skiddle
Your nightlife hub for everything ticket related. A useful website for students also available as an app, Skiddle helps you find events, club nights, social nights in your city. You can toggle features for distance, location, date and more depending on what you’re looking for. I also like that you can easily favourite events and share them with friends to get the whole group together. It’s easy to buy group discounted tickets to local clubs and hot spots in the city. Everything from raves to speed dating, Skiddle has you covered.
9. Cite This For Me
Have you reached the end of your essay and are faced with the mammoth, and horrible, task of referencing? Cite This For Me can help. Whatever referencing style you need, they have it! And they also offer a chrome add on so you can reference straight from the source with no worries. This is an essential website for any student to make citing sources a breeze.
10. MilkRound
Everyone knows about LinkedIn but have you ever heard of Milkround? Milkround is a great website for graduates where professionals share their advice on career options, interviews and applications whilst advertising grad jobs and internships. Other useful websites for job seekers include: RateMyPlacement, LiveCareer and Prospects.
So, next time you’re stuck go to one of these websites and you’ll find anything and everything you need. There’s also a ton of great note-taking apps that help make your uni life easier!
