8 Apps for College Students
These past few months, I've realized just how much I use apps on my phone to stay organized, safe, and on task throughout my day. I never used to depend on technology for school, except the use of a laptop, and even then my tech use was limited. I think part of this stems from the "adulting" factor of college. Not only do I have school work to keep track of, but also bills. meetings, and important dates. After I came to this realization, I looked through my phone to see that most of my apps I use are all school related. I need every single one (minus Instagram) so either keep my sanity, my safety, or my school work on track. Without these apps I honestly don't know how I would make it through my day. For all you future college gals reading this, make sure to save this post so you can refer back to it when you begin your college journey in a few months! If I missed an app that helps you make it through your day, leave a comment below!
1. Venmo -- I am a firm believer that every college kid should have Venmo. This is an app that you hook up to your checking account and you can send your friends money and they can send you money as well. I noticed that as soon as I went to college, I stopped carrying cash. It's hard to get cash and any on campus job is direct deposit, so getting my hands on a couple of *tangible* dollars was difficult. Venmo is perfect for splitting that late night pizza with your roommate, paying someone back if you borrowed money, or splitting the ride for an Uber. Venmo makes everything about money in college so much easier, you definitely need to get this app.
2. Uber -- Yes, you need Uber. It's college, parties are real. Get the Uber app, hook up your debit card, and never delete this app. Rides honestly aren't too expensive and if you ride with friends (which you always should) and split the cost, it will be worth it. Uber's usually get to you within 5 minutes so if you need to leave somewhere or want to pull a good old Irish exit, you can do so fairly quickly.
3. Google Drive -- If you join any clubs or organizations at your school, most likely they will also use Google Drive to keep you in the loop. Not only are my class notes and study guides on Drive but all of my sorority date function sign ups and t shirt sign ups are on there too. I think it's a good app to have, even if you don't think you'll use it that much, eventually you'll be thanking yourself for having it with you.
4. Quizlet -- The Quizlet app was sent straight from God. If you study using note cards, you should absolutely download this app. You can easily study on the bus, waiting in line at Starbucks, or just waiting for class to start. It's a simple way to study on the go. You can also search other Quizlet sets too so you can study your classmates' notes as well.
5. Spotify -- The first thing you should do when you get to college is sign up for the Hulu/Spotify student deal. For $4.99 a month, you get Hulu+ and Spotify. Originally both of those would cost $13 but for $5, it's a total steal. If you aren't familiar, Spotify is an unlimited music app where you can download music and create playlists until your heart's content. It's much better than iTunes, and since you get the Hulu subscription too, there's no way you can beat this deal.
6. Turning Point - I never knew this when coming to college, but one thing that some professors use to grade quizzes in large lecture halls are clickers. Clickers are a remote control where you enter in your answers and automatically receive a grade. Clickers are really expensive at the school bookstore -- I think I spent $75 on mine, and that doesn't include the license on it. Little did I know, you can get the app that coincides with the clicker to save on a ton of money. It's easy to set up and works just as well, if not better. It's free too!
7. GroupMe -- This is the app to end all group messaging apps. GroupMe is a free app where you can keep all of your group messages in order, and it doesn't matter if you have an iPhone or an Android. I have messages with 180 people in it and some with just a handful of people. You can also get it on any computer too which means you can access it, even if your phone dies.
8. Find My Friends -- College gals, this one is so important to have! iPhone already comes with the Find My Friends app, but it's up to you and the ones you care about to turn on your location services. I share mine with a few of my closest friends, my roommates, and my family. This way if anything happens, they can see where I am.
9. Facebook -- The importance of the Facebook group is so real now that I'm in college. I swear, everything I'm involved in has it's own Facebook group, and even those have subgroups of those groups. It's important to have a Facebook so you can be added to groups!
