More than half of college students own a smartphone, according to HackCollege, and are on their phones all the time. Sound about right?
If you’re lucky enough to have a smartphone or a tablet, you might as well use it to your advantage. There are so many apps available that cater to college students and the majority of them are free. I’ve tested out quite a few and thought I would share them with you.
Here are 10 free apps you should consider downloading for your Android or iPhone before heading back to class:
1. Blackboard Mobile Learn
This is a must have app! From my experience, just about every professor uses Blackboard for announcements, assignments and keeping track of grades. It can be extremely helpful to have all this information available on the go, especially for last minute reading assignments.
2. Grades 2
Although most professors post grades on Blackboard, not all do and it should be up to you to know your current grade. That’s where Grades 2 comes in. Input what grades you receive along with the grading percentages and it can tell you what grade you need to get on your next test to score an A in the class.
3. Flipboard
With Flipboard you can look at (almost) all your social accounts in one place and get personalized news at the same time. Social accounts include Twitter, Facebook, Google+, LinkedIn, Instagram, Tumblr, so basically all the popular ones except Pinterest. It’s convenient, fun and easy to use. My favorite part? You can pick out items to make your own magazine!
4. GroupMe
This group messaging app can be great for group assignments as well as work and friend conversations. This is especially helpful for bridging the texting gap between Android and iPhone users. GroupMe recently added a new feature for splitting bills within the app, which could prove to be beneficial.
5. Evernote / Dropbox / Google Drive
Although all three cloud service apps have similar qualities and exist as storage spaces, they can be quite different. Personally, I use all three for different purposes. Evernote seems to be the best for organizing, Dropbox is particularly convenient for groups and Google Drive is great for file sharing.
6. Grocery IQ
Being a college student can be hard on your wallet, especially if you’re worrying about buying groceries. Thankfully this handy app has plenty of coupons to help you out.
7. All Recipes- Dinner Spinner
There’s no need to just eat fast food and macaroni in college. Even if you don’t know much about cooking, you can learn with the 45,000 member tested recipes on the AllRecipes app. Plus, Dinner Spinner can help you decide what to make.
8. Yelp
Wondering where to go for dinner? Or who’s the best doctor in town? Yelp has you covered. The map within the app makes it easy to search for places nearby. Yelp has more than 39 million local reviews, so it’s fairly reliable.
9. Mint
It’s easy to keep track of your money with Mint. All your spending is categorized so you can see exactly how much you’re spending on gas, food and books. You can also track goals and make savings plans with reminders of your progress.
10. Pandora
This app can be an integral part of your study routine. After all, how can you study without music? With Pandora, you can make free, custom radio stations which give you the freedom to choose what you want to hear while still serving as a great introduction to new music.
Cal Poly Pomona extra: CampuZoic
Created by a Cal Poly Pomona student, Shawn Irvin, this app provides campus news, a detailed campus map, a shuttle map with schedules, on campus food service hours and locations, and more. It’s great for finding out quick info on the go.
