The best tools and free services for university students

The numbers do not work for the ordinary college student. Most of them discover how to pay for housing, textbooks, academic fees and food – at a time when they may not work while attending the classroom. So anything can help reduce the flow of cash worth looking. Here in Engadget, we have tried our fair share of productivity, creativity and entertainment applications. Good news for university students is some of these applications are free, or at least have a suitable copy without a cost of a paid service otherwise. Here, we collected the best tools and free services for university students so that you can complete the work – and enjoy yourself after that – for zero in dollars.

Google documents

Perhaps you will need a school production group. Fortunately, the days of having to purchase an expensive software package have long been given. Google documents The creation of the documents you will need can be dealt with during a semester, whether it is writing term papers, or breaking data in data schedules or raising collective presentations. Automatic cloud can provide you with a heartache to lose progress.

You may want to subscribe to the Google One plan if you prove the storage of the five 15 GB tablets. And as it may be able to do so, there may be some chapters where professors insist on paid services such as Microsoft 365. If you are free to choose your work tools, documents are an easy option – especially if you already depend on the calendar, meeting and other parts of the Google Ecosystem system. John Vigas, former correspondent

Free survey applications

Whether you need to number a paper bulletin from the class or pick up a snapshot of your colleague in the class, the application of the documents wiping will be useful. Our previous choice for this category, Evernote is treatmentableUnfortunately, he is no longer free and now goes for $ 3 per week or $ 50 for this year. But there are still two mobile phone documents applications that will not make you pay a monthly fee.

ADOBE scanning and Camscanner It provides imitation copies of their paid services and work with Apple or Android phones. They allow you to convert pages in the real world into digital PDF files, and of course, they also provide acting features such as summarizing and answering questions based on a text-but most AI features are for paid subscribers.

In our test, none of the free version was particularly accurate when it comes to identifying the letters (OCR) and converting them into a digital text. Camscanner’s performance was the best and also provides a distinctive text extraction feature for paid subscribers.

It turns out that the most accurate methods of running the text on paper to a copy and copying text are those that may have already you have on your phone. For iPhone users, the Notes app is a simple but amazing way to wipe the text on a new note. Just create a new note, click Paperclip and select the scanning text. You can also scan full documents in this way.

Android users can use the free version of Microsoft 365 Copilot, which contains a function of scanning and identifying micro visual letters. Google Drive and Android also has a survey function. On the application page, just click on the camera icon or the iOS icon and check the document you need. Note that IOS users will be able to extract the text on their mobile devices, while Android users will need to open a PDF file that they created in the desktop version from the drive or Google documents.

These options may not be rich in features such as the dedicated scan application, but if you only need to download some text in the real world and its digital conversion, this may be all you need. – Amy Scorheim, prominent correspondent

Tadist

The student’s life is defined by managing time. You may have to reconcile multiple tasks, study sessions and personal life (remember that?) Without losing any rhythm. Tadist It is our choice to keep yourself on the right track. Not only can you create the usual tasks lists, but you can prepare task boards, set priorities and even delegate elements to others-useful if the role of a colleague in the room to buy dinner.

The free Todoist plan is likely to be sufficient for the school with the support of five active projects, five collaborators, 5MB file downloads. You will only need to get $ 48 annually (or 5 dollars per month) for the Pro account if you have many projects on the movement (up to 300), or you need to download large files or want to set reminder alerts. Whatever you need, this may be a key to accomplishing everything on time. Jeff Den, a great reporter

PhotoPea

It was customary for free or unexpected deficiency of strengths, and you can generally forget web versions. This is not the case with PhotoPeaIt is somewhat informal online photoshop cloning. Can this application completely replace? No, from the slower processing of many tasks and misses some of the most advanced Adobe features. But about all the basics here, the web -based interface should feel immediately with any person who used Photoshop before. (It is much easier to wander around other free alternatives such as GimpFor one. It is compatible with a set of file formats as well, including PSD’s PSD, PDF,, Amnesty International And different raw camera files. Everything is supported by virtual advertising, as a installment layer of $ 5 a month is available to remove this online storage from 0.5 GB to 5 GB. You can also contact cloud storage services such as Google Drive, Microsoft OneDrive and Dropbox. Dinar

BlackMagic Davinci Solution

You may not have to pay the price of the video editing package in charge to make it through the cinema school. BlackMagic’s Da Vinci solution It provides an in -depth package of editing tools, color correction, sound and effects without any cost. You can make a short film to separate using the same basic tools used to produce Hollywood films, with multi -user cooperation.

