# MacBook setup for students

Source: https://ribbonformac.com/mac-setup-for-students  
Updated: 2026-10-29

Most of what a student needs is free or already on the Mac: Notes, Pages, Keynote, Preview for PDFs, and iCloud. Add a reference manager, a flashcard app and a backup, change a few settings, and work out a layout that fits a lecture video, your notes and a source on a 13-inch screen.

## 1. Notes

- **Apple Notes** (built in): fast, syncs to iPhone and iPad, handles sketches and scanned documents.
- **Obsidian** (free): plain Markdown files with links between notes; good for building up a knowledge base over a degree.
- **Notion** (free plan available): notes, databases and shared pages for group projects.
- **OneNote** (free): if your institution uses Microsoft 365.

Pick one and stay with it; switching mid-term costs more than any feature gains.

## 2. References and reading

- **[Zotero](https://www.zotero.org/)** (free): saves sources from the browser, stores PDFs, and inserts citations into Word, Google Docs and LibreOffice in any style.
- **Preview** (built in): highlights, notes and signatures on PDFs. Enough for most reading.
- **Skim** (free): a PDF reader built for academic reading, with notes you can export.

The [PDF and notes side by side guide](https://ribbonformac.com/pdf-and-notes-side-by-side-mac) covers reading with notes open.

## 3. Flashcards and focus

- **Anki** (free on Mac): spaced-repetition flashcards, one of the best-tested ways to remember facts.
- **Focus modes** (Control Center → Focus): silence notifications while you study.
- **Screen Time** (System Settings → Screen Time): set limits on distracting sites and apps if you want them.

## 4. Office apps

Pages, Numbers and Keynote are free. Many institutions give students Microsoft 365 for free; check before paying. Google Docs works in any browser.

## 5. Backups

Losing a dissertation to a spilled drink is a classic. Two layers:

- **iCloud Drive** with **Desktop & Documents Folders** turned on (System Settings → your name → iCloud → iCloud Drive) keeps files synced. Free storage is 5 GB, so you may need a paid tier.
- **Time Machine** to an external drive (System Settings → General → Time Machine) keeps versions, so you can get back yesterday's draft.

## 6. Settings to change

- **Trackpad:** turn on **Tap to click** in System Settings → Trackpad if you prefer it.
- **Hot corner for Quick Note** (System Settings → Desktop & Dock → Hot Corners) jots something down without opening an app.
- **Screenshots:** <kbd>⌘</kbd><kbd>⇧</kbd><kbd>4</kbd> for an area, <kbd>⌘</kbd><kbd>⇧</kbd><kbd>5</kbd> for all options, including screen recording.

## 7. A study layout for a small screen

Studying usually means three windows: a lecture video or slides, your notes, and a source or assignment brief. On a 13-inch MacBook, three side by side are too narrow, and overlapping them means hunting with <kbd>⌘</kbd><kbd>Tab</kbd>.

Options:

- **Picture in Picture** for the lecture video, with notes full width underneath. Good for listening, too small for reading slides.
- **Two halves** (<kbd>Fn</kbd><kbd>⌃</kbd><kbd>←</kbd> / <kbd>→</kbd> on macOS 15 and later): notes and one source. Fine until you need the third window.
- **A scrolling strip.** [Ribbon](https://ribbonformac.com/) puts every window in its own column on a strip that's wider than the screen. Keep notes wide, the lecture in a narrower column beside it, and the source one swipe to the right. Three-finger swipe moves along the strip, and nothing overlaps. It needs an Apple silicon Mac (M1 or later) on macOS 13 or later.

You can [try the strip in the live demo](https://ribbonformac.com/#demo) before deciding. Ribbon is [$9.99 once](https://ribbonformac.com/#pricing); all sales are final, so the demo is the way to check it suits you.

## FAQ

### What apps should a student install on a new MacBook?

A notes app (Apple Notes, Obsidian or Notion), Zotero for references, Anki for flashcards, and Microsoft 365 if your institution provides it. Turn on iCloud Drive and set up Time Machine.

### Is a MacBook Air enough for university?

For writing, research, notes and most coursework, yes. Check your course's software list: some engineering and statistics software is Windows-only.

### How do I take notes while watching a lecture on a Mac?

Use Picture in Picture for the video, or put the video and your notes side by side. On a small screen, a scrolling window manager keeps both visible with room for a third window.

## Keep reading
- [PDF and notes side by side](https://ribbonformac.com/pdf-and-notes-side-by-side-mac) — PDF readers, side-by-side layouts, two PDFs at once, and getting highlights into notes.
- [Notes during a video call](https://ribbonformac.com/take-notes-during-video-call-mac) — Shrink the call, put it beside your notes, share safely, and make it work on a laptop.
- [Watch video while coding](https://ribbonformac.com/watch-video-while-coding-mac) — Picture in Picture, Split View, tiling, and a strip that keeps the video one swipe away.
- [More screen space on a MacBook](https://ribbonformac.com/more-screen-space-macbook) — Display scaling, hiding the Dock and menu bar, margins, and using the width you have.
- [MacBook window manager](https://ribbonformac.com/macbook-window-manager) — Grids get cramped on 13–15" screens. What works better on a laptop, honestly.