The best free online resources for high school students
High school can be extremely overwhelming. Balancing assignments, college applications, on top of your personal responsibilities can be challenging. Luckily, you can always rely on the advice of those who have been where you are right now. This is why I compiled a small list of websites, browser extensions and apps that helped me thrive in school. Hopefully, you can find something to facilitate your experience throughout these four years!
Khan Academy
Most students have heard of this website- but for a reason! Khan Academy is a non-profit educational organization that provides students with an array of free resources. It specializes in short video lessons and practice exercises in multiple subjects. Furthermore, for juniors and seniors in the college application process, Khan Academy offers a great personalized SAT prep course. Personally, I did all my study for the SAT on the platform. You can take practice tests and it automatically will give you questions based on your weakness. I used it to figure out what topics I was struggling with on the test and then I could go back to their video lectures and solve all my questions!
EasyBIB
When it comes to essay writing, Easybib is one of the most helpful free resources available. This bibliography generator allows you to create citations in multiple formats. If you need to cite a website, for example, just copy the URL, paste it on the citation box, choose the correct format (MLA, APA etc) and it will create your citation for you. It is important to note however, that citation generators should be used responsibly. You should know how to create your own citations and for that, the website PurdueOwl has great, easy to understand articles on the different formats. If you want to learn more about how to properly use citation generators as a tool in your academic writing, PurdueOwl also has great information on this link:
https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/using_citation_machines_responsibly.html
SlidesCarnival
Slidescarnival is a great resource for class presentations. It allows you to download several free PowerPoint templates and Google Slides themes for your presentations. You can edit and personalize all templates for your needs. It will definitely bring your projects to the next level!
Desmos
If you have taken a high school level math course you have probably heard of this website. Desmos has been a primary resource for me to graph all kinds of equations so I had to add it to this list. Especially during my pre- calculus courses, observing how functions behave in a graph can really help clarify math concepts.
WordReference
This online dictionary is a great tool for those of you taking a language course. It gives different translations in multiple languages based on context. Therefore, it is more useful than simply looking up the translation of the word (we all know how inaccurate that can be)
Quizlet
Since I mentioned flashcards, I had to highlight how helpful Quizlet was for memorizing concepts and ideas. In the rare chance you have not heard of this popular website, quizlet allows you to create flashcards for free and even share it with your classmates. It is a great resource, especially if you're taking a class that is similar across high schools (such as advanced placement courses) since you can most likely find ready-made flashcards for you.
ReadWriteThink
This website offers a great collection of learning resources on topics typically taught in high school. You can find anything from lessons in writing styles to tools for professional development. It is a fun website to explore if you have a bit of free time, you will most definitely find something that interests you!
Kami Extension
Kami is a Google Chrome extension that allows you to highlight and annotate any document online (including pdf files). It made researching for papers and reading in general much faster and easier.
Dualless
Another easy to use extension, this tool allows you to split your computer screen. It is a great resource for online school since it made it possible to watch classes and take notes on my computer simultaneously.
Focus Plant
This productivity app is a fun way to avoid procrastination. You can create "focus times" during which you are not allowed to go on your phone. If you're successful this time will turn into raindrops which will allow you to grow adorable plants!