It’s that time of year: The weather is getting warmer, the sun is shining brighter, the days are growing longer and the end of the academic year is coming up on the horizon. Combine all of those factors on a college campus, and you’re in for some fun times - often at the expense your grades.
If you’re a senior who’s already secured a job and know grad school isn’t in your future, my old and wise advice would be to embrace the slide. But for everyone else, academics still count. So whether you’re gearing up for finals or need to prep for a standardized test, here are some local startups that will keep your studying in check.
Coming out of Harvard Business School, Osmosis makes medical school easier. You can import all of your syllabi onto the platform and it will send you supplementary learning materials based on what you’re covering in class at any given time. The app also sends you fitting questions to reinforce concepts and determine problems areas so you know what you still need to work on. Osmosis is currently for med students only, but it could expand into other subject areas in the future.
For some people, writing papers are the real struggle and making it to office hours doesn’t always happen. Prompt lets students submit their papers online and receive feedback from professors and writing professionals - complete with grade. Pricing is flexible depending on how much feedback you’re looking for, but there is a free option available for students on a budget.
Assembling study materials is half the battle of getting ready for an exam. Luvo eliminates the tedious task of putting together study guides and making flashcards by doing it for you. Everything through the platform is course-specific, so the materials will go over exactly what you covered in class.
Tutors can hold you accountable and give you that extra push you sometimes need to stay on top of your schoolwork. The issue is they’re often pricey and might not be available when it’s best for you. Quickhelp - whose team is pictured above - has created an on-demand tutor marketplace, so people can get the help they need when they want it. Another plus: The platform uses graduate students as its tutors, so you’re simultaneously supporting them while still paying less than you normally would.
This platform is the brainchild of MIT, MIT Sloan and Harvard alumni, so by default, it should works wonders on test prep. Up until now, the startup has focused on getting students ready for the GMAT with its Prep4GMAT solution, but it also announced it’s now using a recent round of funding to develop an app to help students learn remedial skills so they can dominate college to their full potential.
Language requirements can be the bane of some students’ academic existence. Rather than staring at a sheet of vocabulary and hoping the words stick, it’s been proven that people learn a new language better through conversation. Idyoma, a startup out of Northeastern, connects students with nearby native speakers so they can meet up, chat and help people pick up the language in a more authentic environment.
Image via Alberto G., CC BY 2.0.
