5 Apps for Graduating High School Students to Get Organized

Graduating from high school can be stressful. Not only because finals are tough, but also because of life, in general, is about to make a new, drastic turn. You are about to venture into a new life phase. One that is constantly filled with new discoveries and experiences, new obligations and desires.

No matter where you end up, you will always be running out of time. There is always so much to see and do, and technology can help with that. Tablets, laptops, and smartphones became a necessity a long time ago. They are no longer a luxury, so assuming you already have a trusty mobile companion by your side, you can use them to fuel your organizational efforts.

If you intend to go to college or find a job, you will find it more evident that time never stops. You will have to take notes, manage time, research, and plan. Leading an organized life is a liberating feeling, and mobile apps can help with that.

Once you enter this new, exciting chapter of your life, you may discover that having the right app at your side will ease the burden and make you more efficient. Thankfully, there are many kinds of organizational apps.

If you're working, studying or managing leisure, you need to stay organized to get the most out of your day. Think of these tools as personal assistants or helpers, like cheat sheets or essay writer services.

So here we go, five tips on how to stay organized.

30/30 — by Binary Hammer.

For iOS.

Our first tool is of the time management variety. An organizer app for Apple's iOS mobile platform. 30/30 is a time management tool, designed to help you keep track of your working and resting time.

This isn't the only application of it's kind, but it has the biggest asset on its side - streamlined design. Even now, there is a constant race to add more features and functionality to these types of time management tools. But filling them to the brim is not always the right way to go, it leads to those tools simply being oversaturated with features nobody will ever need.

The interface is minimalistic, yet works perfectly to serve its primary purpose.
30/30 is easy to set up, all you need to do is pick from a selection of tasks you are going to perform and allocate time for it.

The name of the app, 30/30, stems directly from the developers' intention to promote efficient work ethic. The first 30 minutes are dedicated to a single task - studying, working, etc.; and the next 30 minutes are devoted to a more mellow, relaxing activity and give yourself ample room to unwind. And after that, the cycle begins anew.

Once the countdown ends, the app will let you know about the next task on your itinerary.
The timer is located in the middle of the display, and it can take on a different color in the process of counting down. Makes it easier to notice.

30/30 is time management at its finest. You work, you rest, you remain efficient.
Even though the devs recommend the 30/30 split, there are other splits to consider, like 40/20.
Keep in mind that by giving yourself enough time to rest, you prevent any possible burnout and keep your productiveness up.

So, in summary, it's a minimalistic tool. Not entirely suited for detailed planning, but it's good enough to keep you concentrated on a task with minimal distractions.
The app is free, but there are additional features available in the form of in-app purchases. Even in its simplest state, the tool will be useful. Organizing time for studying was never so easy; we have daily planner apps to thank.

Some other time-management alternatives for other platforms - Wunderlist (by Wunderkinder GmbH) and Errands To-Do list (by Yoctoville).

SleepCycle — by Northcube AB.

For iOS and Android.

Another time-management solution, of sorts. SleepCycle is a smart alarm application. Having enough sleep is vital, and so is properly waking up. Essential to our well-being, we spend almost a third of our lives sleeping. And with a hectic lifestyle, having sufficient rest is indispensable for overall efficiency.

As you may have discovered, going to bed earlier will not entirely solve the problem of being sleepy in the morning, it's all in the sleep cycles.

SleepCycle is not only a smart alert, but it also acts as a sort of a sleep tracker. Sleep trackers calculate sleep patterns to wake the person up in a more suitable phase.

The app makes use of motion sensor technology. Before you go to bed, you need to put the phone near the bed (there are two modes of motion detection, and each has a slightly different placement method) to read the metrics of sleep state. By examining movements the which are done while sleeping, the tool goes on to build a rest "map" of sorts and wakes the person up at a more appropriate time.

Needless to say, to get the most out of this functionality your phone needs to be plugged into a power source, it is very battery-intensive.

While other alarm clocks are strict with their functionality and begin ringing at a set time, SleepCycle adapts to the user. If you need to wake up at a particular time, the tool will try to wake you up once the "deep" phase of your sleep is over.
By default, that window is 30 minutes.

An experimental tool, with an unusual gimmick. No need to underestimate the effects a good night's sleep has on the human body.

Evernote — by Evernote Corporation.

For Windows PC, OSX, iOS, Android and other platforms.

Frantic lifestyle has little regard for memorization, so to simplify the process, note taking apps are essential.

Evernote is a digital notebook, available for many platforms. No matter where you install it (phone or PC), parts of it will instantly become interconnected. If you added a note from your phone, it is going to synchronize to your PC and vice versa.

Why would you want to take digital notes instead of classic ones? Because technology is fantastic. You can save receipts, scans, pictures, audio files, someone's phone number or coordinates, text, office files and so on.

As you can see, Evernote brings a lot regarding functionality. Plus, you can always share your notes with everyone. Another neat addition is WebClipper, a plugin which allows you to "clip" a web page and store it. Think of them as pocket bookmarks.

Evernote is a freemium tool, as in, its free but additional functionality can be bought, but the free version has enough functionality to be useful in most situations.

Mint — by Intuit Inc.

For iOS and Android.

Now let's move away from the concept of time and move to something more tangible — money. It is easy to lose track of your finances, especially in such a transitional phase like graduating from high school. Getting careless with money is not hard.

Understandably, it can be intimidating to use third-party software to do your accounting for you, but all the data is encrypted and secure. Millions of people rely on Mint as their financial guide.

The tool will allow you to budget, keep track of expenses, get alerts on your credit and receive advice. Plus, the option of investment tracking is there for more wealthy individuals.
Signing up is free, the tool is easy to set up and simple enough to navigate.

MyFitnessPal — by MyFitnessPal Inc.

For iOS, Android, and Windows Phone

Moving onto a more health-related suggestion.

Leading a healthy lifestyle should be a top priority, especially for young people. MyFitnessPal is a free smartphone app which allows you to keep track of your exercise routines and calorie intakes.

When you register, you will be prompted to put in personal details — sex, weight, height, lifestyle and so on. After the account has been registered, you will be free to track your diet. And to do so, you are required to put in your calorie intakes. Figuring out calorie counts sounds needlessly complicated, but there's a huge list of meals you can choose from - a more convenient solution.

Of course, all the calorie details are mere approximations, but they do provide a baseline.
Filling in the information about physical exercises functions the same way easy way.
As a short reminder, if you want to lose weight, burn more calories than you intake. Simple.

Author Bio

Robert Everett is a freelance writer currently based in Chicago. Solving students career and university problems. Having an interest in marketing and business.