If you're a student, there's no way you can get by on books alone. In-person or online, students always end up with lots of bookmarked websites. Browser apps are great because you can use them anywhere, anytime. After all, why stop at cloud storage for files when you can keep your tools online, too?

Here are the five browser-based resources that every student should bookmark.

1. Writing & Drafting: DraftIn

The documents menu in DraftIn

Most projects have a writing component, so a good drafting tool is essential. If you draft in a word processor, it's easy to get distracted by the features and editing tools. For many students, writing is also stressful. A calm, simplified writing space can help with this, too.

For focused drafting, save Draft as your online drafting tool. Draft helps you concentrate and let the ideas flow. It does this by offering a minimalist view, with menus out of sight. But it still has all the features you need, including auto-save.

Draft contains specialized drafting modes for transcription and presentations. For transcription, you can even attach the video or audio resource. You can also compare old and newer versions of a draft. It uses Hemingway Editor for spellcheck, but this is disabled by default, so you can focus on writing.

For organization, you can put your projects in folders, or keep them in a big list. When done, export your document as a PDF, Google Docs, or Word document. You can also import an existing document.

Honorable Mention: Write or Die

Ideally, you'll always have time to use the calm space of Draft. But last-minute drafts happen to everyone sooner or later. Avoid this situation as best you can. But if it does happen, have Write or Die bookmarked.

Write or Die 2.0 is a motivational web tool that helps you get a draft completed in a hurry. Set a word and time goal, then choose your motivator. There are Rewards to look forward to, Consequences if you stop typing for too long, or Stimulus to keep you focused.

2. Editing: Hemingway Editor

Hemingway Editor new draft screen

It's frustrating to get a poor mark because of small issues like spelling errors. Prevent this by running every written project through a good editing tool.

Our web editor of choice is Hemingway. Hemingway doesn't only fix your errors, it also builds your skills. It highlights parts of your draft that are tough to read. This could be because of grammar problems, or because you haven't used plain language. But it lets you decide your own way to fix these issues.

Hemingway also points out spelling errors, repetition, adverbs, and passive voice. But the focus is on helping you learn to write in a way anyone can understand. This is a valuable communication skill that will serve you well in any discipline.

Honorable Mention: LanguageTool

Hemingway's focus on clarity and plain language is excellent, but grammar still counts. For best results, use Hemingway with a dedicated spellcheck extension like LanguageTool.

LanguageTool lets you select your language, dialect, and specific spellchecking needs. You can add new words to your personal dictionary if needed, too. Also, the errors are color-coded for faster recognition.

Best of all, when you left-click an error, it explains what's gone wrong, rather than only telling you what to do. This helps you build your own proofreading abilities. This feature is crucial because grammar is complex, full of exceptions. You can't fully depend on spellchecking apps to create high-quality writing.

Download: Grammar and Spell Checker—LanguageTool for Google Chrome | Firefox (Free)

3. Required Reading: Spreeder

Even though we don't rely on books alone anymore, students still do a ton of reading. It may seem like there's nothing to do but settle in and burn hours on reading. But there's a better way.

Speed reading software can help you absorb the main ideas of a reading assignment. It's like skimming, but even faster! You can't use this for deep, reflective reading, but it's great for review. You could also use it to get an overview of a difficult work before reading it normally.

Spreeder is a speed-reading app that takes advantage of your brain's visual processing. We can process images very quickly, but sounds are slower. For instance, the internal voice when you read. Spreeder cuts this slow voice out by showing one word at a time.

Simply copy any selectable text and paste it into the free browser app. The result is like a roller coaster. You can customize your reading speed, gradually increasing as you get used to it. You can also choose whether you would like it to break long words into syllables.

4. Oral Presentations: PowerPoint

A report from Rehearsal Coach in PowerPoint

Public speaking is the single most common phobia in the world, even above fears of falling or spiders. Even confident, extroverted people often feel nervous when they speak from the front of the class. Having good resources bookmarked can help you feel prepared.

To do well in a presentation, you need to practice. Microsoft PowerPoint has an excellent practice tool in its Presentation Coach. Simply select Rehearse with Coach from the Present drop-down, and begin presenting. PowerPoint will listen to your mic and give you live feedback as you go. It also provides a report of your overall presentation.

The report includes things you are doing well, which is great! This helps you build confidence and nurture your skills while improving weaknesses. The feedback tackles all the audio parts of presenting, from pace to word choice. It also gives simple suggestions on ways to improve your problem areas.

Best of all, PowerPoint is free to use online. Just sign in with your Microsoft account.

Honorable Mention: Toastmasters International

For the visual aspects of your presentation, we recommend checking out Toastmasters. The Toastmasters are experts in public speaking education. They have helped thousands of people conquer their fear of public speaking. See if your school has a Toastmasters' club you can practice with!

The Toastmasters also offer many free tutorials and tips for presenting. Check out their Public Speaking Tips page. On it, you'll find advice and examples for body language, posture, tone, movement, and more.

5. Research Projects: Mendelay

A library containing academic journals and weblinks in Mendelay

From short essays to masters' theses, research is a core component of school. Having a tool to organize, annotate, and cite your sources from is essential!

Your school may give you access to a premium tool, but we recommend Mendelay. It is completely free, and because it isn't tied to your school, you can keep access to your research after graduation.

Mendelay supports all research material, including PDFs, videos, and webpages. You can also import a downloaded file. Organize your research using tags, collections, subfolders, and more. With this tool, you never have to worry about forgetting where a quote came from or losing access to a document.

You can read, annotate, and make notes on research materials within Mendelay. It will also create the citation for your References or Bibliography page.

Save Time and Effort With Web Resources

As a student, it's important to focus on building your skills, not just on passing tests. Switching between tools and working from scratch are both time-sinks. They eat time that you could otherwise use to cement your knowledge and train your skills.

Instead, use a shortlist of reliable tools and work smarter, not harder. Not only does this make homework easier, it can enhance your school experience as a whole!