Google your way to revision success

By David Ellis

Like many people, when revising for school exams I didn’t find absorbing the stuff problematic; it was just as study period commenced, I would be abruptly overwhelmed by a startling curiosity in everything but my subject. Distraction bared itself in every new tab. 

Repress the tendency to procrastinate by getting better acquainted with your browser; these extensions for Google Chrome will help your study immeasurably, and all for free. 

StayFocusd 

Despite an alarming disregard for spelling, StayFocusd helps curtail your attachment to social media and other online distractions. While the ambitiously hardy may choose to deactivate their Facebook account over exams, one moment of weakness is enough to derail the whole affair. StayFocusd lets users access sites for as little or as much as they would like each day (there’s an adjustable timer), so your feed can be drip fed to you in momentary snatches. Once you’ve had your fix, you’ll abstain for the rest of the day and finish off your work, or so the theory goes. 

Memorize! 

Being hazy with the details may characterise your mornings after, but such charming befuddlement will do nothing for your marks: knowing whatshisname was the most influential thingumajig of his generation is unlikely to score well. 

Quizzer extension Memorize! lets you enter questions and answers, which will subsequently pop onto your screen at timed intervals. The surprise test will make sure you know your stuff and if you get a question too right too often, it’ll stop appearing. You’ll have to answer precisely, to match your original answers, making sure you get the message in your head – after all, ‘the true secret of happiness lies in taking a genuine interest in all the details …’ According to William whatshisface. 

Diigo 

Computers are splendid, certainly, but their screens take poorly to handwritten annotation, which is a shame as note-taking is a requisite of revision. Diigo is a magnificent alternate to pen and paper which can be used to highlight text, take screen shots of either the whole page or part, jot notes, and create bookmarks (ideal, should you wish to separate personal from academic). 

Fairly magnificently, Diigo also latches onto Google, so as you search, it roots through your Diigo files to see if you’ve similar articles stored, which serves as a reminder of what work you’ve covered and your existing sources – a Godsend for those who feel their academic memories occasionally leak out of the ears and onto the pillow during sleep. Having the material you’ve covered to hand also means cross-referencing becomes undemanding. 

Note Anywhere 

You can make notes … anywhere. Particularly simple to use, it’s worth having as it remembers all your notes on the pages you visit, even if you accidentally delete your internet history. The graphic – a rather kitsch yellow legal pad- stands out and makes your annotations extremely readable. As well as using it to annotate work, draw up notes of facts, figures, statues and quotes and dot them around your favourite sites, just to keep your brain ticking over when you’re relaxing. 

Lazarus 

Perhaps not quite biblical in its capabilities, Lazarus is still a revelation for those who are a little computer clumsy, or those with a particularly spiteful laptop. There’s little more frustrating than a browser shutting of its own accord and taking all your work with it, especially if you’re filling out a form, or submitting a final piece of coursework, or completing a practice paper. Lazarus auto-saves all the information filled out in online forms so you don’t lose your submission again. Divine. 

David Ellis is editor of studentmoneysaver.co.uk