If you need help organizing your notes, try...

Evernote

This online service lets you create, organize and sync notes across all your devices (it has versions for Windows PCs, Macs, smartphones and tablets, and you can use the online interface on Chromebooks).

• Who should use this? Students who need a way to organize notes from all of their courses in one place that's accessible from any device. It's a good choice if you do a lot of your research online--it offers great web-clipping features.

• How does it work? Watch this demo for a quick overview; for details, read this Computerworld review.

• What does it cost? The free basic account is great to get started with, but you are allowed only 60MB of space on the server (which is not much). The premium version is usually $70 per year--but students get a 50% discount.

• How can I get it? Download the app versions from the Apple App Store or Google Play; go to the Evernote website to sign up for an account.

Google Keep

Google Keep is similar to Evernote, although it is much more visual. With Keep, you create virtual “sticky notes” that you can access from any computer or mobile device. It is integrated with Google Docs (and the rest of the G Suite), so you can easily copy class notes and research into your documents.

• Who should use this? Visual learners will find Keep particularly useful because notes can be color-coded and grouped on Keep webpage. Chrome users can use Keep as a website clipping tool, just like Evernote. Apple iPhone/iPad users can dictate notes.

• How does it work? As with most Google apps, this is very easy to use--and requires a Google account to access. With a couple of clicks, you can create notes and to-do lists, organize them, and add reminders. Watch this video for details on how to use Google Keep.

What does it cost? Free! Included in Google G Suite (go to http://keep.google.com or search for it in Google Drive), and available on the Apple App Store, Chrome Web Store, Google Play (Android).

Notability

This iOS app provides several ways to take notes: you can draw on a touchscreen, upload photos, dictate audio notes, and even type. All of your notes are saved in an easy-to-search interface.

• Who should use this? Notability is especially useful for visual learners, and it is best used while studying (the many options could make it a bit challenging to use during a lecture). Note that it runs on Apple iPhone and iPad only.

• How does it work? Enter notes by typing, speaking, drawing, or uploading photos, then tag them by color to put them into easily searchable categories.

• What does it cost? Free, with limited features. Full version is $15 per year.

• How can I get it? Download Notability from the Apple App Store (iPhone/iPad).

Glean by Sonocent

This online note-taking program lets you record lectures and highlight bits that are important to review. You can add notes during class or later, then copy your notes into a word processor or other program.

• Who should use this? Glean is good for students who learn well by listening, because it makes it easy to find specific parts of a lecture to review.

• How does it work? You need to use the Chrome Web browser with Glean. (There is a limited-feature smartphone app that automatically uploads recordings to the website as well.) Open the Glean website in browser tab and click "New Event" to get started. Visit the Glean website student overview for details.

• What does it cost? An individual account costs $12 per month.

• How can I get it? Sign up for the free 30-day trial; you'll have the option to pay for a subscription after that ends.