You’re in college.  You’ve got a tight budget. Here is top 9 Study Apps for College Students, But you need a great study app (or two) to help you knock out some good grades this semester.

Well, luckily there’s a number rock solid free study apps out there that can improve your effectiveness and efficiency both inside and outside the classroom.

And although your mind is the most powerful study tool you’ll ever have, a great study app can help you think and process at a level higher than you would without it.

Here’s a list of awesome free apps that will enhance your study sessions.

1.  iStudiez Lite

Find yourself burning up a lot of time watch TV or playing video games?

If that’s the case, you might want to use The iStudiez Lite app to map out the rest of your semester.  The free version lets you schedule a single semester of 5 courses, 15 assignments, 15 classes and exams, 2 holidays and the ability to set alarms.  And if you’re happy with the free version, for just $2.99 you can upgrade to iStudiez Pro and eliminate the restrictions and adds while offering more features such as backup.

2.  Skype

Not just an app to chat with, Skype is also an effective study app.  Features such as voice chat, text chat, file sharing and video make it a program where you can communicate with classmates and/or receive any sort of class materials from them you might have missed.  And yeah, this is all stuff that can be scanned and emailed to you or shared through Dropbox, but Skype’s ability to let you talk with them as they send you a file or go over their notes that look like they’d been written in Sanskrit makes Skype way better than those other tools.

Additionally, for tutors who’d rather work from home, Skype is an excellent way to hold a 1-on-1 tutoring session.

3.  Coursera

An education site, Coursera partners with a large number of American universities and colleges.  By signing up with Coursera, you can study and learn at your own convenience, supplementing what you learn in class to give you a nice edge over your fellow students at exam time.  Just like the benefits writing apps offer you, Coursera offers mobile study apps to improve your understanding of courses you’re currently taking, and as a bonus, you can use Coursera to get a jump on things before you even begin a new semester.  If you’re looking for a serious advantage to help get yourself a 4.0, Coursera is for you.

4.  Google Drive

An app that can manage your notes, let you create spreadsheets, draw diagrams and put together presentations while storing everything in the cloud, Google Drive is accessible from any mobile device or computer connected to the internet.

Essentially a collection of cloud-supported MS Office apps, Google Drive offers plenty of storage to meet a college student’s needs.  And if the free version doesn’t have enough space, you can always throw down a few bucks to get a lot more.

You can sign-up for free with just an email account; and if you use Gmail, sign-up is automatic.

5.  Dragon Dictation

Hate typing up seemingly endless notes?  Or maybe you’re just a slow typist who wants to use your time more efficiently?

Problem solved.

Dragon Dictation will convert all your work digitally, which you can then send as an email attachment or message, paste into a different app, or simply save the file until you need it later.

6.  Brainscape Flashcards

Have some fun with your learning using Brainscape’s flashcard app.  Either download sets from the Brainscape Market or creates your very own to study anything from ACT prep to Chinese.  The easy-to-use cards are free (as long as banners aren’t an issue for you) – and if adds are too much of a nuisance, for just $2.99, you can have them removed.

7.  Quizlet

A great overall study tool, Quizlet offers a virtually endless array of flashcard sets the cover numerous topics.  They’re created by students for students (high school/college).  And it’s not a problem if you can’t find a particular subject because you can always just create your own.  Even better, Quizlet incorporates audio and images into its flashcard sets which add a nice to a splash of variety to a tough study session.  Quizlet is also supported by other flashcard apps, so if you’ve put together some great sets but want to try out a different app in the future, you can keep using your content over there.

8.  Todoist

If Evernote is a bit overwhelming for you and you’re simply looking for a nice to-do list app, give Todoist a shot.

Possibly the best to-do list app, it allows you to set reminders, track course lessons, favorite useful websites you visit and quite a bit more.

Use the Mobile app along with the Web browser for optimal use.  Todoist is available for both Windows and Mac, Firefox and Chrome users, and has plugins for Gmail, Outlook, Postbox and Thunderbird email clients.

9.  Evernote

The heavyweight champ of note-taking applications, Evernote offers features that include bookmarking, clipping and much more. You can use it to create to-do lists, is available on all major platforms, usable as both a mobile app and in your web browser comes with all necessary browser add-ons and plugins, and best of all it’s free.

If you use Evernote with iPad, make sure to also install Evernote Peek (iOS only app) that offers flashcard sets for you to quiz yourself on either content you create or download as shared content.

Conclusion

College can be a challenging time.  But the goal is to learn and get the best grades you can, not to make things harder than they need to be.  By using one or more of the apps listed above, you’ll maximize your ability to study effectively and not spin your wheels in frustration when heavy course work gets thrown your way.