12 websites all college students should bookmark
There's more to consider than just what supplies to buy this year (though we'll help with that too.)
College can be scary and overwhelming, and it's hard to know where to get a little help with your academic tasks. Knowing which websites can help you with various aspects of college life, especially when it comes to assignments, can make all the difference.
We've collected 12 websites that will help you along the way in your studies — in fact, you might already be using a few. They're all great resources that can assist you with essay writing, organization, and troubleshooting math and science problems.
1. Canvas or Blackboard
Canvas and Blackboard are the leading learning management systems. Depending on your campus and your individual classes, one of these websites (or a website like it) will be where your professors post announcements, the syllabus, and your grades. It's also where you will submit assignments.
You May Also Like
2. Your school's library website
We can't emphasize this enough — your school's library website will list all the resources that your school subscribes to and how to access them. Before hitting Google Scholar when starting on a research paper, check out your school's library website because there is probably a guide on how to start research on different topics. There will also be contact info for research librarians — don't hesitate to set up a meeting with one of them because they'll know about resources that may be hard for you to find on your own.
3. Facebook
Lots of student organizations use Facebook to communicate and it's a great place to find out about events on campus that you might not otherwise know about. Many student organizations use Facebook Groups to communicate with members and following event organization pages can keep you in the loop about events happening on campus.
4. Desmos
Desmos is an online graphing calculator that's way easier to use than a physical graphing calculator.
5. Wolfram Alpha
Wolfram Alpha is an answer engine that's way better than Quora. Search your question and it's likely Wolfram Alpha will have a step-by-step solution. Wolfram Alpha is a lifesaver for math and science classes, but can also answer your humanities and life questions. Pop this guy into the search bar "∫ln(4x^3) + 6x δx" and you'll get an answer!
6. Chegg
Chegg is a website with all kinds of student services, from textbook and e-book rentals to flashcards. The most helpful part of Chegg is CheggStudy, which has textbook solutions and expert Q&A. Textbook solutions are the step-by-step answers to questions found in textbooks. If you post a question on Chegg, an expert will post a detailed solution for it. You can also search and see all the questions previously asked and answered through the expert Q&A function. CheggStudy costs $14.95 per month, but you may already know someone who pays for it or has a login. So ask around.
If you're studying math, CheggStudy is helpful because it has both solutions to textbook problems and expert Q&A to draw answers from. It's likely that — whatever you're studying — your question is from a textbook or someone else has already asked it, or something similar. Chegg is a great problem-solving tool.
7. Google Calendar
Google Calendar is a great way to organize your busy schedule. Through Google Calendar, you can keep track of your classes, deadlines, and extracurriculars.
8. Quizlet
Making flashcards has never been easier. Quizlet is an online study tool that allows you to find and make flashcards, and quiz yourself on those flashcards in different ways. You can search Quizlet for flashcards and chances are someone has already made a set for the test you're studying for.
9. Jstor
Jstor is an online research database that your school may subscribe to. Jstor has access to 12 million academic journal articles, primary sources, and books. Check your school's library website to see which research database subscriptions it currently has.
10. Ebsco
Ebsco is another online research database that may be a part of your school's current subscription-based resources. It's a good first stop on your research journey for any paper. Your school's library website will tell you if you have access to Ebsco.
11. Your campus newspaper
This one should be obvious: Take advantage of your campus' online newspaper and stay up to date on campus politics and events. Your campus newspaper will keep you informed on what's going on around the quad and in your community.
12. Word Hippo
No list of websites for college students is complete without a thesaurus. Word Hippo is an elite thesaurus that will help you make sure your essays aren't too repetitive.
Elena is a tech reporter and the resident Gen Z expert at Mashable. She covers TikTok and digital trends. She recently graduated from UC Berkeley with a BA in American History. Email her at [email protected] or follow her @ecaviar_.
