Case readings, textbook readings, journal articles, tutorials, lectures, revision…there is a lot of work involved in just one law unit. Here is a collation of some of my favourite apps to keep me on top of things.

Trello (free and available to Mac + Windows users)

This is my favourite one at the moment. It is an organisation-freak’s best friend!

The way it works is that you create a ‘Board’ – I create one for each unit, and then within the board you create ‘Lists’ – which I use to separate out my weeks, and then ‘Cards’ – which I use to type in my weekly tasks.

You can colour code, set a due date and reminder, and every time you complete a task you have the satisfaction of moving it into the ‘Done’ list. Trello syncs across all your devices and you can also access it on the web. As a bonus, you can use it for collaboration by inviting people to view your Board, comment, and add or complete tasks.

Best practice with this app would be to create Lists and Tasks for each week of the semester at the beginning of the semester and adding any additional ones as you go along.

iStudiez (free for up to 2 units – available to Mac + Windows users)

This is a simple but great tool that allows you to see your daily or weekly appointments and tasks so that you never miss a thing. You begin by using the Planner to enter the date the semester starts and finishes, then your units. Then using the ‘Assignment’ tab you can enter in assignments and due dates (with reminders), and then use the ‘Overview’ tab to see what you have on for that particular day. You can even enter in room locations, instructors and enter in semester breaks so it blanks that period out for you. You can also set notifications and download it to your devices. It even syncs with iCal so that you only need to update one app. Navigating between different dates is seamless as your calendar is always visible on the side.

UniCalculator (free – mobile app available for Apple + Android users)

Keep track of your grades with this simply awesome app, which allows you to set a goal mark at the beginning and calculates the percentages you need to achieve it. It already has most university units uploaded (with the appropriate assignment/exam marks distribution), so all you have to do is enter one assignment mark and then it will calculate the rest. This is a handy app to have on all your devices so you can keep track of what marks you have received.



Self Control (free – available Mac only or on Google Chrome as an add-on)

Finding Facebook too distracting? Use Self Control to block it (and other selected sites) for as long as you need to concentrate or get something done. It’s great because once it is open, you cannot ever stop it, no matter how hard you try. This will (hopefully) force you to concentrate and then you can feel satisfied that you got some proper study time in.

Google Drive (and associated apps – free and available for all)

It’s so so important to save everything you have just in case the worst happens. Google Drive (which you access on the web) gives you a starting 15GB of space and you can download an app directly to your computer called Back Up and Sync that will upload your files to the cloud automatically (without you even needing to think about it). Save yourself a headache later and make use of your oldest mate, Google!

I hope these apps help you as much as they have helped me. Happy studying law kids!

The [Pre]Lawyer in Black