What's on my iPad: Grad Student Edition | iPad Apps for Grad Students

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Hey friends! Welcome to the second post in my back to (grad) school mini series! If you're new around here, I am currently a 3rd year PhD student and recently chatted y'all through why I use an iPad for grad school - but a question I'm often asked is what apps I use on my iPad so today I'm sharing the apps I use most often as a grad student.

My iPad Set-up

• 12.9 inch iPad Pro, 256 GB

• Apple Pencil 2

• Apple Pencil case

• Thin case from Amazon

• Matte screen protector

I use both an iPad and apple pencil and this combination has pretty much replaced any printed articles or paper notebooks I might've used in the past. My whole iPad setup is linked above but you definitely do not have to go as all out as I have - I talk about some more affordable options in my post on how I use my iPad for grad school!

Most of the apps I use for graduate school fall into three broad categories. (1) notetaking apps or apps I use for annotating books and journal articles, (2) to-do or planning apps and (3) file storage apps. Of all of these, the majority of my ipad time is spent using notetaking apps because graduate school is so much about reading and writing! In addition to the convenience of being able to keep all of my notes and plans in one convenient place, using an iPad to replace all the mountains of paper I would have used has huge environment-saving sustainability benefits as well. Alright, enough rambling, on to the apps!

Notability ($8.99)

Of all the apps on my iPad, I use notability the most by a landslide. I started using it at the beginning of my grad school career to download all of my readings so I could highlight, write, annotate etc all over the PDFs and not have to print out a mountain of paper every single week. Even though I'm no longer taking classes as a dissertator, I'm still reading tons of papers for my own research so notability is an app I use daily! Recently, I've also started using it to annotate my lecture slides during online lectures and sign documents for school or work.

Goodnotes ($7.99)

Goodnotes is the most common note-taking app pitted against Notability. It's common for students to either use Notability OR Goodnotes - but not necessarily both. I use both apps but for slightly different purposes. While they have many similar functions, Goodnotes' organization system is slightly different than Notability's in that everything is organized into notebooks. I have always been an avid notebook, planner, and journal user so I find Goodnotes is a much better replacement for that due to its notebook based organization system. I use Goodnotes primarily as a home for my digital planner where I use daily, weekly, and monthly spreads to plan out my teaching, research, and dissertation-related responsibilities. I am planning on doing a more in-depth blog post comparing the two apps so stay tuned for that!

Trello (Free)

Trello is a kanban board style productivity app that I've been using since I started college. If you've never used a kanban board style app before, it's a system that allows you to see all of your to-dos and projects on cards that are organized within lists that are organized within boards. That makes it sounds a bit complicated but it's really quite simple when you see it in use! I use Trello primarily to plan research projects and organize long-term task lists. There are so many things to keep track of in so many different areas of life that I often find it easiest to have a place where I can dump long-term to-dos into specific categories so I can organize it later. Trello serves that purpose for me.

Google Calendar (Free)

I use google calendar to track all of what I call my "butt in the chair" time. As a grad student, there are a lot of different roles and responsibilities you need to fill which means lots of places to be (during non-pandemic times of course). Rather than tracking all of my deadlines and meetings in the same place, I prefer to separate it out so that the places I need to be live in my google calendar while the things I need to do live in my digital planner. Google calendar syncs seamlessly with all of my other devices so it's an essential on my iPad

Google Drive (Free)

If you're a PhD student, some kind of automatically syncing cloud storage system is a MUST. There are literally a million files flying around at all times and you never know when you're going to need what! I use Google Drive to store all of my files and also back them up to a hard drive (when I remember to!). This means I have an extra copy of all of my files just in case anything goes wrong and I can access files from other computers if I ever need access and don't have my regular laptop with me.

SimpleMind (Free)

This app recommendation comes from one of the PhD students in my co-hort and it's honestly changed my research life! SimpleMind is an app that allows you to draw mind maps on your iPad to connect concepts, theories, research ideas - all of the above! Before using SimpleMind, I was actually drawing these kinds of mind webs by hand to figure out what my research interests really are and how they all connected with one another. With SimpleMind, I can do all of the same things I did by hand and now I can move things around and edit things, too - without having to redraw the whole dang map!

iMovie (Free)

This is a new one for me, but it's become a TOP app on my iPad this semester because of all the online teaching I'm doing! I've been recording online lectures all semester and iMovie has been a super easy way for me to edit my lecture videos.

