Notion is more than a note-taking app — it’s a full academic workspace. You can create a page for every course, embed your notes, track assignments, store readings, and link everything together. For a part-time student managing multiple subjects alongside work and family, this level of organisation is a game-changer. The free plan is genuinely excellent and more than enough for a student.

Google Keep is the fastest note-taking app available. Open it, type, done. No setup, no folders, no friction. For part-time students who think of something important between meetings, during a commute, or in the middle of a shift — Keep captures it instantly before it’s forgotten. It syncs across all your devices automatically and integrates with Google Docs for when you need to expand a quick note into a full document.

OneNote mimics a physical notebook better than any other app. You can type anywhere on the page, draw diagrams, insert images, and write by hand with a stylus — all in one place. It’s organised like a real binder with sections and pages. If your courses involve diagrams, equations, or you simply retain information better when you write it out — OneNote is unmatched and completely free with a Microsoft account.

Bear is the most elegant note-taking app available on Apple devices. It uses Markdown formatting, has a clean distraction-free interface, and organises notes with hashtags rather than folders. If you’re an iPhone or Mac user who finds cluttered apps overwhelming — Bear removes everything that isn’t the writing itself. The free version is solid; the paid plan adds sync across devices at a reasonable price.

Obsidian is different from every other app on this list. It lets you link notes together like a personal Wikipedia — so when you study economics, you can link a concept to a related note from your history course. Over a semester, your notes become a web of connected knowledge that makes revision dramatically easier. It has a steeper learning curve than the others, but for students in analytical or essay-heavy subjects, it’s worth it.