There’s an App for That!

By Nicole Thomas

Managing college life can be challenging, overwhelming and downright frustrating. From picking classes and wrestling financial aid to juggling a part time job and a full class load to navigating the 920 building, we can sometimes feel doomed. Have no fear, there’s an app for that!

I would highly suggest that if you don’t already have one, spend some of that financial aid on a smart phone, iPad or other device that supports “apps.” There are apps for everything from games (hello, Angry Birds?) to calorie counting. But, the seldom discussed, most valuable apps out there are the ones for students.

This journalist, personally, is a big fan of iStudiez Pro. This particular app, and similar ones, has features for assignment due dates/details, class schedule, professor contact info, a student planner and a greeting screen that gives you the “highlights” for the day. Because I didn’t have class today, my greeting screen says, “Give yourself a day off! Go have some fun!” It’s entirely customizable to suit your needs, and I have found it especially useful for online classes.

In addition to apps that assist productivity and organization, there are interactive flashcard apps, valuable study apps (Anatomy and Physiology app, a must) and uncomplicated “documents on the go” apps. For those of you that are acquainted with D2L, you are familiar with the “Dropbox.” There is a similar app by the same title that allows you to drop files, photos, projects and more into the Dropbox app on your computer, which can be accessed by any device or other computer in which the same app is installed. No more working on papers at home, emailing it to yourself to work on at school and then re-emailing it to yourself to print at home. This app allows easy, in-and-out access!

You will find many free apps: Dropbox and Docs on the Go, to name a couple. Some apps do cost money, though, and are typically charged to your phone bill (if it’s a smartphone) or the credit card on file (if it’s an IPod or other device), so beware before you download. iStudiez Pro, for example, is $2.99. I paid around twelve dollars for one A&P app, while another was free, but both were equally beneficial.

There are so many student apps! You would be doing yourself an injustice not to take advantage of this valuable tool. Several colleges are going over to the app side with features such as news/events, campus maps and sports updates/scores. While TTC hasn’t yet signed up, I would like to officially announce my petition for a 920 Bldg. Nav. app!

Get out there and get app-ing!