YouTube (Free)

Admittedly, I don't always use YouTube for grad school purposes (read: lots of time spent watching YouTube for entertainment purposes!) but I often use it to learn new topics or watch videos on topics related to my research. There are lots of great statistics and teaching resources on YouTube that have saved me while trying to run a particularly nasty analysis or when I'm running into a tech snafu on my course website. It's become an invaluable resource for both entertainment and education 🙂

Hope y’all enjoyed my ramblings about iPad apps! I truly feel like having my iPad has made a world of difference in my graduate school career. It’s allowed me to be a whole lot more productivity and helps to keep all of my notes and plans all in the same place. Have you tried any of these iPad apps? Are there any other iPad apps you use for grad school that you think I should try?

My Lash Lift Experience ( +Mini Grande Lash Review!) ❤

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Hello, friends! Here is part two of my updated lash journey: my lash lift experience (and a little grande lash serum review to boot!). If you haven't checked out part one yet, take a peek at the first two posts about my lash extension journey here and here. If you're short on time → TL; DR I've had a great lash lift experience and much prefer them over lash extensions. Read on to hear why I love my lash lifts so much!

The Process:

In my experience, the lash lift process usually isn't too uncomfortable or unpleasant (especially if you have a tendency to doze off like I do... 😛) and is, by far, faster than the lash extension process. Rather than gluing on each individual lash (which can take anywhere between 1-2 hours for a full extension set) lash lifts are sort of a one and done process. Your lash technician will usually start by securing down your bottom lashes. Then, they'll begin the lift process by placing a guide (I think this is either plastic or silicon) on your eyelid and combing your eyelashes to glue them onto the guide. They'll then apply the perming solution, let it sit for 5-10 minutes, and then apply another conditioning solution which also sits for another 5-10 minutes. These time estimates are probably total crap estimates since I've never been able to actually open my eyes to check the time 😛, but usually I'm in and out the door within 30 minutes so it's definitely a quick process overall!

The only part of the process that can get a little uncomfortable is when the perming solution is on your lashes. The solution definitely smells like perming solution (aka horrid) and if the lash technician isn't careful and it gets to close to your eye - that stuff STINGS. Out of the many times I've gotten my lashes lifted this has only happened to me one time, buuuut you better believe I never went to that lash technician again! Generally, a good lash technician will be very careful, will check in with you to make sure everything feels okay, and will use a little fan to air out your lashes if there is any discomfort with the solution.

Before (w/o mascara)

After (w/mascara)

The Look:

When I first started getting lash lifts, my lashes were still pretty weak from having lash extensions. When your lashes are weak or thin, there is a greater chance that the perming solution will fry them rather than actually curl them. This is true when you perm your hair as well, but it's definitely more obvious when it's a tiny little lash! This happened to some of my lashes the first couple of times I received a lash lift, but after several months of using a lash serum, my lashes were much stronger, longer, and healthier. Now, this never happens when I get lash lifts.

Although the look of lash lifts is subtler on their own (I do not get lash tints so I cannot speak to how much of a difference a tint might make), the biggest difference between lash lifts and lash extensions is that you can use mascara on your lifted lashes. This means that you have the freedom to make your lashes as dramatic or as subtle as you want! For me, I find that a lash lift combined with mascara is just as effective in making my lashes pop but with far fewer limitations and much more comfort.

One of my biggest struggles as an asian woman with monolids is that my super straight lashes are difficult to curl. On top of that, it's difficult to get them to stay curled because my monolids will often weigh them down. This makes curling my lashes a huge ordeal with multiple lash curlers and at least 2-3 types of mascara involved. So, having a lash lift means that all I need to do is swipe on a couple of coats of mascara and my lashes are good to go! This saves me tons of time and honestly makes my eyes look just as bright as when I had lash extensions. Currently, my favorite mascaras for complementing my lash lifts are Maybelline The Falsies and Loreal's Lash Paradise. I've tried a slew of other way more expensive mascaras and the combination of these two drugstore mascaras is still the best by a long shot!