In fact, you may have little need for paid editing products unless the courses have very specific requirements. You will only need to think about spending $ 295 for Davinci Resolution if you want to free clips exceeding 4K in 60 frames per second, or work with more video formats or rely on Advanced 3D, AI and HDR tools. Unless you demand your professors using a competitive tool like Final Cut Pro or Premiere Pro, this should be enough to learn the basics. Jf

Mixer

If you are creating a 3D artwork for games or videos at school, you will need a strong collection of fashion – and one of the firmness is able to be free. Mixer It provides a wide range of modeling, animation tools and sculptures for 3D content, while emerging film producers can take advantage of the compact installation, follow the movement, the artistic drawing of the story and edit the simple video. You may have everything you need to create a short CG movie.

You will want to make sure that Blender can meet separation requirements, and you may want more concentrated programs such as Natron (A free training tool) to complete your work. However, the open source code for Blender and the extension design work in favor of it. It is easy to find a set of free or low -cost additional functions that can meet your needs, and you can even write your own accessories if you are comfortable with text programming. Jf

Boldness

Some training courses may need an audio editor, whether it is to create sound effects for podcast or modify a game or ingenuity. If you are in this boat, Boldness Sometimes the trick can be done. The free and open editor gives you the necessities to capture and edit multi -tool records, including support for effects and additions.

AudCity will not replace hard digital audio stations such as Atty, Logic Pro, Pro Tools or cause. These unpredictable editing are often provided, and often include a wide range of generators and other tools aimed at producing music and video. This is a good place to learn some basics, and all you need if the separation is not particularly difficult. Jf

Spotify

Let’s be honest: you will need some study music, and Spotify It still provides the best free graphic music for those lengthy learning sessions. The layer will cross without charging periodically to listen to the ads, but you can create playlists and follow the podcast and enjoy a lot of the basic Spotify experience. You can flow songs on mobile and smart speakers as well, so that the music does not stop when your office leaves.

You may still want to pay for the service, because the Spotify mobile app makes you listen to all the playlists in the gameplay mixing and give you a limited number of skipping per hour unless you use the desktop application. For paid users, Apple Music It is the best choice in our guide for the better Music broadcast servicesIt provides a high -quality sound (if you have a good set of headphones), a general cleaner interface and a greater focus on activation, with a handful of live radio stations hosted by actual people. According to what was better than paying the artists, although it will work better if you own the iPhone. Fortunately, Apple sells a student plan for $ 6 per month, such as Spotify, so you will get an elegant discount. Dinar

PDF candy

There is a clear possibility that you will face PDF documents at school, whether it is a research paper or a class curriculum. You will not have to pay for applications like Adobe Acrobat to edit these files, at least. PDF candy Provides a free editor on the web. You can adjust PDFS and convert to and to common formats (including Word and PowerPoint), extract images and control in another way. This may lead to the task if you need to embody the scanned class notes or extract a quotation from a scientific study.

There are time limits and size for free version (up to 500MB per mission), and you must also consider $ 48 annually plans or $ 99 if you want to process a faster web or editing Windows without contact. Alternatives like Acrobat is also better if you need to suspend, free mobile devices and other advanced features. However, it is difficult to overcome the free web tool for the basic facilities. Jf

Plex (and other free video flow services)

There is no real way about it: If you want to keep up with the films and shows in the current Zeitgeist, then you need to pay for a Broadcast service Or two. (Or use less accurate methods we cannot recommend here.) New applications and High prices It seems to float on the surface every week, which absorbs the budget awareness. However, there are a number of free services that you can use to collect some appropriate entertainment on cheap, including Plexand Amazon Freeveeeand Tobyand Pluto TVand Rocco channeland popAnd Sling FreestreamAmong other things.

All of these things force you to sit through ads, most of which have a somewhat dirty user interface and each of them is completely loaded with garbage content. But think about them like the old Blockbuster Bin bin – You may have to do some pits, but from time to time you will find a jewel.

We recommend Plex in Quick section in our guide To live in television broadcast services and highlight the search function. You can not only use it to search for shows and movies on its platform, but you can also find any last The platforms currently have a specific title. You can also search by actor, type and more. addition Film and show reviews Other Plex users and professional critics make it a useful – and free starting point for your next watch. – JD and AS

Libyan

There are not enough people, university students, or otherwise, taking advantage of their full local library. Libyan It is an easy way to change this. As long as you have a library card, this clean small application allows you to check e -books, audio books and magazines to your phone, tablet, computer, or moon without cost. It works via iOS, Android browsers and web sites, and you can synchronize your progress among multiple devices. You are still at the mercy of the choice that your library already provides, and you still have to finish the rents within a specific period. But if you want to read for fun between the semesters, the Libby will never ensure that the material is not running out. Dinar