Dear students,

Have you ever felt frustrated while studying in China? Struggling to keep up with lectures, finding academic texts hard to understand, or feeling overwhelmed by a heavy workload?

Don't worry! This practical guide is here to help you navigate those challenges.

Inside, you will find helpful tips on lecture translation, time management, and literature search engines.

Let's dive in!

 

1. Language and communication tools

Struggling to keep up in class? If language barriers are wearing you out, try these tech tools to improve comprehension, join discussions more confidently, and make your self-study time more effective.

Classroom comprehension

Use digital tools to better understand your lectures. Check your phone's app store or laptop for real-time translation apps such as:

• translator.qq.com by Tencent
• Live Captions in Windows 11

These apps offer real-time speech-to-text conversion and generate transcripts for later review.

Pro tip: Always ask your instructor for permission before recording lectures. Most will approve if it is for personal study.

Group discussions

With your group's consent, use translation or simultaneous interpretation tools to record discussions. This is especially useful for keeping track of assignments and important conclusions. Recommended apps:

• iFlytek AI Translator（讯飞同传）
• Mewah Translator（译妙蛙翻译官）

These apps support interpretation, audio and video translation, and screen translation.

Self-study

When reading Chinese textbooks or academic papers while taking notes, try these tools for document translation and text recognition:

• Zhiyun Wenxian（知云文献/X Translator）
• Lingo Cloud（彩云小译）

 

2. Time management tools

In this fast-moving era, time is your most valuable resource. Managing it well is the first step to better productivity. Try the following tools to help organize your daily schedule.

Task planning

Feeling overwhelmed by piles of assignments, reports, and exams? Set aside 10 minutes every Sunday to plan the week ahead. These tools can help:

• Microsoft To Do
• Tomato ToDo（番茄 TO DO）

They offer simple task management features to break down tasks, set priorities, and track deadlines.

Schedules and agendas

Having trouble balancing academics and personal life? Tools like Outlook Calendar help visualize fixed routines and flexible schedules for better time allocation.

Habit tracking

Want to build good habits such as daily reading, revision, or waking up early? Try these apps to keep yourself on track:

• Forest（专注森林）
• xiaorichang（小日常）

 

3. Thesis writing tools

Struggling with academic writing? These tools can help correct grammar, improve phrasing, and clean up formatting.

Citations and formatting

Tired of messy or inconsistent references? These tools help you generate standardized citations and update your reference list automatically:

• NoteExpress
• EndNote

Grammar and polishing

These writing assistants support real-time editing for academic texts:

• Grammarly Premium
• DeepL Write

They check grammar, fix punctuation, and suggest formal alternatives for more precise writing.

Paper structuring

Use mind-mapping tools to outline your thesis and organize ideas:

• XMind
• Mubu（幕布）

 

4. Literature search tools

Enhance your research efficiency by utilizing digital tools to search and manage academic resources.

Reference management

• CNKI E-Study
• Zotero

These platforms help collect citations, categorize sources, and annotate key points.

Resource search

University libraries provide vast digital collections and access to academic platforms. Tools like Connected Papers help visualize how academic papers are connected by mapping citation relationships and related literature networks.

Pro tips

The true value of these tools lies beyond their features — they help you build your own system for continuous growth.

Test and select

Select one or two tools that align with your needs and learning style. Take the time to explore their features and learn to use them effectively.

Make it routine

Integrate these tools into your daily study and personal life. For example, use time planners for both class and leisure scheduling.

 

Source: Official WeChat account of China Scholarship Council at "gh_afaa09c3e5f3"