Mini Grande Lash Review: I can't talk about my lash lift experience without doing a mini-review of the grande lash serum I've been using because it has been a game changer for me. My lashes were super damaged for several months after I finally decided to ditch lash extensions so I started using the grande lash serum to try to save them! I'd tried a couple of serums beforehand but really only used them half-heartedly because I didn't think they were really going to make a difference. This serum is the first serum I actually used on a regular basis (every night) and by the first month or two of using it, I could tell that my lashes were already starting to fill in. Now, after using it for nearly a year, my lashes are in great condition, super long, and all the damage and gaps in my lashes created by lash extensions are completely gone.

I am extremely happy with the grande lash serum and will 100% continue to use it for as long as I'm putzing around and experimenting with different lash treatments. I think lash serums, in particular, pair extremely well with lash lifts because you need to have strong lashes in order to have something there to lift. I started with the lash serum but I'm now also testing out the lash conditioner as well. The only con for me has been the price point of the serum - it'll set you back $65 for a 3 month supply of the lash serum (In my experience it lasts anywhere between 4-5 months if you forget to apply it every now and then haha 😛) but given the difference it's made in my lashes, it's been worth the price.

Comfort: Alright, back to the lash lifts! The comfort of having a lash lift is where the massive difference truly is between lash extensions and the lash lift. I feel like with a lash lift, I can wear my contacts/glasses completely normally, smush my face into my pillow, and rub my eyes without having to worry that it's going to completely mess up my lashes. With lash extensions, I always had to be aware of my lashes and try to avoid touching them or else they might loosen and fall!

Durability: Unlike my experience with lash extensions, my lash lifts actually last as long as the lash technicians say they will! Usually it's recommended that you do not come back for another lash lift until after the 5-6 week mark for the health of your lashes and my lash lifts last almost exactly that long. Around the 4 week mark I'll usually start to notice that a couple of lifted lashes have fallen out and straight lashes have grown back in their place but it's a much more gradual process than when a whole extension falls out.

The Cost: My lash lifts cost me about $55 and last me anywhere between 6-8 weeks on average. This means that I really only have to go every 2 ish months - as compared to the insane 3 week time frame between lash extension fills that I used to maintain.

Final Verdict: I think I'm converted to lash lifts for life! Like I've said before, lash extensions are definitely still appropriate for special ocassions like weddings or vacations where you really don't want to be constantly touching up your mascara, but outside of that I can't imagine any situations where I would choose lash extensions over lash lifts.

Have you tried lash lifts or lash extensions? What has been your experience? I'd love to know your thoughts!

How I Use my iPad for Grad School | Back to (Grad) School

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Hello, friends! Kicking off September with a little back-to-school mini series that I'm excited to share with all of you. If you're new around here, I am currently a 3rd year PhD student and use my iPad religiously - As in pretty much every single day for upwards of 10 hours a day. I would say I use my iPad even more than I use my actual laptop - my iPad goes everywhere with me!

My iPad Set-up

• 12.9 inch iPad Pro, 256 GB

• Apple Pencil 2

• Apple Pencil case

• Thin case from Amazon

• Matte screen protector

P.S. If you’re curious about the apps I use on my iPad, I wrote another post about the iPad apps I use for grad school: What’s on my iPad?

I use the ipad with an apple pencil and y'all - it is a life changer. I highly recommend getting the apple pencil with the ipad if you're someone draws, writes, or takes a lot of notes on books/documents for either your job or just in your personal life. Although all the extra cases and screen protectors aren't necessary, for me, they are 110% worth it because they make writing on the ipad a closer experience to writing on paper.

You definitely do not have to go as over the top as I have with the biggest size ipad as well as a more storage space but since I was such an avid user of my previous ipad and apple pencil, I decided to go big in the hopes that this ipad & pencil combination will last me for many more years - hopefully well into my academic career post graduate school as well. I previously used a similar setup just with the smaller 9.7 inch 6th generation iPad and the 1st generation apple pencil but after hours and hours of use each day, I decided that a bigger setup was ideal for my use case.

If you're a graduate student or an instructor at a university also remember that apple has an education discount of 10% off most products so if you're considering buying a newer model, definitely buy off of their education store to save some money!

