By: Doneda Bailey

This article offers tips for getting and keeping a student organized using Evernote, but frankly this is a great app for anyone.  It's a the digital file cabinet I use to organize receipts for taxes, keep track of handwritten notes from business meetings, file and organize recipes, and much more. 

Evernote is a FREE app and truly is a must have for students.  It syncs with all your devices (desktop, tablet, mobile phone) so documents, notes, images, audio, and website pages you have uploaded are available at home and on the go.

Some of the things I love about Evernote:

1. Notebooks and tags.  Create a notebook for each class and file anything you’ll need in them.  Add a tag or several tags to documents to easily reference specific topics.  
                   
                    Ex. 
                    Notebook:  US History
                    Tag:  The Great Depression
                    Tag:  Stock Market Crash

*Tip:  Make a "stack" for each class and create a notebook for major assignments under each stack.  

2. It’s keyword searchable.  Even HANDWRITTEN notes and PICTURES are searchable. Students can upload notes from class or take a picture of a teacher’s notes on the smartboard or whiteboard and easily find them again just by typing in keywords.  

 

 

A quick search for “haystack” and I found my note.

 

A quick search for “waves” pulled up this picture I uploaded of the teacher’s lecture notes.

*TIP:  If you notice that the picture you took isn’t searchable immediately it’s because your note must be synced to the server and processed 1st.  Try again in about 5 minutes.

3. Evernote provides a personalized Evernote email address to send documents, pictures, etc. from your email account.  Go to your account settings to find it.

*Tip.  Save yourself some time by filing and adding tags to your documents BEFORE you email them.  Make the subject of the email: 

                     Name of Note @Notebook Name #Name of Tag
                     (ex.  The Great Depression @US History #September 13 Exam)

4. No scanner needed.  Using the mobile app, tap the camera icon to take a photo or scan a document.

5. Evernote Webclipper.  On your desktop computer, download the Webclipper extension for Google Chrome, Safari, Firefox, Opera, or Explorer.  This extension allows you to clip webpages to upload and save to Evernote.  Use the dropdown menu to easily add tags and file into specific notebooks.

6. There are a TON of apps for desktops and mobile devices that integrate with Evernote that you may already be using. Check the Evernote app center for a list of available apps.

7. Use the mobile app to record lectures directly into the app through the audio feature.  

8.  Great for group class projects.  Evernote allows you to share notebooks so everyone has access to the same resources and information.  You can even share with someone who doesn’t have an Evernote account.  Create a public link to the folder and place in an email or online for anyone to access from the web.

9. Study Blue.  Study Blue allows students to create and customize flashcards out of class notes, quizzes, textbook pages, etc.  The program integrates with Evernote and you can import individual documents or whole notebooks for each class.  Download the app on your mobile device or tablet and you can quiz yourself anywhere you go.  Study Blue is also free!