In this article, I’ll share my favorite iPad apps and tips for students, and how I take aesthetic digital notes. I’ll also talk about the essential iPad accessories you need, and which iPad model I recommend you get as a student.
Digital note taking
Being able to take notes digitally is one of the reasons why the iPad is great for students. My favorite note-taking app is GoodNotes, and I’ll go into more detail on that later in the article.
Note-taking on the iPad is so convenient, especially if you’re studying a subject with a lot of diagrams and equations. You can hand-write using the Apple Pencil, type using a keyboard, or even dictate by speaking out loud, and it automatically adds punctuation. It’s easy to edit your notes and rearrange things, and if you like to make your notes look aesthetic, it’s so much easier to do that on the iPad.
There’s a variety of note templates, and you have every single pen and highlighter color at your fingertips without having to carry around a bunch of stationery. You’ll save time copying things out because you can just take a screenshot using the Apple Pencil. If you want to save the entire page, you can tap on the full-page option and share it directly to your note-taking app to study offline.
Downloading lecture slides, worksheets, and past exam papers is easy on the iPad, and you can write on them without having to print anything out. I love being able to drag and drop images directly from websites and the photo album. One of my favorite iPad features is that you can tap and hold on an image, and it will lift that object out of the background.
The iPad makes it easy to draw perfectly straight lines and shapes, and you can also decorate your notes using digital stickers.
Another useful feature is being able to record your lectures and take notes at the same time. When you play back the recording, it will show you what you wrote in real time alongside the audio.
The iPad also functions as a scanner, and it will automatically brighten and tidy up your scanned physical notes. You can also select text within a photo and copy and paste this to your notes instead of having to write it out.
Having all your notes in one place is so useful. You can organize them into different folders and use the search function to quickly find something specific.
Digital planning
I love digital planners, and these are a great tool for staying organized as a student. They’re essentially a PDF file with hyperlinks that you write on inside a PDF annotation app. You can use them to plan out your daily schedules, stay on top of your to-do list, and keep track of your assignments, projects, and exams.
Just like digital note-taking, you have all the benefits like flexibility and customization. Apps like GoodNotes can sync between the iPad, iPhone, and the computer, so you can easily check in with your planner on the go. I love digital planning because you can handwrite, and it’s easy to make your planner page look cute and aesthetic, and you get to decorate it using digital stickers.
Goodnotes 6
GoodNotes is my favorite note-taking app on the iPad, and GoodNotes 6 recently launched with brand-new industry-first features that are useful for students.
I love the new handwriting AI tools and haven’t seen these anywhere else before. The spell-check feature picks up spelling mistakes in your handwritten notes, and you can simply tap on the word and have it corrected in handwriting. This saves you time having to erase and rewrite or look up how to spell a word, and I think it does a pretty good job at imitating your own handwriting.
The AI handwriting features are made possible using the app’s own machine learning model. You can convert handwritten math notes into equations, and the AI math assistants can help to flag errors when you’ve written something incorrect. You can also create your own study sets and practice them directly inside the app.
I love the new customizable note templates and covers. You can choose any color from the palette and make your own digital notebooks. The folders are also customizable now, and this makes it even easier to organize your notes. New features also include Scribble to Erase, which lets you scribble out handwriting, and Circle to Lasso. These pen gestures are super convenient and mean you don’t have to switch back and forth with the pen tool.
Within the app, you also have a new marketplace. I’ve been a long-time user of GoodNotes, and you can download and try GoodNotes 6 for free.
iPad apps
Moving on to some other apps that are great for students.
Study Bunny is a cute productivity app where you can set the timer to focus on a task. You can assign a color tag to each session, for example, if you’re studying different subjects, and the app will show you an overview of how you have been spending your time. I use the calculator app in a split-screen window alongside my note-taking app, and there’s a lot of different color schemes you can choose from.
TickTick app is great for making to-do lists. I love the home screen widgets, and you can also tick off daily habits using the habit tracker widget.
Structured app is great for creating a structured timeline from your to-do list. You can have the same tasks repeat for future days to save you from writing it out every time. You can tick off each task, and there’s also home screen widgets.
You can read books and listen to audiobooks in the Apple Books app, and this has some nice customization features and page flip animations. You can have all of your textbooks in here and highlight key information.
Another good reading app is Libby. This is great for getting free ebooks and audiobooks from your local library if they’re signed up to the scheme. You just need to enter your library card.
