Finding the perfect app to study for your next exam can be difficult and needlessly confusing. Here at CollegeTechBits, we have done the research and found 18 useful apps that will make your next semester a breeze.
What makes an app so great for school? When looking for the best apps for a student, we looked at the features that the app offered and looked at how helpful those features would be to a college student. We were able to find 18 apps that we recommend as our favorite go-to apps to help students stay on task and be more productive. Continue reading to see why we picked each app and what features we like from each app.
We’ve also put together a list of useful apps that specifically focus on time management.
1. Google Drive
You are most likely already using this app making it top our list on the most useful app for college students. Google Drive is a cloud service that offers online storage for free for the first 15 GB. Given that it is a cloud service, Google Drive can be accessed from anywhere that you have an internet connection. This makes it great for saving your papers and documents without taking up space on your computer. Doing it this way lets you access your documents from campus computers, letting your write, save, and delete anything online.
If you’re not using Google Drive already, then we highly recommend you sign up for an account online. It’s very easy to do and only takes about 5 minutes. All you need is a Gmail account and you’ll be given 15 GB of storage for free. If you ever need more storage Google Drive lets you pay for more letting you stow anything you want.
2. Google Calendar
Google Calendar is the go-to place to schedule all your events in one place. The thing that makes Google Calendar one of the most useful apps out there is the ability to share your calendar events with others. This makes it ideal for students working on group projects who need to share dates and times to meet up with other students. It’s also a great organizational tool that lets you put assignment dates in and reminders of upcoming projects.
Mastering Google Calendars can lead to a very successful semester allowing students to be on top of their homework and exams. The best part is that Google Calendars is free so getting the app should be a no-brainer.
3. Quizlet
Looking for useful apps to make great flashcards to study for your next exam? Quizlet is our go-to app for flashcards, as it is for many college students. With the quality of the app and number of amazing features, it’s hard to believe that it’s free. It’s hard to complain when you are given one of the best flashcard apps and don’t have to pay a dime to use it!
Our favorite Quizlet feature is the ability to share flashcards with other students. This makes Quizlet perfect for study groups allowing each student to create and add flashcards to the group. If you’re looking for an app to help you study for your next chemistry test, then Quizlet has your back.
4. Grammarly
For the students who have to write a lot of papers, Grammarly is on of the most useful apps out there. Grammarly is a cross-platform cloud-based writing assistant. This means that it can be used on any device, making it the ultimate spell checker. Grammarly is packed with features like spelling, grammar, and punctuation checker. And all of it is done in real time, so you can see any bad writing habits that might need correcting.
Included with Grammarly are the engagement and clarity checker. These two features are amazing for any student looking for feedback on their paper. The checker will determine the mood of your paper in real-time and give you feedback on what you can do to change it. If your writing any papers for college or putting together a cover letter for a job application, then you have to download Grammarly and try it out.
5. myHomework
This app is for those that forget homework due dates a little too much. myHomework is an app that reminds students of important due dates and lets them check off homework once they complete it. A really cool feature of myHomework is the ability to have homework schedulers. Basically, the idea is if you have an assignment that you have due every week, you can use myHomework to automatically schedule the assignment for you.
myHomework has a basic version that is free for everyone. We recommend using the free version unless you want to access the premium features which we find not worth the price. Overall, myHomework will save you some late nights stressing over homework you forgot was due the next day.
6. Evernote
Your notes as college students are one of the most valuable tools you have. Evernote the ultimate note-taking app makes that tool even more valuable. Evernote is a cross-platform app that stores notes, journal entries, projects, and even recipes. If you ever want an app that can store your notes in an orderly fashion and manage your tasks at the same time. Evernote has the ability which helps students looking to get organized and develop stronger study habits.
The one downfall of Evernote is that the free version only allows you to sync 60 MB of data a month which for most students isn’t enough. The paid version is pricey but Evernote gives all students 50% of their first year. I have included a link here if you are interested.
7. Khan Academy
Some of you may wonder why Khan Academy made our list of favorite apps. What started out as a way for a Sal Khan to tutor his cousin has now turned into a massive free lecture service. Khan Academy’s videos are more set around high school students but we still found value in reviewing topics that you may have forgotten from high school.
Khan Academy is the best way to review confusing lectures in the most simple and visual way. We love that Khan Academy is free for everyone and recommend students check it out if they are struggling in any classes.
