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Generative Artificial Intelligence and University Study

Digital and AI tools you can use to support your studies.

Your Library team have been experimenting with a range of freely available Generative AI tools, to test their outputs and better understand how they work and how they might be helpful. We have put these tools into categories according to how you might use these during your studies – for instance, literature searching, summarising documents, or planning your assignments. We’ve also included information, where applicable, on how to reference the use of these tools.  

Before using any of these you might want to read our reviews. Do also consider everything that you’ve read within this guide before deciding to use the outputs you are being presented with. Also be mindful of how you share published or personal data. Some of our E-resource suppliers prohibit the use of AI tools with their content, so please check with the supplier if you intend to use their content with an AI tool e.g. uploading an article to a summarising site. If you have any queries about this please do contact the E-Team at eresourceshelp@reading.ac.uk. And, of course, always make sure to check your assessment briefs to understand whether and what kinds of applications of Generative AI are appropriate for your assessed work. 

If you have any questions on any of these tools, or would like to suggest some tools we may have omitted, do email studyadvice@reading.ac.uk. 

Assignment planning tools

Generative AI tools can help with planning an essay by asking them to layout an essay structure based on a provided essay question.

Overview

Gemini and ChatGPT have a more detailed overall offering, which may help those with less familiarity of a subject. However, it will be difficult if you have no understanding of a subject to make use of any of the essay plans generated. The output of these tools act as prompts, giving you enough direction to get started. Your own critical thinking, knowledge and ability to research a topic will still be tested if using an AI generated essay plan.

Each generative AI tool should produce a coherent essay structure, though each will have their own “take” on the essay question provided and a logical narrative that will guide you through the relevant issues and arguments. It may be worthwhile using each tool to create a plan based on the same prompt and use an amalgamation of each output to create your plan. This will help test your own understanding of the subject and create a better overall essay plan.

Remember: as with all generative AI tools you should use the outputs as a starting point and ensure that your own knowledge and understanding is used to finalise any essay plan and in the completion of the assignment.

When using Gemini you might expect the following:

  • Suggests a coherent structure with specific topics to explore.
  • Suggests a specific mode of enquiry (define, explain, discuss, explore, analyse, summarize) in which to engage with a topic.
  • Suggests types of examples to provide to demonstrate the argument.
  • Finishes with some additional tips, with a view to encouraging critical engagement with the material.
  • Relatively rigid structure, but it doesn’t fall on one side of an argument or another.
How to reference

If you are citing the content generated from chatting with Gemini, you would cite this as a personal communication, including a description of the AI generated material in the in-text citation. Make sure to discuss this with your tutor, as you may need to give a copy of the AI work as an appendix to your assignment.  This is an example in the Cite Them Right Harvard style.

Reference list: Google Gemini (2025) Gemini response to Joe Bloggs, 8 February 2025.

In-text citation: When prompted by the author, Gemini responded with a ‘structure for an assignment on academic integrity in higher education’ (Google Gemini, 2025). A copy of this response is in Appendix 1.

Information last updated February 2025

When using ChatGPT 4 you might expect the following:

  • Suggests a coherent structure with specific topics to explore.
  • Suggests a specific mode of enquiry (define, explain, discuss, explore, summarize) in which to engage with a topic.
  • Relatively rigid structure, but it doesn’t fall on one side of an argument or another.
  • Offers slightly more detail/depth than Gemini.
How to reference

If you are citing the content generated from chatting with ChatGPT, you would cite this as a personal communication, including a description of the AI generated material in the in-text citation. Make sure to discuss this with your tutor, as you may need to give a copy of the AI work as an appendix to your assignment.  This is an example in the Cite Them Right Harvard style.

Reference list: OpenAI ChatGPT (2025) ChatGPT response to Joe Bloggs, 8 February 2025.

In-text citation: When prompted by the author, ChatGPT responded with a ‘structure for an assignment on academic integrity in higher education’ (OpenAI ChatGPT, 2025). A copy of this response is in Appendix 1.

Information last updated February 2025

When using Copilot you might expect the following:

  • Suggests a coherent structure with specific topics to explore.
  • Suggests a specific mode of enquiry (define, explain, discuss, explore, compare, summarize) in which to engage with the topic.
  • Links to a couple of online academic resources.
  • Relatively rigid structure, but it doesn’t fall on one side of an argument, or another.
  • Encourages your own thinking.
  • Encourages use of examples, and specifically reminds you to make use of scholarly references.
How to reference

If you are citing the content generated from chatting with Copilot, you would cite this as a personal communication, including a description of the AI generated material in the in-text citation. Make sure to discuss this with your tutor, as you may need to give a copy of the AI work as an appendix to your assignment.  This is an example in the Cite Them Right Harvard style.

