PDFs and students — a winning combo.

  • A PDF editor gives you the ability to manage, edit, and collaborate on your assignments.
  • Reduce the overall paper you have to sort through during your coursework and extracurriculars.
  • Get back more time for the things you enjoy.

5 reasons students need a PDF editor for study success.

Whether you’re entering college or making your way through challenging high school curricula, there’s a lot to navigate as a student. Different courses, styles of teaching, and a multitude of obligations can be overwhelming.

However, a solid PDF editor can be a powerful ally when it comes to managing assignments. A PDF editor can help you:

  • Manage digital and paper documents
  • Open and compress large files from teachers
  • Edit and mark up school assignments in PDF format
  • Use collaboration tools with classmates on group projects in real time
  • Combine and format documents to specific requirements
  • Search for keywords in long documents
  • Fill out and sign forms
  • Organize notes and study guides

A PDF editor will help make your schoolwork look professional and thoughtful. Below are some of the ways it can help.

A graphic combining PDF files together in Adobe Acrobat on a laptop computer

1. Save time and money on printing.

With Acrobat online PDF tools, you can access documents on the web, on a desktop computer, or on a mobile device. With full-featured edit functionality, you can change and edit a PDF without having to jump between different document formats, so you’ll print your documents right the first time. Plus, filling out and submitting forms can happen in seconds.

Sometimes having to print and manage all sorts of documents is an obstacle to getting work done on time. Plus, a student’s budget is tight. If you’re working with a teacher or professor who requires a printed document, you want to get it printed right the first time, and the work often needs to be formatted to specific requirements.

2. Enhance collaboration and sharing.

Group projects are often challenging. Being able to collaborate and share with less friction, whether it’s with teachers or with other students, saves time and headaches. Acrobat online tools allow you to keep all comments and markups within a document for streamlined communication — and you can assign specific tasks to others to keep everyone on track.

Highlight, edit, annotate, and see comments from others — your next group project will be smooth sailing.

3. Build your own amazing study materials.

Creating a study guide that's high quality can often make the difference between a passing grade and an exceptional grade. With a PDF editor, you can combine your past work, class notes, scanned assignments or extract text from images into a single document, which you can break down further into an accessible outline for digital notes. Want to color code? No problem, just use the highlighting tools.

On top of this, the Adobe Scan app can provide a fast way to scan a document or your physical notes into high-quality PDFs or PNGs. With the Recognize Text feature, you’ll be able to create a searchable document with optical character recognition (OCR) so you can find the answers you need when you’re studying for the next test or working on a major project.

A college student sitting at a desk using their laptop in a library
A close-up of a college student using their laptop

4. Turn in perfectly formatted assignments.

Many times, student life throws hard deadlines for assignments at you, and it can be easy to make mistakes in a crunch. Especially if you’re sharing files digitally, an assignment can easily end up badly formatted or incorrectly displayed when you turn it in.

PDFs are the optimal format for document sharing. They have locked formatting, which means the document itself is difficult to accidentally manipulate and is easier to read on desktops and mobile devices. If you’re working across multiple applications (for example, a PowerPoint presentation, a Microsoft Word document, or a spreadsheet with tables and graphs), converting discrete items to PDF format and merging them together results in a clean, fresh look for your documents. Additionally, PDFs are one of the best formats for submissions to your learning management system, whether it’s Google, Blackboard, or Canvas.

Within a PDF editor, you can add images, tweak file sizes, and even password-protect a document that’s not ready for prime time. Plus, with powerful compression tools, you’ll save storage on your devices and be able to share files via email with ease, so you never miss a deadline.

5. Make the web your oyster.

The internet is the most powerful tool for a student in the information age. And there’s nothing more frustrating than hitting a bottleneck when you’re trying to find information or access a document online. The Adobe Acrobat extension for Google Chrome allows you to view, download, use annotation tools, and highlight important information, all from within the browser window. Plus, for assignments that are worksheets or forms, you can utilize Fill & Sign features from within the browser to complete a task without closing the window.

A graphic of adding a comment to a PDF document on a tablet device
School’s in session with the best PDF editor.

Whether you’re working with the free version of Adobe Acrobat Reader or upgrading to a more powerful tool with Acrobat, these tools are designed to help make school easier. Whether you’re using a Mac or a PC, an iPad or another tablet, you can make use of powerful editing tools from wherever you work. The best way to get started is by exploring tutorials on how to use an online PDF editor.

With an app like Acrobat Reader or an online PDF editor with Adobe Acrobat online services, you can:

FAQs for students.

Which PDF reader is best for students?

When it comes to reading PDFs, turn to Adobe, the inventors of the PDF. Acrobat online tools feature top-notch options for students on a budget.

Is there a free Adobe PDF editor?

Adobe Acrobat Reader is a free PDF reader solution, and you can get a 7-day free trial of Adobe Acrobat Pro for your PDF editing needs. Plus, if you want to view or download PDFs in your internet browser, the Acrobat extension for Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge is ready to help you work.

Why do I need a PDF editor?

A PDF editor can help you edit, rewrite, comment on, and collaborate with the most prevalent document type used by students.

Is a PDF editor free for students?

Acrobat Pro is available with a 7-day free trial.

How can a student edit a PDF?

There are many tools available for editing PDFs, but Adobe online tools are one of the best and fastest ways to get started.

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