You stare at your phone’s screen while you are commuting on the train. You’re glued to it when your professor’s giving a lecture on post-modernity. Heck, you even take it to the loo with you and your phone is the first thing you see in the morning as well as the last thing before you hit the sack.
So what’s got you obsessing over your phone? The apps! Both iOS and Android platforms offer a multitude of tempting apps, which make it hard for you to put your phone down even for a second. In fact, a whopping 25 billion apps were downloaded on iOS and 50 billion on Android in the year 2015 according to the data released by Apple and Google. Facebook was the app that was used by Millennials the most (21% according to comScore – an advertising agency), and that includes you.
No wonder you think your phone is a distraction and apps like Facebook are taking you further away from your books. Let us tell you a secret then: not only can your phone help you study better, but it can also help you manage your student life. Your job is just to download the right apps. Luckily, we have listed down 10 such apps for you right here.
1. BenchPrep
Studying for your annual examinations and not sure whether your preparation is adequate to pass the test? Don’t worry. BenchPrep has got that sorted out for you. This unique app has been specially designed to help you prepare for both classroom as well as entrance examinations. It follows a social media networking type model where you can connect with fellow users and take tests, share notes and even revise together too. Plus, the app gives you the option to track your learning progress as well.
Availability: BenchPrep is available for download on iOS. If you want something that works on both iOS and Android, you can give Pocket Prep a try.
2. Wolfram Alpha
This one has been dubbed as the ‘Star Trek Computer' due to its exceptional functionality and a huge online storehouse of data as well as equations. This app combines these elements and generates answer to any query you may have concerning your subject. The best part is that you will find loads of reports as well as answers on widely dissimilar subjects such as astronomy, mythology, genealogy and the like. Sadly, there’s no free version of this app, and you will have to buy it for $2.99.
Availability: Wolfram Alpha is available for download on both iOS and Android platforms.
3. RefME
No student life is complete without truckloads of assignments. And no assignment is complete without referencing. Referencing is complex. Fortunately, RefME has your back. This app has a very simple user interface, and you simply have to use the camera of your phone to scan the barcode present on the reference material you have used to generate an automatic citation for it. What makes RefMe different from the rest of the referencing apps out there is that it is compatible with other citation tools as well such as Zotero, EndNote, RefWorks and Mendeley. Besides, it has a Chrome plug-in too and works on your personal computer just as well.
Availability: RefME is a free to download app available on both Android and iOS smartphones.
4. Mint
Mint is one of those apps that work everywhere, whether it’s your personal computer, your tablet or your smartphone. This one helps you in managing your money issues so you can comfortably breeze through the month on your limited budget. It also assists you in keeping track of where your money is going and how you can manage your finances better so you can still end up with some cool savings at the end of the month. Trust us; this app is a blessing for the spendthrift.
Availability: You can download Mint for free on your iOS as well as your Android device.
5. Scribd
Want quick access to the world’s biggest online library? Get on Scribd! This app will grant you the right to use millions of books and documents that will help you study for your exams as well as prepare impressive assignments. Every piece of information which you find on Scribd has been uploaded by users just like you from all across the planet, making it one of the world's largest knowledge sharing platforms. This app also gives you the permission to organise and curate your personal library on the basis of the topics you choose. Plus, you can share your virtual library too with your friends.
Availability: Scribd too is available for a free download on Android and iOS. However, to get unlimited access to all of its features and data, you will have to make in-app purchases.
6. The Oxford Dictionary
Whether you are an international student, pursuing your higher studies in the US, UK and Australia, or just want to understand all the complicated terms your professors use during lectures, you need a dictionary. The best one that you can get on your mobile phone is the Oxford Dictionary. This one is quick and easy to use. Upon entering the word you need to know the meaning of, you will get a detailed definition of it along with how to use it in a sentence. This dictionary is also packed with a lot of other features such as definitions of rare words along with their British and American variants, their audio pronunciations, etc.
Availability: Available for a free download on both iOS and Android, the Oxford Dictionary contains in-app purchases too.
7. TED
If reading is not how you like to learn things and find yourself comprehending as well as remembering things better when you are listening to them, TED is the app for you. All of the world’s greatest and most knowledgeable people (experts of their field, really) share their expertise with you through conference videos uploaded on this app. From computer geeks to business experts, from educators to music legends – know the industry secrets and gain immense knowledge for all your projects and assignments on TED.
Availability: TED is completely free of cost, although it does contain ads. You can download this on both the Play Store (Android) as well as on iTunes (iOS).
8. Forest
Forest is probably the cutest way that ever existed to help you focus. It prevents you from getting distracted by planting a virtual tree. That’s right. Once you open the app, you will be asked to set a timer for the period you want to focus on a task at hand (whether it’s studying or doing your assignment). While you carry out your task within this time, a tree slowly grows on your screen. However, the tree withers away if you exit the app in the middle of the set duration. All the trees you grow get added into your virtual forest, serving as adorable reminders of your achievements.
Availability: This one too contains in-app purchases like most on this list and is up for a free download on Android and iOS.
9. SoundNote
Does your professor go at lightning speed every time he is giving a lecture so that you cannot copy even a single word down? We bet your arm ached with all that writing and your fingers got morphed into an abnormal claw that was meant to hold your pen. Well, those days are now gone if you have SoundNote on your phone. SoundNote lets your capture the audio of the lecture that’s going on in your classroom. It also has the option of converting this audio to text.
Availability: SoundNotes is a paid, iOS-exclusive app for which you will have to shell out $4.99. Unfortunately, Android does not have many good options in this regard, although you can try out voice recording apps such as Audio Recorder, Easy Voice Recorder, etc.
10. Wise Drinking
Your student life is going to be full of happening parties with loads of booze. So losing track of the glasses you’ve downed amidst all of the alcohol is really hard to do. Enter Wise Drinking. This app will show how much you’ve had to drink and whether or not you need to slow down. It will also give you suggestions on safe drinking limit, when to call a cab for a ride home and even tell you about the nearest bus stop or taxi stand. Neat, isn’t it?
Availability: Wise Drinking is a free to download app on both Android and iOS and contains no in-app purchases.
There are plenty of other apps you should try too like the 7 Minute Workout for fitness, MealBoard to eat healthy and Sleep Time to ensure that you get the right amount of shut-eye. Not to forget, you also need a couple of gaming apps to keep yourself entertained when you take a break from your books. And we suggest fun games such as Alphabear, World of Goo, Monument Valley and the like as they combine entertainment and knowledge-gaining together in a fun way.
To conclude, get these ten apps (plus the bonus ones we just listed) on your phone to have the smoothest student life ever.
About The Author - Alina Anderson is a blogger and academic essay help expert, and she started her career at a youthful age as a technical author. At present, she is providing essay assistance to the seeking students and furthermore gives proposals on enhancing composing ability.