Reference list: Microsoft Copilot (2025) Copilot response to Joe Bloggs, 8 February 2025.

In-text citation: When prompted by the author, Copilot responded with a ‘structure for an assignment on academic integrity in higher education’ (Microsoft Copilot, 2025). A copy of this response is in Appendix 1.

Information last updated February 2025

Literature searching tools

Hands hold down laptop & books on a deskThe tools in this section can help you get started finding relevant papers when you are researching a topic. These tools may allow you to search for a topic (Elicit and ResearchRabbit) or they might work from a specific paper as a starting point for finding related studies (Inciteful and ResearchRabbit) - great if you have been given one or two papers to read already.

Remember to use AI tools alongside Library search tools such as Summon and subject specific databases.

Our literature searching guide gives tips on making the most of these tools to ensure your results are relevant and you don't miss vital sources.

What it does

Elicit is an AI research assistant. Search for a topic and it will give a summary of the first four papers and provide a summary of each relating to your topics. Also provides a tabular summary of those papers to pick out key aspects. Can also analyse uploaded PDFs. The PRO version has a systematic review tool which guides you the steps, analysing the papers and writing a report which could be used as a starting point for writing a systematic review.

Things to consider when using
  • Only covers journal articles.
  • Currently focuses on empirical research so is most useful for the sciences.
  • Not all publishers contribute to the Semantic Scholar database from which Elicit sources its papers.
  • Free version is limited to summarising the top four papers and you can't download the resulting analysis.
  • Beware uploading published PDFs could be a breach of copyright and the University's licence agreements with publishers.
Tips on getting the most out of it
  • Ask clear and unambiguous questions in natural language e.g. instead of "language model long context", ask, "What techniques work best to allow a language model to accept longer context?"
  • Amend your search if the results don't seem relevant or are too specific.
  • Use filters to focus your results e.g. publication year, study type.
How to reference

Cite this tool like a webpage. This is an example in the Cite Them Right Harvard style.

Reference list: Elicit Research (2025) Elicit. Available at: https://elicit.com (Accessed: 25 February 2025)

In-text citation: (Elicit Research, 2025)

You will need cite separately any articles you use from Elicit's results. See our Citing references guide for further support with referencing.

Information last updated February 2025

What it does

Uses citations to build a network of papers related to a source paper you already have, or to identify links between two papers (useful for interdisciplinary topics). Presents the most important papers as well as the most similar. Can help you discover papers which might not be picked up by keyword searching. Also helps identify key authors and institutions researching in that discipline.

Things to consider when using
  • Only retrieves journal articles.
  • Might not cover all publishers and subject areas.
Tips on getting the most out of it
  • A DOI (Digital Object Identifier) search is the most reliable way to retrieve the seed paper(s) you want to use, although it is possible to search by paper title, PubMed URL or arXiv URL.
How to reference

Cite this tool like a webpage. This is an example in the Cite Them Right Harvard style.

Reference list: Weishuhn, M. (2024). Inciteful: citation network exploration. Available at: https://inciteful.xyz (Accessed: 8 August 2024).

In-text citation: (Weishuhn, 2024)

You will need cite separately any articles you use from Inciteful's results. See our Citing references guide for further support with referencing.

Information last updated September 2024

What it does

ResearchRabbit uses source paper(s) to find similar papers and identify key authors in that field. It is also possible to search for papers on a topic to initiate the process. Produces a graphical visualization of links between papers/authors. Also provides alerts for new papers related to your collection(s). Can help you discover papers which might not be picked up by keyword searching. Useful for exploring a specific author to find all their publications and collaborators. Also provides links out to related content such as websites, patents and more.

Things to consider when using
  • Can become a literal rabbit warren of interlinking papers - don't get lost!
  • Might not cover all publishers and subject areas.
Tips on getting the most out of it
  • Adding more papers into your 'collections' improves recommendations.
  • Understand what the different colours and sizes of dots on the visualisation mean. Papers in your collection are in green. Blue dots come from discovered papers. More recent papers have a darker dot. Blue dots are larger if they have more connections with the papers in your collection.
How to reference

Cite this tool like a webpage. This is an example in the Cite Them Right Harvard style.

