iPad Apps I Love and Use

There are so many wonderful apps out there that is hard to know what’s worth the time. (Note: the apps that are Apple Pencil-friendly, meaning better with the Apple Pencil, are in blue.)

School Related

• Notability (note-taking app, paid)
  • amazing handwriting app that has a “real-feel” to it; additionally, it allows you to take audio recordings as you take notes and syncs the strokes with the recording (really useful for lectures)
• GoodNotes (note-taking app, paid)
  • another beloved note-taking app; very similar to Notability, but with a few small differences
  • My digital journal is made in GoodNotes (more on that later)
• Scanner App (free)
  • makes excellent pseudo-scans that completely can replace the need for a physical scanner
• FOXIT Reader (free)
  • best PDF client I could find, it’s free and I absolutely love it (check my #ResourceSunday section for the feature on this app)
• Pages (free)
  • document editing app that is a native iOS app; I love how easily it syncs with my Mac and I often take notes in class using my Bluetooth keyboard
  • recent updates have integrated the Apple Pencil really well, so it’s great for a class that requires you to type/handwrite/annotate notes, all at once(I used it heavily in histopathology; I typed the notes and then took pictures of the slides and used the Apple Pencil to circle the important structures)
• Liquid Text (PDF client, free version)
  • it allows you to pull sentences/sections straight out of a PDF (like a textbook) and make connections into a mind-map. I only really used it for one class, since I’m not much of a mind-map person, but if you are, check it out
• Spark (email client, free)
  • I like the way it categorizes my emails, but I’m still working on learning the ins-and-outs of the app
• Flipd (anti-procrastinator app and Pomodoro timer, free)
  • since Forest is paid for the iPad (and I already bought the Pro version for my Android, I didn’t want to buy it again, so I’m trying out this new app called Flippd.
  • Unique feature: you can make study rooms and groups, and motivate each other (more on that later!)

Social Media (all free)

• Snapseed
• VSCO
• Wordpress
• Canva 
  • great for designing quick, easy posters, stories, etc.; check out my #ResourceSunday feature on it here
• Planoly
• Tumblr ❤

Entertainment

• Adobe Sketch (free, with limitations)
• Concepts (sketchbook, free)
  • love the feel of the sketchpad; it seems like a good alternative to the paid Procreate app
• Pocket (free)
  • easily save and categorize links, articles, etc: anything you want to save for later reading
• TED (free)
  • educational, thought-provoking, interesting videos to watch during study breaks
• Feedly (free)
  • a news aggregator that puts all your favorite websites into one place for easing browsing; it’s helpful for staying up to date on world events
• Netflix (paid subscription)
  • use it to watch an episode or two of FRIENDS every night

Misc.

• Overcast (podcast client, free)
  • awesome podcast client that makes listening easy; the sleep timer function makes it easy to fall asleep to
• Goodreads
  • keeps tracks of all my books on three “lists”: currently reading, wishlist (want to read) and read. It allows you to follow people with similar interests and write reviews on books you finished
  • I often check a book’s reviews on GoodReads before diving in; time in med school is scarce and it helps me decide if I’d enjoy the read

[The PDF seen in the picture is my free Exam Prep downloadable/printable; check here for more details; can be used in GoodNotes or Notability]