Top Free Tools & Apps for College Students: Home

You may have to click "sign in" if you're taken to the Microsoft website; you can then sign in with your HCC credentials. From here, you can download Office 365 to your computer or device. You can also download individual apps:

Create word processor documents, spreadsheets, slides, and forms.

Student planner that syncs across multiple devices; tracks assignments, projects, and tests; and has due date reminders. Available for Apple, Android, Mac, Windows, Chromebook, and Kindle.

Manages and prioritizes tasks and sub-tasks in groups, and can delegate and share tasks.

Apple timer app that lets you break up your studying and tasks into increments and allow for breaks to stay focused.

Android timer that lets you set time for studying and tasks, take breaks, and track your working hours.

Imports your research directly from your browser, keeps your research organized in your library, and generates citations and bibliographies.

MacOS and iOS app for mind mapping, a proven great way to organize and structure your notes and project outlines.

Mind mapping tool for Android, MacOS, and iOS.

Find or create digital flashcards in a variety of subjects. There are standardized test prep flashcards, as well.

Find or create your own digital flashcards.

Has literature study guides with glossaries, themes, and quizzes, like an online Cliff Notes. This can't substitute reading an assigned text, but can immensely help to understand it.

Online study guides for Shakespeare, literature, and other subjects. Again, this does not substitute reading a book, and often will not be allowed as a source; it is merely for study assistance.

Corrects your grammar and spelling, and even checks your tone and style. Can be added as an extension to Chrome, Safari, and FireFox.

If you're local to Hillsborough County, you can apply for a library card online and get digital access to all of their terrific services. It's not just books— they have comics, graphic novels, music, movies, and more, both online and in the libraries.

Scans documents into PDFs using your mobile device camera, and automatically recognizes text.

Professional and artistic high-quality slide templates.

Design a slide presentation with professional and artistic templates using Canva's software.

PowerPoint slides, templates, diagrams, shapes, backgrounds, and graphs.

Stream popular feature films, classic films, documentaries, and foreign films for your courses—or just for fun.

Find repositories, open access textbooks, and public domain images and multimedia.
Note: If any of your required materials are open access, your instructor should inform you and provide the source location.