Reference list: Human Intelligence Technologies Incorporated (2024) ResearchRabbit. Available at: https://www.researchrabbit.ai/ (Accessed: 8 August 2024)

In-text citation: (Human Intelligence Technologies Incorporated, 2024)

You will need cite separately any articles you use from ResearchRabbit's results. See our Citing references guide for further support with referencing.

Information last updated August 2024

Summarising tools

Stack of colourful books with sticky notes inside.What these tools do

There are many Gen AI tools that will help you to digest information.  These tools try to create summaries of documents, like an article, and then they may also give you suggested questions that you could use to chat with it, to help with your understanding of the article.

Things to consider when using
  • Beware uploading published PDFs as this could be a breach of copyright and the University's licence agreements with publishers.
  • Check the references and information it gives from the original text are correct.
  • Bear in mind the limits to using free accounts - these vary between the tools.
When to use
  • If an article seems difficult to understand, this could help you take a different approach.  It may highlight key points in the article, or in longer articles, help you to see which sections are relevant to your research topic.
  • Remember you can also use the abstracts that appear on articles within Library databases such as Summon and those listed in your subject guide to see what an article's focus is and if it's useful for your assignment.
Tips on getting the most out of them
  • Use the suggested prompt questions to learn more about the paper
  • Ask your own clear and unambiguous questions in natural language e.g. instead of "main challenges", ask, "What were the main challenges identified in designing effective gamified educational tools?"
  • If there's something in the paper you don't understand, try asking a specific question about that.
Points to note

The free account has a current limit of 2 articles per day.

We were able to upload an article in English, and then question the AI in another language.

How to reference

If you are citing the content generated from chatting with ChatPDF, you would cite this as a personal communication, including a description of the AI generated material in the in-text citation.  Make sure to discuss this with your tutor, as you may need to give a copy of the AI work as an appendix to your assignment.  This is an example in the Cite Them Right Harvard style.

Reference list: ChatPDF Chat (2024) ChatPDF chat response to Joe Bloggs, 19 August 2024.

In-text citation: When prompted by the author ChatPDF provided 'an analysis of the main themes in the paper' (ChatPDF Chat, 2024). A copy of this response is in Appendix 1.

You will need cite separately any article(s) you used with ChatPDF.

See our Citing references guide for further support with referencing.

Information last updated August 2024

POP Ai LogoPoints to note

Free version is currently limited to 2 uploads and 10 questions per day.

There is an 'enrich' option, but you don't need to use this.  The basic summary is enough.

How to reference

If you are citing the content generated from chatting with PopAi, you would cite this as a personal communication, including a description of the AI generated material in the in-text citation.  Make sure to discuss this with your tutor, as you may need to give a copy of the AI work as an appendix to your assignment.  This is an example in the Cite Them Right Harvard style.

Reference list: PopAi Chat (2024) PopAi chat response to Joe Bloggs, 19 August 2024.

In-text citation: When prompted by the author PopAi provided 'an analysis of the main themes in the paper' (PopAi Chat, 2024). A copy of this response is in Appendix 1.

You will need cite separately any article(s) you used with PopAi.

See our Citing references guide for further support with referencing.

Information last updated August 2024

The Humata logo

Points to note

Free version is limited to 60 free pages, so this would only perhaps give you a few times you can use it for free.

Seems to offer useful questions that are relevant to the summary, but be sure to check any references it gives you to the text, to check it's directing you to the correct information.

How to reference

If you are citing the content generated from chatting with Humata, you would cite this as a personal communication, including a description of the AI generated material in the in-text citation.  Make sure to discuss this with your tutor, as you may need to give a copy of the AI work as an appendix to your assignment.  This is an example in the Cite Them Right Harvard style.

Reference list: Humata Chat (2024) Humata chat response to Joe Bloggs, 19 August 2024.

In-text citation:  When prompted by the author Humata provided 'an analysis of the main themes in the paper' (Humata Chat, 2024). A copy of this response is in Appendix 1.

You will need cite separately any article(s) you used with Humata.

See our Citing references guide for further support with referencing.

Information last updated August 2024

Note making tools

Note making is a key part of the academic study and research process. You may find yourselves inspired or required to take notes in different contexts, e.g. in lectures, when reading a textbook, when conducting research for an assignment, in group meetings, and more. Therefore, developing a systematic way to take notes, keep them organised and retrievable can help you be more effective.

