Students laughing in front of the computer in a study room

7 Productivity Tips to End the School Year Strong

Power through the last stretch of the year with these hacks.

As the school year draws to a close, it can be challenging to stay motivated and focused on finishing strong. Fortunately, there are several productivity tips and tools that you can use to help you power through the last stretch.

Read on to learn 7 productivity hacks that you can use right away:

1. Stay On Top of Your Activities With Management Apps

Trello app showing on the screen of a tablet.

If you’re nearing the end of the semester, it might feel like the activities and requirements pile up. Management apps like Asana, Trello, or ClickUp can help you stay on top of what you need to do.

Trello is the most straightforward app among the three. It uses a kanban technique, which is like having a wall with post-it notes. You can move these post-its from your “to-do” column to a “done” column.

2. Use the Dictation Feature on Your Phone for Class

Students listening to a lecture

People have different learning styles. Some people absorb information much better by only listening. Others will need to write down notes.

There is a dictation feature on your phone to help you transcribe lectures as they happen. On an iPhone, you can go to Settings  > General > Keyboard, then turn on Enable Dictation.

On an Android phone, you can open any app that you can type with, like Messages or Gmail. Tap Settings which you can find on top of the keyboard, then tap Voice typing. Turn Assistant voice typing on to start using this feature.

3. Digital Note-Taking Tools Work, Too

Evernote, Notion, and GDocs are great digital papers that you can type on. You can also share your docs or dashboards with schoolmates for collaboration.

Even on a free account, Evernote can let you share with up to 2 people per note and share up to 50 notes per month. Meanwhile, Notion can let you add up to 10 users for collaboration on its free account.

Meanwhile, GDocs has always been free and without limitations to its features.

4. Focus CBD for Stress Management and a Sharper Mind

Verma Farms CBD Oil with packaging

Cannabidiol (CBD) is an active compound of the hemp plant that can help you study. You can buy it in the form of CBD gummies, oils, tinctures, capsules, and creams, among others.

You can take the Verma Farms Focus CBD Oil sublingually or put two drops under the tongue. It will help with stress management. It contains brain-boosting elements like fish oil and magnesium. You can take it as you would your supplements daily.

Some studies suggest CBD can improve your attention and cognitive functions. CBD products are readily available online, but it’s always best to consult with your doctor if you are taking medications.

5. A Spelling and Grammar Checker Will Do Wonders

Screengrab from Grammarly demo document

Grammarly is one of the more popular spelling and grammar-checking apps out there. 

Improve your essays and other writing activities with this useful productivity tool. It has a browser extension version and you can add it on GDocs for spelling and grammar suggestions.

The Hemingway app is a useful tool to help you clean up your essays and other writing assignments. It highlights your text to let you know if a sentence is in passive voice, if the paragraph is too clunky, and if you can still break the sentence into a more readable form.

Grammarly and Hemingway are free to use.

6. Do More With Focus Apps Like Pomodoro

Screengrab from Pomofocus website

A to-do list and a Pomodoro app can work wonders with decluttering your day. 

Pomodoro is a time management app that breaks your day into a 25-minute focus block and 5-minute breaks. After three blocks, you can take a 15-30 minute break.

Pomodor, Pomofocus, and BeFocused are some of the apps that use the Pomodoro technique.

It helps to develop discipline as you check off your to-do list.

7. Sleep CBD Helps You Maintain Healthy Sleep Habits

Verma Farms CBD Sleep Gummies and CBD Oil

The Verma Farms Sleep CBD Oil can help you create a proper sleep routine. This is useful especially when it gets difficult to sleep because of stress, anxiety, or an ever-changing schedule.

Schoolwork can cause anxiety and stress, which may lead to insomnia or disrupted sleep patterns.

This broad-spectrum CBD contains chamomile and melatonin, which are useful in promoting a good night’s sleep. It interacts with brain receptors to help regulate your sleep-wake cycle.

Know more about the difference between CBD isolate ad broad spectrum CBD here→.