I use the Coolors app for finding aesthetic color palettes for note-taking. You can browse and save different palettes and simply copy and paste the hex code into apps like GoodNotes. Quizlet is a popular app that lets you create your own study flashcards or find ones created by other people.
My go-to app for drawing and sketching is Procreate. Even if you’re not studying a creative subject, you can use this to make aesthetic diagrams for your notes. The pen stabilization feature really helps you to draw smooth curves.
I use the iFont app for installing custom fonts for digital planning and note-taking. You can browse and find a ton of free fonts.
iPad tips
The iPad has some great inbuilt features that are useful for students, and here are some of my favorites.
The Scribble feature automatically turns handwriting into text, and you can use this throughout your iPad. Just go to Settings, Apple Pencil, and then turn on Scribble.
You can tap directly on the iPad screen with the Apple Pencil to bring up quick notes, or you can also swipe from the corner. If you find something useful on a webpage, just highlight it and add it to your quick notes, and it will open up that same webpage when you tap on it. It’s great for jotting down something quickly, and you can copy and paste your notes into other apps as handwriting or text.
Freeform is a flexible whiteboard where you can brainstorm and put together projects. You can add photos, videos, documents, and other types of files, and collaborate in real-time with others on an infinite canvas.
Multitasking on the iPad is very convenient. The Stage Manager feature allows you to have up to four apps open at the same time. You can resize and reposition any of the windows, and drag and drop objects like handwriting and images from one window to another.
You can use the iPad as a second monitor next to your laptop, which is nice to have if you need the extra screen space. For language students, you can highlight any word or phrase and translate this directly into a different language.
iPad accessories
I recommend getting a matte screen protector if you’re taking notes using the Apple Pencil. It makes the screen less slippery and just improves the overall handwriting experience. This is the one I’m using at the moment, and I think it’s decent but not perfect.
Previously, I also liked the paper-filled screen protector from the brand Doudrou, but it comes down to personal preference. I suggest trying out different brands to see what works best for you.
I switched my Apple Pencil tips to steel tips, and I feel like they give slightly better control for handwriting. Just make sure you’re using a screen protector along with these.
I also recommend getting an Apple Pencil sleeve, and there are lots of different styles available. I personally prefer a simple silicone case over the clicky pen hard cases. I just think they are more comfortable to hold and provide a better grip.
A case helps to protect your iPad so you can throw it in your bag without worrying, and a lot of cases also double up as a stand. If you’re going to be doing a lot of typing on your iPad, especially during lectures, then check out the Magic Keyboard, which is a combination of keyboard, stand, and protective case.
The Magic Keyboard is quite expensive but helps to turn your iPad into more of a laptop experience. If you’re looking for a cheaper alternative, you can find many non-Apple brand styluses. However, these don’t stay connected to the iPad as well, and you can’t swap out the tips as easily, so I still think it’s worth investing in the real Apple Pencil.
There are various other iPad accessories, but those are what I consider the essentials.
Which iPad model?
If you’re deciding between the different iPad models, the base iPad is the most affordable model and still works with an Apple Pencil, although it’s currently only compatible with the first-generation pencil. It doesn’t have some premium features, but it’s enough for all the essentials like note-taking, and I think this is a great option for student budgets.
If you want to go a step up, the iPad Air works with the second-generation Apple Pencil and has more premium features like a better processor and display. I think this is the best option if you’re willing to spend a little bit more. If you need a larger screen size, such as for drawing or for using as a second monitor, the iPad Pro comes in 12.9 inches and is Apple’s most premium model.
The iPad Pro is quite heavy to carry around though, and the premium features are probably not a necessity for most students. There’s also the iPad Mini, but I personally found this too small for note-taking. I’ve also had a couple of pre-owned iPads, and they’re all still working to this day, so that’s another option to consider if you’re on a budget.
Should you get an iPad?
If you’re deciding whether to invest in an iPad, this is definitely something I would have loved as a student, but there are some downsides to consider. Writing on an iPad screen can take some getting used to, and for intensive study sessions, you do have to consider battery life. However, I love the flexibility of working digitally, and I think the iPad is a great tool for students for note-taking, productivity, and organization.
The iPad is particularly useful if you’re studying a STEM subject with a lot of diagrams and equations, but even if you’re not doing much note-taking by hand, there’s all the other benefits like digital planning and the wide array of amazing apps that are available on the iPad.
Anyway, I hope you found the article useful, and let me know in the comments if you’re considering getting an iPad as a student or if you already have one and think it’s worth it.