There is a range of digital tools designed to help you manage note making. In the tabs above you will find review comments on OneNote, Google Keep, and Obsidian, but there are more similar tools in each category you may wish to try out, depending on the devices you are using.

In general:

What they can do:

  • Provide an open canvas that can hold a lot of information in one place
  • Combine different media (e.g. writing, audio, images, links)
  • Allow various formatting options
  • Organise content in tabs or folders
  • Find information by using tags or searching the notes content
  • Link to external files 
  • Integrate more and more 'smart' features, like text to speech or translation.
  • Can be shared with others for collaboration.

What to be aware of:

Make sure you always link to the source of the information that is included in your notes, so you can return to it if needed or cite it in your assignments.

Use formatting features to help you make sense of your notes, e.g. to highlight key information, but don't spend ages on making your notes 'look good'!

Top tip:

Begin by experimenting, but then decide on a note making system that works for you and is sustainable. Otherwise, keeping notes in many different places and in different ways can become a hindrance. Try to find what works for your purpose and then stick to your strategy for a while, to be able to evaluate how effective it is.

OneNote is part of the Microsoft Office 365 suite, so students at the UoR can access it at no extra cost.

OneNote is a good all-around app to make digital notes and keep them organised, with options for customisation to your note-making preferences.

What it does:

  • Provides a blank, 'infinite' scroll canvas where you can type, paste links or images, handwrite / draw, or even add voice recordings.
  • Has a range of formatting options (similar to Word). 
  • Allows to organise notes on a two-level classification system (tabs and pages within each tab).
  • Uses tags for cross reference of notes on the same topic.
  • Can link notes to other files (e.g. slides or documents).
  • Has a search function for retrievability of notes.
  • Syncs across devices.
  • Additional features (some Gen AI powered): translation, dictation and transcription, spell check, thesaurus, maths assistant, digitisation of handwriting ('ink to text').
  • Allows multiple user collaboration.

What to be aware of: 

  • It only offers two levels of filing, which may feel restrictive for complex projects like dissertations or theses. 
  • The range of formatting options may end up being distracting, if overused.
  • The Gen AI features, such as ink to text, may not be accurate.

Top tips:

  • You can link your module content, e.g. lecture slides, with your notes. This can then be useful during exams revision.
  • You can also link your notes to individual readings when you are working on assignments. 

Information last updated March 2025

Most note making tools can be downloaded as apps in your smartphone. As an example, we tried out the app 'Google Keep' for Android. 

What it does: 

  • Creates lists and notes on your phone
  • Has draw features to mimic pen and paper experience
  • Includes colourful templates
  • Creates icons you can pin / prioritise on your screen
  • Can integrate with other google apps
  • Can add collaborators
  • Has a recording and transcription function

What to be aware of: 

  • Organisation of notes and archiving is only possible through assigning labels - may be difficult to find old notes!
  • Recording stops when you pause - only suitable for short dictations

Top tips: 

  • Useful for lists, e.g. noting down the actions allocated to you after a meeting or your daily goals.
  • Easy to use on the go, e.g. on public transport, to note down ideas so you don't 'lose' them or to revisit your to-do list.
  • More suitable for short-term notes, which you will use within a few days / weeks and then cross off.

Information last updated March 2025

Obsidian is a more sophisticated note-making tool, useful for visualising links and relationships in complex notes. It has a free version that does not require sign in to download.

What it can do: 

  • Like other note making apps, it provides free canvas for notes.
  • Does not restrict the number of folder and subfolder levels, so allows flexibility in filling and organisation of complex sets of notes.
  • Helps create visual representations of how individual notes or ideas are crosslinked - similar to making a mind map.
  • Once something is pasted in, it creates automatically a link to the source.
  • Exports in pdf or image files.

What to be aware of: 

  • The command prompt interface is not as intuitive / user friendly as some other tools.
  • It uses a basic text editor without a huge range of formatting options.
  • The free version does not include syncing between devices (cloud storage) or collaboration features.

Top tips: 

  • Try it if you are looking to develop your relational thinking, organise complex data and ideas, create categories, and visualise relationships.
  • It may be best applicable for managing long projects, like dissertations or theses.

Information last updated March 2025

Proofreading tools

After putting together an initial draft of your assignment, it's time to edit and proofread. There is a range of digital and/or Gen AI tools to help you correct grammar, spelling, and punctuation, and formalise your writing presentation.

