Studying Online;Succeeding through Distance Learning at University

84 Studying online 
Simple notetaking apps 
Tere are dozens of notetaking apps available, either for mobile 
devices or as software for computers. Popular ones include Apple 
Notes, Google Keep, and Simplenote. Tese are great for making 
very quick notes, such as reminders or lists. You could use one of 
these apps to jot down ideas, for example, or to list recommended 
reading. Tey do not have the functionality of an ecosystem like 
Microsoft OneNote or Evernote. However, they do have value. For 
example, you may be working on an assignment in a group, and 
you need to jot down some quick reminders of your tasks. Or you 
could be chatting to friends on a video call, and someone recom-
mends a good book to read. You could quickly make a note in one 
of these apps rather than loading up an ecosystem just to jot down 
a few words. 
QUICK TIP: Have a notetaking app on your mobile phone so 
that you can jot down ideas and reminders. 
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USING AUDIO NOTES 
Even though you may be studying alone, at a distance to the uni-
versity, there will be a reasonable amount of audio to which you 
will need to listen. Some lectures, for example, will be in audio 
only, rather like a podcast. Indeed, some lecturers – including me – 
have a podcast that is recommended listening for students. You 
can import such audio fles and links to recordings into your no-
tetaking system. However, you can also make audio notes yourself. 
Sometimes this is easier for students when they are listening to 
audio as their mind is in “audio mode”. For instance, while listen-
ing to a podcast, you can record a quick audio note on your mobile 
phone voice recording app. Some students that I teach also prefer 
to record audio notes, summarising what they are reading in a 
textbook, for example. 
Audio notes can be handy for revision when it comes to exam 
time. You can playback your audio summary of a textbook 

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