Best Apps for College Students [5 Must-Have Tools!]

That phone in your pocket isn’t only for texting and scrolling Instagram. Check out these five must-have apps that college students shouldn’t live without.

College students today have a companion none of the previous generations had: The smartphone.

There was a time when you’d walk around with your favorite notebook because it held your detailed daily written schedule. All that to stay on top of your assignments and exams. And, when midterms were around the corner, students would whip out bundles of flashcards to help them study. That was college before the age of smartphones.

Today, smartphones have conveniently reshaped many aspects of our lives. There are apps for almost everything you can imagine. You can now control every aspect of your life from a device that’s always in your pocket. Yet, with over five million apps available for Android and iOS devices, which apps are students using?

How To Choose the Best College Apps

You’re likely wondering how college students manage to choose from the vast pool of apps available to them.

Well, like in many industries, the mobile app industry comes with the good and the bad. Out of the millions of smartphone apps out there, plenty are useless, while others can change your college years for the better.

The silver lining here is that there’s an app for everything college-related, from studying and time management to project collaboration. But to choose apps that are useful to you, ask yourself these questions:

  • What areas do I need help with staying on top of things?
  • Do I have a hard time sleeping, organizing myself, retaining lectures, etc.?
  • Which apps can help change my situation?
  • Which apps are popular among my peers? (They’re usually tried and tested.)

Now, here are the five best apps for college students:

1. My Script Calculator

Lots of people would love to bypass math in college if they could. But whether you like math or not, most majors have a math requirement, even if it’s just one course.

This makes having a calculator a no-brainer, especially if you’re not a big fan of equations. But not just any calculator. The App Store and Play Store have plenty of them.

What you should be looking for is MyScript Calculator. It does everything from simple calculations to advanced problems. The best part is the app’s unique feature.

You won’t need to look around for specific symbols anymore. Just scribble the equation as it appears on your device screen. The app will convert the problem into a digital version and solve it for you.

2. Google Docs

Student life involves lots of writing, and many computer applications do just that. One of the apps that make things safe and convenient is Google Docs. It’s pretty similar to Microsoft Word with one exception: it backs your work up online in real-time, not on your device.

The last thing you want is to lose important documents just because you left them on your device and something happened to your computer. With Google Docs, you can work online and offline across many devices with your work backed up every time. As a student, it’s not advisable to save your work offline and accessible from one device. Docs make working from different access points seamless.

3. StudyBlue

Study apps are common tools for college students. There are many on the app stores, but the names you’ll hear often are Quizlet and StudyBlue.

Both apps essentially offer the same thing: a platform where students from colleges all over the country can create and share study materials. You might even find a study tool created by a classmate or for the textbook your course uses.

We recommend StudyBlue as a student companion for every college student. It’s far more accessible and has plenty of features that beat its rivals. The app has an easy and useful interface with a more social vibe that makes it fun to study with others in the course.

4. Any.do

Any.do is a popular productivity app that can help you plan and progress through your daily tasks smoothly.

What makes any.do so popular is its customization features. The app lets you create tasks, track progress, set calendars and reminders, and even share updates with peers. This is an app you shouldn’t pass up on, particularly if you’re forgetful.

With a well customized any.do, you never have to worry about forgetting assignments or wasting time. The app is available across several platforms and allows users to sync their work from anywhere.

5. My Fitness Pal

With over 200 million users, My Fitness Pal is one of the world’s largest fitness apps. It’s also one of the top recommended apps for tracking fitness journeys. Tracking your health journey is a broad statement that fits the app well. It digs deep to offer solutions when it comes to healthy eating and staying fit.

My Fitness Pal lets you set up personal goals, track calorie intake, scan ingredients, and learn from a vast food database. You can also create a workout plan you can stick to and learn from the experts.

As if that wasn’t enough, there’s another popular feature. It supports integration with third-party fitness apps like Samsung Health or Garmin Connect to improve your experience.

Now, why should you have a fitness app? That’s because among the people with the most unhealthy dietary habits are college students.

Conclusion

That sums up our shortlist of apps college students shouldn’t live without. There are far more apps than what we’ve covered. Which apps are you currently using? Do they meet your needs for learning, organization, or even entertainment?

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Author bio: Adam Marshall is a freelance writer who specializes in all things apartment organization, real estate, and college advice. He currently works with Varsity House Fayetteville to help them with their online marketing.