April and May means exam season – it is time to focus! Did you know your phone can help? Yup! These apps will boost your brain’s performance and keep you sane during the exams period!
Even if you are now fully charged after the stress-free Easter holidays, you may not feel energetic enough for studying. Infact holidays can make you feel even more pressured as you begin to realise what’s coming next. Pressure, low-enery and low mood = the worst time to cram for exams! That’s where these apps come in…
#1 – Lumosity
This popular app provides enjoyable games tailored to your goals: improved memory, flexibility of thinking, increased attention span, faster processing speed, and better problem solving. The games are played against the clock and change each time you play. Just one 10 minute-session each day will improve your mental skills. This well-rounded app can train your brain for any exam; from analysing the questions properly to planning the answers.
#2 – Peak
For me, Peak is even better than Lumosity. There are some similarities between two apps: both of them have fun but challenging games, goals and workouts and both allow you to chart your weekly progress. Peak trains your brain like Lumosity but also trains another mental skill – Language. It helps you develop a richer vocabulary, learn to communicate more efficiently, converse in a more fluent manner and be creative with language. So it’s not only helpful in organising your thinking but also aids the process of writing your thoughts.
#3 – Elevate
Elevate is deservedly one of the ‘2014 Best iPhone Apps‘. It is a new type of cognitive training tool, designed to build communication and analytical skills. Users are provided with a personalised game-based training program that adjusts over time, based on performance. It improves your focus while reading or listening and helps you retain information. Elevate also helps you articulate your thoughts more clearly, improve your problem solving abilities, improve your mental vocabulary and process information faster. Perfect for preparing to give presentations or oral language exams!
#4 – Word to word
If you want a more relaxed game for the day before the exam, try this Word-to-word app. Your task is simply to match the words on the left with the words on the right. They may be synonyms, antonyms or compound words; they just have to be related. This will subtly challenge and charge your brain, perfecting it for optimum exam condition!
#5 – Pic to word
Another fun game for you! The rule is simple: just combine two pictures to make a word. Word to word and Pic to word both helped me in improving my ability to quickly link different ideas or concepts together. This is extremely important when you have limited time to answer test questions. The critical thinking skills that you’ll gain are very useful for producing conceptual thoughts, such as outlining a plan, a strategy, or even structure for your exam answers.
Each student has different studying style. Some are visual learners; others may be better at listening. No matter what your study strategy is, these apps all have sections that will work for you. Try them all and find out which suits you best, then stick to it. Remember to train your brain everyday and track your progress.
Don’t forget to eat lots as well, and take some time out to relax too. Good luck with your exams!
