5 Useful Google Chrome extensions for school and productivity

With more and more schools pushing for classes to go online, the need for students to become digital literate is paramount.

Students of all levels are navigating in an ever-changing world that's why it's important for them to learn as much as they can with the tools that they have within their grasp.

Thankfully, Google Chrome extensions can help with that.

Google Chrome extensions are small programs that help with the functionality of one of the most popular web browsers. At a click of a button, students can eliminate ads, check the definition of a trivial word, convert files to PDF, and so much more.

But with so many available in the market, how do you find the one that's perfect for your needs? Here we've rounded 5 simple and free Chrome extensions you should know about.

1. Momentum

Features of the Momentum Chrome app / Source: omgchrome.com

Momentum replaces your Google Chrome dashboard every time you open a new tab. You can personalize your dashboard by setting goals and reminders for yourself.

Aside from daily pictures and inspirational quotes, this extension also gives you the ability to track your to-do list by giving you space to write down your tasks and check them off. Furthermore, every time you open a new tab you will have all your responsibilities staring back at you.

Overall, this is a great extension to help you be more productive, and its also very aesthetically pleasing.

2. Dualless

Dualless helps you choose the perfect ratio for your monitor needs / Source: Dualless

If you don't have two monitors but you find yourself switching between pages pretty often, then this extension can help with that in just two clicks.

Dualless gives you several webpage ratios to choose from including 3:7, 6:4, and 7:3.

This is a great solution for those who work on one screen so you can take notes while reading your weekly assignment.

3. Visor

Focus on a word or phrase by using the Visor Chrome extension / Source: Visor

If you're someone who reads really quickly and you often skip through information, or you get eye strain from reading, this extension is for you.

Visor is a reading aid and screen dimmer that also gives you the ability to set how many lines you want to read at once. As a result, you can focus more clearly on what you're reading. This may also be helpful for those who have visual sensitivities.

We also recommend using this if you're someone who loves reading at night to reduce eye strain.

4. AlphaText

Customize a webpage using Alphatext / Source: Alphatext

If you've ever come across a webpage where the text is very hard to read because of the size and style of the font, this extension can help with that.

With Alphatext, you can change the font of the content and make it bigger or smaller depending on your preferences.

Another great feature is you'll be able to change the background color and the text color, which comes in very handy when you're reading at night.

5. MercuryReader.

Clear the clutter from articles with MercuryReader / Source: MercuryReader

Sometimes when reading a webpage, you get distracted by all the links and pictures that are displayed. While most would ignore these, some would find it a bit distracting from what they're supposed to be reading.

When activated, MercuryReader instantly declutters the webpage leaving only the important texts.

This is a simple and easy tool to help you focus more attention on the content you're reading. You can also avoid the scenario on clicking links that bring you to other irrelevant webpages.

There are thousands of Chrome extensions available in the Chrome Web Store, so feel free to add more to suit your liking. But remember to add only the ones you need. Adding too much can slow your web browser and there's no point in adding that tool if you won't use it anyway.

With this list, we hope it will help boost your productivity and ability to concentrate to ace any subject this school year.