It's worth noting that spellcheck features end editing assistants are already embedded in most writing applications and it's likely they will become more capable. When it comes to more specialised assistive tools, we review here Grammarly, which is a popular writing assistant with some freely accessible features. We also experimented with the process of making corrections using assistance by an AI chatbot. Check the tabs above for our tips on how these may be useful in the proofreading process. 

Remember:

Whatever tool you may decide to use, it will likely only cover part of your editing process and there will be additional checks and edits for your to make in order to ensure accuracy and enhance the quality of your work. 

For general advice on effective proofreading, check the Study Advice guide: 

You should also ensure that you are aware of the proofreading policy and that the way you work helps you maintain authorship of your work.

Grammarly is a writing assistance tool. You can use it as a plugin with your text processing software, or independently, by uploading your text to an online editor that opens on your internet browser. 

You will need to create an account to be able to use it, even for the free version. This review focuses on the free version.

What it does:

  • Suggests corrections on grammar, syntax, punctuation, and style - according to our testing, these are usually correct. It is up to the user to accept the recommended edits.
  • Gives explanations of error types and colour codes them according to category. These explanations are on occasion misleading but generally helpful.
  • Underlines additional issues in the text, which would be explained only via the Pro subscription.
  • Has a separate Gen AI tab that operates as a text generator: this suggests prompts to use, or you can type your own. It also gives you a list of all prompts used, if requested. This feature is separate, and should be avoided if use of AI is not permitted in your assignment.
  • Has a plagiarism and AI checker. 
  • It can integrate with a wide range of other applications (e.g. Word), but also has an online platform you can upload text into.

What to be aware of: 

  • To create an account, Grammarly will aim to customise / personalise its features, so you will be asked questions about your role / status, area of study, purpose of writing, etc.
  • It may not pick up all grammar errors, e.g. sentence fragments.
  • Follows a 'gamification' strategy, where users are prompted to complete all levels (i.e. download or use all features).
  • It's geared towards promotion of the Pro subscription option, by teasing what you are missing out.
  • Checking for plagiarism and AI use are presented under the same tab, which can be misleading, as these two categories are very different both in how they may occur and how they are detected.

Top tips:

  • Try it as proofreading aid, but make sure you understand why you are asked to make corrections. 
  • Use it to facilitate, not replace your proofreading process - you can still identify other edits you want to make by reading your work.
  • It will not perform all proofreading functions, e.g. testing that all citations are included in the references list may not be accurate.
  • Use it as a developmental tool, to help you observe patterns in your writing, evaluate it, address issues, and develop your own voice and writing style.
How to reference

Cite this tool like a webpage. This is an example in the Cite Them Right Harvard style.

Reference list: Grammarly (2025) Grammarly AI. Available at: https://www.grammarly.com/ (Accessed: 25 February 2025)

In-text citation: (Grammarly, 2025)

Information last updated March 2025

If AI use is permitted by your assignment guidance, a Gen AI chatbot can be used for assistance on proofreading draft text. Below we share some tips on how you can do this critically and maintain your writing purpose. 

For the purposes of testing this proofreading method, we used the chatbot feature in Microsoft Copilot. We entered a sample text of five paragraphs and used the following prompts: 

  1. Please proofread and correct the following text.
  2. Please provide a list of all the corrections you made.
  3. Could you explain the types of errors you corrected? What should I be paying attention to?
  4. Please paraphrase the following paragraph to make it sound more academic.

What it did: 

  • Picked up and corrected most spelling and grammar errors (and some that Grammarly had not, e.g. a comma splice and a duplicate paragraph).
  • It made changes both on grammar and style without distinguishing between the two.
  • Most corrections were sensible.
  • It provided the edited text without indication of where the changes were made.
  • When prompted, it gave a list of corrections, which was incomplete.
  • When asked to explain types of errors, the list of corrections changed. Some of the explanations made sense but some did not!

What to be aware of: 

  • This is a different experience of proofreading, where it's not easy to maintain complete control. So, you may need to spend time checking the corrections to avoid the risk of hallucinations or misrepresentation of original intent. 
  • Paraphrasing was unsatisfactory: the 'academic' style it came up with was too pompous and with too many instances of passive voice syntax. Good academic writing should aim to express, not impress!

