We've all been there: studying for hours on end with no breaks. It's not fun in any sense, so taking a break once in a while is very helpful. I'm not saying you should take a break every 20 minutes, but maybe after an hour or so of good work you can use these apps to relax for a few minutes and recollect your brain so it isn't fried.
1. Trivia Crack
This app is the most fun (and sometimes educational) you will have on an app if you like trivia. You can play against your friends or someone random. It is a bit addictive, but it's great for a short study break because if you answer a question wrong, it's the other person's turn. Then it forces you to stop playing and get back to studying.
2. Yik Yak
Yik Yak is a great way to catch up on things going on around campus, and it usually isn't updated as often as other social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter. It is an anonymous way to say whatever you're feeling at a given time. So, this app is a great way to catch up on the current events without taking up too much of your time.
3. Snapchat
Snapchat is an app where you can take pictures and videos to send to your friends. If you don't know what this app is, you probably live under a rock. People can post to their stories, which all of their friends can see. Some people, such as Viners and YouTubers, have hilarious snapchat stories. I follow a good number of them and I can say that their humor lifts me up after a tough study session. Plus, since the stories are only a couple of seconds long, it won't take too long to watch them!
4. Flow
I haven't personally played this game in a while, but it is a great game to make you think. You have to connect the same colored dots. At first, it's really easy, but once you get to the higher levels, it gets much harder. This is a nice break because it doesn't take a whole lot of effort and you may get bored after playing it for 20 minutes straight.
5. Bejeweled
Warning: this is a highly addictive game that gets you hooked very easily. It is a great study break because there is a sub-game called diamond mine that is timed. That makes you either get very quick or you won't play the game for a very long time. It very de-stressing as well; all you're doing is matching three jewels or more in a row. It isn't a very mind-challenging game.
6. 94%
I just recently found this game; it is so great if you like trivia. If you couldn't tell, I love trivia games. This isn't like a question-answer game though. It is sort of like Family Feud, where you get a category and you have to guess the top 94% of answers. For example, "fruits with seeds or pits" could be the category and the answers would be "apple", etc. It is a thinking game, so if your brain is too overwhelmed with information, I wouldn't play this game as a break. Any other time, it's great!
7. Crossy Road
This game is all about not getting hit by cars or trains. If you know the game Frogger, this is a similar game. Basically you see how many times you can get across different roads, train tracks, and rivers. It has absolutely no point to it, but it is very addictive. You can unlock a lot of characters and each character has its own scene that you cross roads in. The 1920s character's scene is black and white with old cars. So, since this requires very minimal effort, it is a great study break.
8. Colorin
This app allows you to color in logos and other known symbols on your phone. It tests your knowledge of the actual colors of the symbols, which isn't as easy as it seems. It's like the coloring books that are all the rage now, but on your phone and free! While this isn't the same thing, it beats going out and spending money on the coloring books and pencils. It helps you relax from all the information you're trying to cram 12 hours before your test.
9. Alchemy
Even if you're not interested in the sciences, this is an interesting game. You start with the 4 elements (water, earth, fire, and air) and add them together to create new elements. For example, fire and water make alcohol. Then you use the new elements to make even more! It's truly addicting, but a great study break game for science and non-science majors alike.
I enjoy all these games and apps, so I hope you do too! Especially for study breaks. Don't just go study for three hours straight; that's never fun. Keep yourself on track by setting a 15-20 minute break for these games/apps after about an hour of studying. You'll feel less fried by the end of your studying. Make sure you're not on these games for too long, though; that does not help you study at all. So, check these games out and make studying less awful!