With summer just around the corner, students are gearing up for one of the more stressful times of year-exams. While there’s nothing that can make your final exams completely pain-free, these gadgets might help you cope with them.

StayFocusd

Studying was difficult before the age of distractions. Now, in the time of Internet and smartphones, it’s easier than ever to get sidetracked. StayFocusd is a plugin for Google’s Chrome browser which lets you control how much time you spend on procrastination sites, from Facebook to Reddit and Tumblr. Simply install it and set your preferences.There are similar plugins available for Firefox, such as Leechblock. Of course, all of these tools require you to have the self-restraint to refrain from simply opening up another browser, but sometimes a gentle reminder that you’ve already spent four hours on Facebook today is enough to get you through the first lecture for your final tomorrow.

Alarm Clock XTreme

Nothing is less fun than sleeping through an exam. Fortunately, there are applications you can download for your smartphone that are sure to wake you up on time. Alarm Clock XTreme can be configured to force you to solve a math problem, or ten, when you wake up. If division isn’t your forte, you can also configure the app to only turn off after being shaken vigorously. Alarm Clock XTreme also lets you configure how many “snoozes” you can use, and how long each one lasts. Alarm Clock XTreme is only available for Android, and it seems that the math feature isn’t as widely available on iOS devices. The free version is supported by ads, or you can pay $2 for the ad-free version.

Google Calendar

Time management is key to successful studying. Whatever your calendar or to-do application of choice is, use it religiously to schedule your study time, and keep track of when and where your exams are. Google Calendar supports multiple different calendars, many different colours, and features the ability to invite others to events you’re hosting (study party, anyone?). Google Calendar synchronizes to your Google account, so that it’s updated with you wherever you have an Internet connection. Additionally, it sports a to-do list to keep track of all the lectures you need to catch up on. The application is free to use.

While it might be easy to get distracted while studying, try to refrain, for the sake of your GPA. Hopefully, with the help of these tools, you can spend more time studying, and less time getting ready to study.