Once upon a time, college students went to the library for hours on end, searching, reviewing, studying, and finding material to supplement their education. When they were finished, they headed home, tuned into their favorite FM radio station, checked their wall calendar for homework assignments, and called up their friends’ landlines to see what was going on that weekend.
A Whole New World
While the fond memories of these days live on, these days are over. Studying, communication, organization, and fun have all gotten a makeover since our parents went to college. With technology evolving, students today have access to all of this information in the palm of their hands.
My Time (and Gigs) Are Valuable
The biggest problem now is narrowing down the mobile applications that you need to download immediately versus those that are a waste of your time. Don’t worry, students, we know you are too busy to spend precious studying time researching apps. We have done all of the work for you. Don’t waste space on your phone and tablet for useless apps! Let’s review the top 10 mobile apps that every student needs now!
1. Dropbox Mobile
Forget the days of lengthy, annoying file transfers. Dropbox allows users to store photos, files, and other information in one folder. These items are automatically accessible through your phone, your computer, and the Dropbox website! When it’s time to transfer, easily send information! You can add family members, friends, and students from your group project to a chosen Dropbox folder. Now, they have complete access to the information inside. No matter what happens to your device, your files will not be lost.
2. iTunes U
Users are able to access information, research, lectures, and notes from professors at Ivy League schools, public universities, and private universities using this application. Do you want to get more background on a subject, or do you need to supplement your learning with lectures from another professor that teaches in your learning style? This app allows students to virtually attend classes on their phone! We know, the last thing you want to do is sit through more classes, especially when you’re not getting credit! Using this app as a source for your next big research paper, however, will highly benefit you.
3. iStudiez Pro
Enter your class schedule into this application, along with your homework assignments. After that, your app keeps track of everything for you! Toss that pesky planner, because this app alerts you of upcoming deadlines, and even helps you keep track of the grades you’ve received. If you lack time management skills, you need iStudiez Pro now!
4. EasyBib
Created after the success of their website, this app is a necessity to make it through writing an abundance of essays and papers. Gone are the days of memorizing lengthy citations. Forget MLA, APA, and Chicago style. This app will cite sources for you! All you have to do is type in the book title, the book ISBN, the name of a website, or provide whatever source you used. This app will find all of the information that it can about the source. Did it forget something? Don’t worry; you can fill out whatever it missed in easy to use boxes!
5. Cliff Notes Mobile
In all honesty, this one is pretty self explanatory. Sometimes, you just need something laid out a bit more clearly.
6. Voucher Codes
Now we’re talking! Because you aren’t made of money, this app will help students manage their money. Enter your budget, and this app helps you track spending! Not only that, but it helps you find deals and coupons in your area, in the event that you do actually need to go buy something.
7. All Recipes
Saving money is as easy as cooking at home! We know, you are out on your own for the first time and no one ever taught you to cook beyond boiling water (which has proved very useful, actually). The food on campus and nearby has started to get boring over the past year. The All Recipes application allows you to type in what you are craving and find a recipe that interests you. Easily modify dietary requirements, such as gluten free, dairy free, and vegetarian. All Recipes will lead you through the cooking process, step by step. It’s just like being trained by your own personal chef! Well, sort of.
8. Trello
Hello, Trello, it’s nice to meet you! Thanks to you, students everywhere can finally tackle the gruesome group project! Organize, communicate, and collaborate with your group using Trello. This app assigns each group member a label and delegates individual responsibilities. Lucky for you, this app evenly distributes tasks, so there is no arguing over who has the most work to do! Trello helps groups keep track of progress, so you know where you are and what needs to be done at all times!
9. Sleep Cycle
College sleeping schedules are a mess; they make no sense. This app not only tracks the amount of hours you’ve slept, but it also measures the amount of REM sleep where an accelerometer monitors movement and grades overall sleep quality. When the time comes, Sleep Cycle sets off an alarm while you are in your lightest sleep (within a set 30-minute period). Because you were not awoken during a deep sleep, you will feel refreshed throughout the day. It will feel as if you woke up naturally, even if it is 6 in the morning.
10. Self Control
Something that all college students need a little (or a lot) more of is self-control. With such an influx of information and entertainment on the web, it is becoming harder to focus on any given task. Distracted students mustn’t worry; Self Control allows students to block websites by adding them to the “blacklist.” Goodbye Netflix and Pinterest. Don’t worry; the websites are only blacklisted for your chosen amount of time. Once you block a website, though, there is no turning back until the time is up! Restart your computer all you want, you still can’t access Reddit. Go ahead, delete the app! It doesn’t matter. You have been warned.
If you already have many of these apps and are looking for more, read Buzzfeed’s list of 18 apps every college student needs.
Put These Apps to Use
These mobile applications will enable our students to excel during their college careers. Are you still looking for the perfect school? Whether you are ready to earn your Bachelor’s degree or your Master’s, Florida National University has several programs from which aspiring students can choose. See something that interests you? Apply today!
