Apps for College

11/14/2011 20:02

 

Rejoice Geeks! Today we are going to get a little bit techy and talk about apps. We all like using our smart phones and iPods to pass time in class. But, instead of whittling away the hours popping bubbles or taking the imbecile test, why not download some apps that will actually make your college life easier?

Once you start looking, you will find tons of apps designed just for college students. The only problem is, because there are so many, it can be hard to weed through the useless and find ones that are really helpful.

So, I thought I would make things simpler for you and scour the internet for apps actually worth their download time. Sorry, you won't find any games, beer drinking or social apps. Although those are undeniably entertaining, I figured I would stick with apps that can help you academically.

1. iStudiez Pro    

There must be thousands of calendar and planner type applications, but there aren't many geared specifically to students. The iStudiez Pro fills that gap by providing a place to organize all of your classes, meetings, assignments, exams, study groups, office hours, work schedules, and more. Basically, it keeps track of every type of obligation a student has and will remind you of upcoming events.

It costs $2.99, but that's pretty cheap when you consider a regular planner can cost you $20 or $30 and will only last one year.

2. gFlash+ Flashcards & Tests

You know the story, you make some really great flashcards to study for a big exam and suddenly everyone wants to be your study buddy. Then, someone asks to borrow the cards "just for the night" and you never see your precious cards again. Fortunately, gFlash+ eliminates all of those problems since you can easily create your own flashcards and share them with anyone who has the program. Now, you can openly study and not feel compelled to hide your cards from your friends. Plus, it saves paper.

3. Free Wi-Fi Finder

Sure you can study on campus, but sometimes you just need a change of scenery. The Free Wi-Fi Finder will help you locate places within your area where you can take your laptop and get online for free. This is also good for those who don't want to pay for internet service; just go to a different shop everyday and you won't have to feel weird about mooching.

4. Blackboard Mobile

It used to be that only online courses used the Blackboard platform to connect students with their classes, but now many colleges and universities use this program for all of their courses. With Blackboard Mobile, you can access the system from anywhere.

5. MyGPA Calculator

You can find these online too, but when you are really sweating your grade, it is nice to have this handy tool right in your pocket. This free app can calculate your semester and cumulative GPA.

6. Free Graphing Calculator

This little app can do just about everything those expensive graphing calculators can do -- and it's totally free. The only downside is it's unlikely any professor will let you use your phone during a test (too many ways to cheat), but it's a great tool to have if you forget to bring your calculator to class, or if your studying on the go and don't want to carry around another gadget.

7. EZ Read

Need to cram Hamlet into your brain during the time it takes to walk to class -- no problem. With the EZ Read app, you have access to the entire collection of Spark Notes. Of course, it's not as good as reading the real thing, but it might keep you from looking like a total idiot if the professor asks you a question about the material.

8. Wikipanion

For some reason, professors seem to hate Wikipedia. I don't know why… something about how even morons can get on there and add "facts." Nevertheless, as much as teachers like to claim it's full of bad information, I have yet to come across anything that wasn't basically correct. The Wikipanion enables you to research any topic quickly and easily -- just don't tell your professor where you got your info.

9. Notes Plus

This app replaces the need for traditional pen and paper, and allows you to handwrite all of your notes onto your iPad where they are then stored and organized. It has a bunch of built in features like drawing and sound tools and different colors of "ink." It costs $4.99, but think of all the paper you will save. As long as it is obvious you are taking notes, most teachers shouldn't have a problem with using your iPad in class.

10. Evernote

Evernote goes beyond Notes Plus and allows you to store virtually every type of information (text, photos, PDFs, files, sounds, webpages, etc). Essentially, it serves as a single source to store everything, and is great for those who want more than just basic note taking. If you tend to do all of your research the night before an assignment is due then you might not get much use out of this app, but if you are someone who gathers tidbits here and there, this is a great streamlining program.