Top tips: 

  • It's a good idea to edit small chunks of text at a time, so it's easier to compare with the original.
  • When checking, look out for: use of synonyms; order; additions; omissions; placement of citations. Are the edits appropriate?
  • Reflect on what types of changes are the most common in your work; this can give you a sense of developmental direction in your writing.
How to reference

When using Copilot for proofreading you would cite it like a webpage. This is an example in the Cite Them Right Harvard style.

Reference list: Microsoft Copilot (2025) Copilot. Available at: https://copilot.microsoft.com/ (Accessed: 25 February 2025)

In-text citation: (Microsoft Copilot, 2025)

Information last updated March 2025

Data analysis tools

What these tools do

Gen AI tools which help with data analysis usually provide options to interrogate an uploaded dataset. Common functions include:

  • Analysing data (e.g. showing trends)A laptop and diary
  • Cleaning data
  • Forecasting results
  • Creating charts and graphs
  • Writing and testing code
  • Suggesting improvements to the format of a dataset
  • Advising where to find existing datasets on a topic
Things to consider when using
  • Make sure you are allowed to upload the data into an AI tool. If you are using third party data, the originator of the data may not permit this. If you are using data taken from participants, they may not have consented to this.
  • Make sure you understand the tool's working and assess the results for yourself afterwards. Many tools will have an option that lets you see their working.
  • If you are sharing the data in any way, make sure you have acknowledged the use of an AI tool. 
When to use
  • If you need to quickly clean up your data or generate a graph
  • If you want suggestions on how to improve a dataset you have already created
Tips on getting the most out of them
  • Look at the tool's working to get an idea of good ways to interrogate future datasets
  • Try giving the tool a few different prompts to compare how they affect your dataset
Points to noteChatGPT logo

The ChatGPT data analysis plugin is available to users with an existing ChatGPT subscription, so it does incur a cost.

Data forecasting is currently not included in this tool.

Information last updated January 2025

Points to note

The free plan is restricted to fifteen prompts per month.

Any files uploaded for analysis are automatically deleted after an hour.

Information last updated January 2025

Points to note

The free plan is restricted to five prompts per month and only allows file sizes of up to 5MB.

It doesn't explain its reasoning as well as some of the other tools available. 

It can also generate Excel formulae based on a description you give it, or explain an existing one. 

Information last updated January 2025

Revision tool

Quizlet
What it does

There are a number of AI tools that claim to help with your revision, all with similar functions. At the time of writing Quizlet appears to be one of the most popular. While it has pre-written flashcards on popular topics, like studying Shakespeare, the benefit to university students is that you can make your own learning resources. It can create flashcards for you based on PowerPoint slides or your own notes that you upload and then will test you on the content. You can request for these to be set as multiple choice or short answer questions and you are offered immediate feedback and scores to motivate you to improve. It uses AI to remember the questions you answered incorrectly, so you can concentrate on the areas you need to develop.  

Things to consider when using 
  • Beware when uploading PowerPoint slides or resources produced by your tutors, as this could be a breach of copyright and the University's licence agreements. These are stored and could be used by other users. 
  • Remember this is only as good as the information you put into it. So, do check your notes are correct before uploading them 
  • Many exam questions at university level do not have a set right or wrong answer but are marked on your ability to apply theories and put your argument across. The tool cannot help with this.   
  • Many of the features advertised are for the Plus member only, which you have to pay for.  
When to use 
  • If you have content to revise for a multiple choice or short answer question exam, which has a defined right answer, then Quizlet can be used as part of your revision plan 
  • It could be particularly useful for in-class tests, which test your recall or basic understanding of concepts. 
  • It does offer an engaging way to revise, and could be used alongside other revision strategies like using past question papers and making your own revision cards. More advice can be found in our Preparing for exams guide. 
Tips on getting the most out of Quizlet

  • Use this as part of a range of revision techniques to keep you engaged and motivated to learn 

Information last updated March 2025

Time management tools

There are numerous time management tools out there that all claim to make us more productive and effective, so it can be difficult to select which one may work best for you. The starting point is to consider what element of time management you need help with? 

When it comes to time management, we are all different, and different techniques and tools work for different people, so you do need to experiment and think about your own challenges.

  • Do you struggle with procrastination and staying on task? (maybe take a look at Focus to Do).
  • Or would you like to be more organised and know where all you materials are, including information on assignments (look at Notion).