Why you should consider an iPad for grad school:

• Mobility & Accessibility: you can bring it literally anywhere. Remember the days when you used to drag around 3+ textbooks to school and back? Well, those days are gone. Depending on what you're studying, you might be reading books or you might be reading tons of journal articles (me!) - either way, if you're in grad school you're doing a TON of reading and being able to grab one device that has all of my notes, books, and articles in it is pretty darn magical.

• Sustainability & Reducing Clutter. This goes hand in hand with the first point but reducing the number of articles you need to print out or physical books you need to buy is saving the environment and saving yourself from a whole lot of clutter (marie kondo would be proud). Nowadays, if I get a piece of paper in class, I'll try to take a scan photo of it and put it on my ipad because I know it'll end up getting lost in the clutter otherwise.

• Syncing. There are some definite benefits to going digital with your notes and one of those benefits is that your notes syncs between all of your devices (usually haha). Every app I use to take notes, make to do lists, or write assignments also has a phone and computer app that allows me to pick up right where I left off each time.

• Multiple uses. I've found that there are SO many different uses for my ipad even outside of day to day work life. I use it regularly to watch TV while I'm running around the house, I use it to doodle and color to destress, and I've even started editing videos on my ipad since converting to online lecturing. I'm always discovering more and more uses for it which makes it pretty worth the money for me.

• Saves money in the long-term. As a BIG ex-stationary and planner addict (ummmm if in doubt please see blog evidence: here, here, here, and here - oops) the number of office things I no longer buy is literally astounding. I've pretty much eliminated the need for any printer paper, printer ink, folders, pens, notebooks, planner, staplers - etc. On top of that, any textbook or personal book I want to buy immediately gets purchased in kindle format which is always available at a lower price point than its physical counterparts.

How I use my iPad for Grad School.

• As a planner. This is the primary way in which I use my ipad and it has truly changed the way I work. Prior to getting my ipad, I was a bit planner obsessed. TBH I still am. BUT having an ipad has allowed me to have all my planner fun on a digital device that doesn't clutter up my 2 bedroom apartment :) I know I probably could have converted to planning my life digitally a long time ago, but there's something about actually writing on a physical page that is a lot more satisfying. For me, having the apple pencil and 12.9 inch ipad is the closest to mimicking a real paper planner I've experienced and is finally close enough for me to nix paper planners.

• Reading journal articles & textbooks. In grad school, you read A LOT. Think hundreds, if not thousands, of pages per week. I remember when I used to download articles for seminars and breathe a sigh of relief when the page count was under 200! nuts, I know. On top of the obvious environmental benefits, being able to take notes in a digital format means you can write all over the document, highlight things that are important, type your notes, erase mistakes, and even record audio of lectures and discussions. I use an app called Notability that allows you to do everything I mentioned above. It's a paid app but it is WELL worth it.

• Teaching. I started teaching this semester and have just newly started recording lectures by using the screencapture feature on my ipad. Because I use screencapture on my ipad rather than my computer, it's super easy for me to use my apple pencil to highlight important parts of my lecture slides and add additional notes while lecturing.

• As a second screen. This is a feature I had NO idea was even on the ipad when I bought it, but you can actually use your ipad as a second screen for your macbook through apple airplay. This has been such a life saver when I'm working outside of the home in a coffee shop (pre-pandemic) or even outside when the weather's nice!

• As a notebook for pretty much everything! I used to scrapbook, journal, and jot notes for work and school in a bajillion (very scientific calculation) notebooks or post-it stacks haha - but now I've been able to eliminate most of that with my ipad and pencil. I definitely still have moments where I love to journal on paper, but it's so comforting to have all of my random notes collected in the same place so I'm not digging around my office before heading out the door!

Phew! That was a long one haha. Who knew I had so many thoughts about my ipad?! Obviously an ipad is an expensive purchase and it may not be for everyone, but in my own grad school experience, it has simplified and streamlined my work and personal life immensely. Anyway, I hope this was helpful to all of you! Let me know in the comments if you have any other questions about my grad school ipad setup!

If you liked this post, you might also like: What’s on my iPad, Grad Student Edition!

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you click or purchase a product through these links I may earn a small commission. Thanks for your support of my blog!