You’ve had a refreshing break with friends and family, celebrated the holiday and now you’re back at school—ready to tackle your next semester. There’s no better time to revamp your study habits than now.  

There are a number of digital tools that can revolutionize your study life, making it more productive and less stressful.  

Here are our top five FREE digital study hacks for your new year.  

Organize your whole life 

Google’s suite of free tools, including Google Calendar, Google Docs and Google Keep, is perfect for organizing your study life. Use Google Calendar to schedule classes, deadlines and study sessions. Create collaborative documents in Google Docs to work on group projects, or jot down quick notes in Google Keep to stay on top of ideas. 

Of course, with cloud-based syncing, your tasks and notes are accessible anywhere, anytime. 

Retain the info you need 

You may have used something like this in elementary or high school, but it’s just as useful for college students! 

Flashcards are a proven way to help you retain information and Quizlet makes them digital and interactive. The platform lets you create your own custom flashcard decks or use pre-made ones shared by students worldwide. 

Quizlet’s gamified features, such as matching games and practice tests, can add a fun twist to learning. Whether you’re working on vocabulary, equations or history, Quizlet can help you retain the information you need.  

Eliminate Distractions 

Focus is key to effective studying, but it’s easy to get distracted by social media or other apps. Forest is a free app that helps you stay focused by turning study time into a game. For every uninterrupted session, a virtual tree grows. The more focused time you rack up, the larger your forest becomes. It sounds silly, but it’s been around since 2016—it has a proven track record!  

The app’s free version provides all the essentials you need to avoid procrastination and stay productive. 

YouTube, of course! 

You already know it—YouTube is a powerful resource for all kinds of things. But for free, channels like CrashCourse, Khan Academy and SciShow deliver high-quality, engaging lessons on a variety of subjects. You might have to do some digging to find higher-level content, but it’s there! 

Whether you’re brushing up on calculus, exploring history or tackling biology, these videos can simplify complex concepts and help you study more efficiently. 

Organize Your Notes (outside the Googleverse)  

Microsoft OneNote is a completely free digital note-taking tool that’s perfect for students. You can create notebooks for different classes, divide them into sections and organize your notes neatly. Its search function lets you quickly find specific topics, making it ideal for exam prep. 

OneNote also syncs across devices, ensuring your notes are always accessible, whether you’re studying at home or on the go. 

Hopefully these tools can kick start your semester!