Whatever time management skill you wish to develop, you need to begin with a list of all the things you need to do, when you need to do them by and an idea of how long tasks may take you. No digital tool can help you with that. Our guide and videos on Time management can help you to get started:

With any time management tool, you will get more out of it the more you invest in it. So try them out consistently for a period of time (it takes around 3 weeks for a habit to form) and decide if it is one for you. Most are free to use but you may need to sign up to get an account.

What it does

If your issue is remaining focused on a given task for a set period of time, then Focus to Do could be the answer. It uses a technique called Pomodoro, which essentially sets you up with 25 minute blocks of time to focus followed by a 5 minute break. This is a study technique known to help you work more effectively. You can load this on your device, add a series of tasks you want to achieve and set reminders and schedules. You can also set your devise to ‘do not disturb’, to take away any temptation to check your phone during the dedicated study blocks.  

Things to consider when using 
  • You will first need to give some thought on to what you want to achieve on a daily/ weekly basis, so may need another tool to help with this.
  • It does use up your battery on your device when running and can send you alerts when you’re not expecting it to.
  • You can use it across a range of devices (tablets, phone, computer) and can synchronize these.
  • It uses a set pomodoro timer of 25 minutes focused study, but you can alter this if you feel you have a lower/higher attention span.
When to use 
  • If you have a series of tasks you need to achieve and find yourself switching between them, this tool can help you to keep focused.
  • It could be particularly useful for bigger projects like assignments, dissertations and major pieces of work.
  • It does help prevent procrastination and stop you getting distracted, especially if your device is your main distraction. This is most helpful when you already have a sense of what you need to achieve and by when. If you need help with this, more advice can be found in our Time Management Guide.
Tips on getting the most out of Focus to Do
  • Use this as part of a range of time management tools to keep you on track and focused on the task.

Information last updated March 2025

What it does

Notion appears to be a popular App with students. It has multiple applications but in essence helps you to organise your studies. You can set up folders and bring all your materials for modules together. This includes your slides, seminar materials, notes and any extra videos etc, which can be set up by week and colour coded. It can be particularly helpful to set up some quick questions and answers, so you test yourself on the weekly content. In addition, you can set up pages for all your assignments which can then link to module pages. There’s also the option to make timetables and to do lists.  

Things to consider when using 
  • You will first need to give some careful thought beforehand on how you would like to organise your work – consider doing this my module, by week and then by lecture, seminar etc, if it make sense to you. 
  • You will also need to upload your assignment tasks, timetables and course materials, if you want to make full use of the app.
  • It does require you to use this regularly if you hope to make the best use out of the features. So consider adding updating Notion in to your regular daily/weekly tasks. It can then act as a one-stop shop for your notes, materials and keep track of your deadlines.
  • There are additional features but they cost money – so you may find you get adverts promoting the paid for services.
When to use 
  • If you find that your materials (lecture notes, slides, assignment details) are difficult to organise and keep track of, this could help you have one organised place to store everything.
  • It could be particularly useful when you have multiple modules and deadlines to co-ordinate.
  • You will need to have a clear view of how you want to organise your materials beforehand and how you want to use Notion to keep you organised and on track. It won’t help you to prevent procrastination or keep you on task but it will help you locate materials and assignment details etc. if you choose to store them there.  
Tips on getting the most out of Notion
  • There are some interesting videos out there on how students are using Notion to help them with their university studies, so take a look at these for some inspiration.
  • Think about how you will use it, what categories you would use etc. before you begin.
  • You need to use it on a regular, almost daily basis, to get the most out of the features.

Information last updated March 2025

Outlook Calendar

While it is not an AI tool, there is a lot to be said about the calendar in Outlook. This should have all your lectures, seminars and tutorials already added into it. As you really only want to have one calendar, you could use this for all your appointments and to plan your study time. Simply add in all your commitments and then block out time to read for seminars, gather up notes and work on assignments. It is set to give you reminders 15 minutes before each ‘appointment’ and can help you visualise your day and week ahead. There is also the opportunity to colour code different sessions, so you could use this to help categorise each study. Once you know what you should be focusing on you could then use a focus app, like Focus to Do.

Microsoft-to-do

Working alongside the calendar is a ‘to do’ function. You can move items from your email into this list and then move them into your calendar. This can be useful if you have emails that require action, and you are concerned you may lose track of them.

Excel

Excel has a series of templates which can be really useful. The Simple Gantt Chart, for instance, can be used to set deadlines for assignments and projects. It helps you to break down tasks, sequence them and work out what tasks can be done concurrently.

Information last updated March 2025