Best tech for university and TAFE students

University is an exciting time. New friends, new challenges and new ways of studying.

Getting the right technology can help students get ahead and stay on top of their studies. Here’s some tech tips to help you better navigate your university life, plus some tips on how to prepare for uni success

First, let’s have a look at some devices and cool tech gadgets to keep you connected and informed on the go.

Phones

Many students need to be budget conscious. There are costs for university fees, the textbooks and possibly accommodation. Luckily, there’s a range of budget friendly phones to choose from that’re sure to please students and become one of your tech essentials.

Tablets

With face-to-face classes returning, students are more often on the move, so portability is important. You might be wondering about getting an iPad for uni. after all tablets and iPads are a great option. They’re lightweight and powerful. You can easily take notes, get your reading done on the bus, research that next assignment or even attend your online classes.

For Uni and TAFE students, Apple recommends the iPad Air for ‘serious performance and portability’ and the iPad Pro which ‘offers the ultimate combination of portability, versatility and performance for student workflows’. The iPad Pro also includes an all-day battery life* so you can work on the go throughout the day.

Apps

There are lots of apps out there that can help students get ahead with their tertiary studies, like apps for easier note taking, for collaboration, organisation and time management.

Let’s take a look at just a few of the better-known apps to choose from.

Organisational apps

Staying across multiple subjects, the timetable of classes and tutes plus assignments can be a headache for uni students. A great way to get organised through online apps.

Here are some other apps to help students in their studies (and life).

Note taking apps

Students create a lot of notes so organising all that good work is important. While there’s nothing wrong with handwritten notes, the reality is that life at uni means lots of digital information needs to be managed. There’s the notes student take themselves plus and all the course information and shared files. 

Evernote

One of the note taking and task management apps out there is Evernote. Students can use it as a sort digital binder that holds all their uni related information and documents together in one app. For example, notes can be organised into notebooks and even handwritten notes can be scanned, stored and searched.

Google Drive

Many students find Google Drive to be an indispensable part of uni life and no wonder. It allows you to work independently on the go on your phone or tablet and to participate in group work easily. Apart from the main applications like docs, there’s also a wide range of add-ons like EasyBib to simplify making bibliographies. Other handy features include optional language settings, revision history, the ability to use Google Drive offline, voice typing, and easily file conversion. Need to turn images of pages into text? That’s no problem with the OCR (Optical Character Recognition) function. Easy.

Grammarly

Students can use Grammarly to help with spelling and grammar, punctuation and checks for plagiarism. The AI-powered app allows you to choose the audience of your assignment for example, you can set it to ‘general’ or ‘academic’.

Lost on Campus

When you’re new to uni, getting your bearings can take time.

To avoid running late for class try this handy app that’s got amazing maps for 42 campuses around Australia covering about 360,000 locations - all free. Rate the coffee on campus or pinpoint a tree for your next on campus lunch time break.

Notion

Is an all-in-one organisational or project management tool that helps you keep all your work in one space. You can create notes, workflows, set goals or create reading lists. The inbuilt templates are a big help for busy students.

OneNote

Microsoft OneNote allows students to create notes and easily collaborate with your study buddies. It has checklists and handy search and tag functions. It’s free with a Microsoft account and can be used in both the Mac and Windows worlds.

Quizlet

What a great app this one is. Quizlet lets you easily make and share flashcards for studying. No need to cut up cardboard flashcards – this the digitised way to improve your retention of information.

You can play memory games and use the speech options, so you can improve your language learning skills.

Shortform

The Shortform app helps you save time by providing comprehensive book summaries across lots of titles which you can segment into categories and even add your own notes.

SimpleMind+

Create mind maps to help you visualise and better absorb information. You can easily brainstorm the structure of your next essay; plan the subjects you need for your chosen degree; or plot your next holiday with friends.

Slack

One of the world’s most popular ways to communicate for work, it’s also great for students to be in touch with their peers and collaborate on assignments.

Trello

Students looking for a more sophisticated project management app should consider Trello. Many of us think visually and Trello is a visual tool that allows students to manage projects, tasks and workflows.

Mental Health

Student life can create stress, what with multiple courses and deadlines for assignments. Then of course there’s relationship ups and downs, lack of sleep etc. So, it’s important for students to look after their mental health. Headspace guides you through mindfulness to achieve a feeling of calmness and control, plus can help you get better sleep.

Optus SubHub

Discover Masterclass on Optus SubHub and learn from experts on a range of topics from yoga to business leadership to conservation management.

You might like to expand your understanding of the world through the documentaries available on iWonder or BritBox also available via SubHub.

*Battery life varies by use and configuration; see apple.com/au/batteries for more information. 

Find out how to prepare for university from school or as an international student about to start tertiary studies in Australia  and get tips for O-Week.

Want to get more productive? Check out our articles on productivity apps.

Discover ways to save money as a student or managing life in a sharehouse.

These are just a few suggestions to help students choose the best tech. Check out our student hub for super student savings on selected SIM plans and 4G Home internet, available to tertiary students with a valid student ID. The phones and tablets on our month-to-month plans (excluding Prepaid) are also available for you to pay off over time, helping to ease the cost of new technology.

Whether you’re coming to Australia for work or study, Optus has you covered with our great range of mobile and internet services.

Get into student life with some campus themed movies like Legally Blonde on Prime Video via Optus SubHub.

Optus Pause helps you manage your time online. Simply pause your mobile or home connectivity across the devices on your account, all from My Optus app.