The best free tools and services for students

Whether or not you return to in-person classes this fall, you'll likely need a host of services and software to get your classwork done, manage your time, and unwind after a long day of class. Don't worry about adding to your ever-growing student debt in the process, though. There are a growing number of free services and tools with surprisingly robust features, ranging from office suites to professional-grade media editors. You also might not need to pay a penny to listen to a hot new album or indulge in a TV marathon. Our recommendations could help you succeed this school year while leaving money for extracurricular fun.
Google Docs
Engadget

You'll probably need a productivity suite in school. Thankfully, the days of having to buy an expensive software bundle are long gone. Google Docs can handle the creation of documents you'll need for a semester, whether it's writing term papers, crunching data in spreadsheets, or preparing group presentations. Automatic cloud saves can save you the pain of losing your progress.

You can upgrade to a Google One plan if the free 15GB of Drive storage is too limited. And as good as Docs can be, there may be courses where professors insist on paid services like Microsoft 365. If you're free to choose your work tools, however, Docs is an easy choice, especially if you're going to already on Calendar, Meet, and other parts of the Google ecosystem.
Todoist
Engadget
Student life is defined by time management. You'll probably have to juggle multiple assignments, study sessions, and a personal life (remember that?) without wasting time. Todoist is our go-to for staying on track. You can not only create the usual to-do lists, but also set up to-do boards, set priorities, and even delegate items to others, which is useful if it's a roommate's turn to buy the dinner.

The free Todoist plan will probably be enough for school with support for five active projects, five collaborators, and 5MB file uploads. You'll only want to shell out $36 a year for a Pro account if you have many projects in progress (up to 300), need to download large files, or want to set reminder alerts. Whatever your needs, this can be essential to completing an article on time.
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Technology Jul 19, 2022 0 66 Add to Reading List

Whether or not you return to in-person classes this fall, you'll likely need a host of services and software to get your classwork done, manage your time, and unwind after a long day of class. Don't worry about adding to your ever-growing student debt in the process, though. There are a growing number of free services and tools with surprisingly robust features, ranging from office suites to professional-grade media editors. You also might not need to pay a penny to listen to a hot new album or indulge in a TV marathon. Our recommendations could help you succeed this school year while leaving money for extracurricular fun.

Google Docs

You'll probably need a productivity suite in school. Thankfully, the days of having to buy an expensive software bundle are long gone. Google Docs can handle the creation of documents you'll need for a semester, whether it's writing term papers, crunching data in spreadsheets, or preparing group presentations. Automatic cloud saves can save you the pain of losing your progress.

You can upgrade to a Google One plan if the free 15GB of Drive storage is too limited. And as good as Docs can be, there may be courses where professors insist on paid services like Microsoft 365. If you're free to choose your work tools, however, Docs is an easy choice, especially if you're going to already on Calendar, Meet, and other parts of the Google ecosystem.

Todoist

Student life is defined by time management. You'll probably have to juggle multiple assignments, study sessions, and a personal life (remember that?) without wasting time. Todoist is our go-to for staying on track. You can not only create the usual to-do lists, but also set up to-do boards, set priorities, and even delegate items to others, which is useful if it's a roommate's turn to buy the dinner.

The free Todoist plan will probably be enough for school with support for five active projects, five collaborators, and 5MB file uploads. You'll only want to shell out $36 a year for a Pro account if you have many projects in progress (up to 300), need to download large files, or want to set reminder alerts. Whatever your needs, this can be essential to completing an article on time.

Inmagine Pixlr E