8. Duolingo
Claimed to be on of the most useful apps for learn foreign languages, Duolingo is perfect for those looking for extra help with things like pronunciation and reading comprehension. With a playful interface, it makes learning fun and entertaining for students, who otherwise wouldn’t enjoy it. Duolingo was the first free foreign language tutor and has evidently continued to hold that tradition. If you’re looking for extra help in your foreign language class, then we suggest downloading Duolingo and trying it out.
9. Zoom
Due to the events of Covid 19, a lot of colleges have moved online, and Zoom has become the go-to video platform for most colleges and for good reason. Designed a very simple interface, Zoom makes learning online very simple but not restrictive. We recommend getting the app for your phone so you can not miss a thing (while you’re probably waiting in a McDonald’s drive-thru).
10. Slack
Another great example everything moving online, in person group work and study sessions. Evidently, it has become more difficult to meet in person with other students and discuss things like group assignments. Slack is a great solution to getting people together to discuss projects and topics. Built for companies looking to unite groups and discuss workflow, Slack, is also a great tool for students working on projects.
The free version of Slack should be adequate for most students as it gives you just enough features to be able to successfully work together with other students. Although we don’t recommend getting any of the other paid tiers as they offer too many features that we find that most students won’t use. If you’re looking to have the most effective study group, give Slack a try.
11. Discord
If your looking for a great alternative to Slack, then Discord is perfect. What started out as a way for gamers to communicate with each other is now a great way to get together and discuss with other students. What makes Discord stand out among the see of other useful apps is its price tag of a whopping ZERO DOLLARS! Because this and many other reasons, Discord as become one of the most widely used messaging platforms of 2021.
The best part about Discord is the ability to make your own server where you can invite other students to discuss and share information. Be sure to give Discord a try if you’re not a fan of Slack.
12. Group Me
Sometimes getting a group chat working with your friends can be difficult. Group Me was created to solve that and make texting your friends a lot easier. Group Me is a free cross-platform app that is used to create groups of people where they can share ideas with each other or just share funny memes. If you have been having trouble getting group text to work try out Group Me.
13. TED
I’m sure almost all of us at some point have seen a TED talk and know what they’re about. If you’ve ever tried looking for video lectures on niche topics for a paper, then you are probably intimately familiar with TED. This is a process that which is made even easier using the app. The TED app makes it easier than ever to access trending TED talks or watch your favorite ones. Because of this reason alone, we recommend TED for those looking for an entertaining way to learn something new.
14. Smartwatcher
With the ever growing number of terrifying headlines and news stories, we all want to be safe while walking around campus and want our friends to know where we are. Smartwatcher is an app that lets you send your location to your friends when you’re walking back home late at night. Designed to help raise awareness of stranger danger, protecting college students and other regular commuters is it’s main goal. If you find yourself walking home late at night, then you should consider downloading Smartwatcher and adding your friends.
15. Acorns
Looking for an easy way to start investing as a college student? Acorn is an app that invests your spare change into stocks, bonds, and ETFs. This is a great way for those that want to start investing but don’t know-how. If your a student looking to explore the world of investing, then we recommend you try out Acorns.
16. MyFitnessPal
Finding time to exercise can be hard as a busy student with all classes and assignments you are given every day. MyFitnessPal is a among many useful apps to help motivate students to start exercising and live a healthy lifestyle. Living a healthy lifestyle will help students be more productive and be more motivated towards learning hard topics. If you want to get a step up on your health, download MyFitnessPal.
17. Wolfram Alpha
For those that are taking a lot of Math classes, Wolfram Alpha is a great tool. Built for solving complex problems, Wolfram Alpha walks you through each step of how to solve the problem. We love Wolfram Alpha for this as it makes even the toughest problems doable. If you’re taking any Math classes and find yourself stuck on a problem give Wolfram Alpha a try.
18. Slader
Similar to Wolfram Alpha, Slader gives you a step-by-step guide to solve Math problems out of your textbook. Slader’s content is created by other students and then checked for accuracy. This makes Slader great for those that want a solution that is written out in a way that they will understand. Slader is great for any Math class and lets you say goodbye to just having the odd answers in the back of the textbook.
Conclusion
When there are thousands upon thousands of choices, finding truly useful apps can be hard. We recommend searching for reputable apps with overall positive reviews. If an app has several reviews complaining about the same thing, be wary! Sticking to well known publishing platforms like Google Play or the Apple App Store. This can greatly lower the chances of coming across scam apps and malicious software. Hopefully, our list has helped you in picked the best apps to make your next semester a breeze.