The 11 best apps every college student needs

Smartphones aren't just for entertainment; they are extremely flexible and you can use them to help you achieve your learning goals. Thanks to these mobile apps, you can fit everything you need as a college student right in your pocket.

1. Microsoft OneNote

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Microsoft's note-taking platform, OneNote, is the ultimate digital notebook. You can easily manage huge blocks of notes from classes, organize them into subsections, and share them with your friends. Additionally, you can import photos and annotate them using the built-in toolset. If you have a stylus, you can even write directly on it.

OneNote also has a variety of other features that are ideal for student needs, including cross-platform sync, audio input if you want to import lecture recordings, the ability to add web clippings, and more. OneNote, unlike other Office products, is free and available on almost every platform.

2. OneDrive

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OneDrive automatically backs up documents and media files on your computer so you can access them on your smartphone. Of course, it can also back up files on your smartphone that you want to access on your laptop.

The ability to take pictures of your class notes and convert them into PDF files is one of the many reasons to use Microsoft's OneDrive. It's compatible with Windows, iOS, Android, macOS, and Xbox, so you're always covered no matter your platform.

OneDrive's free cloud storage is limited to 5GB, and if you want more space, you'll have to pay for a Microsoft 365 subscription starting at $1.99/month.

3. TickTick

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Having dozens of pending to-dos is an inevitable part of your student life. To ensure you have the right schedule to tackle them, the article recommends you try TickTick.

TickTick is more than just a task management app. It's an all-in-one productivity solution with multiple tools that let you plan all your work without any hassle. You can build lists for specific purposes, add notes or subtasks to each item, and even collaborate with others.

The biggest advantage of the TickTick application is that you can classify your to-do list based on urgency. Additionally, it comes with a Pomo timer to help you stay focused on your tasks. Some advanced features, like Filters and Historical Statistics, require you to upgrade to premium, but you can still access essential features for free.

1. Download TickTick for | (Free, subscription available)

4. Forest

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Smartphones can be a double-edged sword. On the one hand, they can help you achieve your goals quickly. But they can also cause significant distraction if you're not careful. Forest is a free app that helps you focus on what's important - this could be a study session or dinner with your family. Forest lets you put your phone down using a timer.

With every moment you spend away from your phone, Forest plants a seed. If you violate the rules, the tree will die. If not, it will bloom and you will score a few points.

Once you've earned enough points, you can invest those points into the Forest itself and the app development team will plant a sapling in real life. It's a win-win situation. Forest also has a insights tab where you can see all your statistics and time distribution history.

5. Notion

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If you want a single app that you can use to take and organize class notes while keeping track of homework, then Notion fits the bill. Other ways to use Notion as a student include tracking your budget, creating to-do lists, and collaborating with classmates on group assignments.

Additionally, you can use Notion AI to improve your productivity by summarizing class notes, correcting spelling errors, and asking for further explanations when you don't understand the context of a note.

6. Coursera

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If you're looking to get certificates for additional short courses, you can try Coursera. It's an online learning platform with over 7,000 courses that you can take online.

But what makes Coursera one of the best apps for college students is that the courses are taught by qualified and accredited instructors. In fact, you can even apply for a Bachelor's or Master's degree at some of the top universities in the world through Coursera.

However, Coursera may not be practical if you are pursuing a course that requires hands-on technical expertise. It also does not provide all the units relevant to your curriculum.

Again, Coursera is better suited if you want to take a short certificate course that expands your knowledge of a specific area that you weren't taught about in college. For example, if you major in Computer Science, you can use Coursera to expand your knowledge of artificial intelligence.

7. Brainly

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Previously, Brainly was the go-to app if you wanted to ask strangers questions to help you with your homework and projects. But with the emergence of AI, Brainly integrates AI-powered features to help you complete your homework much faster.

An AI and a human expert in your field will help research and answer questions. That's exactly what Brainly offers. Additionally, you can access thousands of books on Brainly to help you reference your research projects, making it one of the best apps for college students.

8. Adobe Scan

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Adobe Scan is a simple document scanner that lets you capture many types of documents, such as business cards and whiteboard scribbles. Best of all, it's also equipped with a series of smart gadgets that make the process less cumbersome.

Adobe Scan can automatically recognize most documents you try to click on. That means all you have to do is point your phone in the right direction and Scan will grab the document without you pressing or adjusting anything. After taking a photo, you can edit the result with several cropping tools as well as filters to enhance the clarity of the photo.

Furthermore, Adobe Scan allows you to merge multiple files and create new PDF files from them. Before completing, you also have the option to sign the documents. Just keep taking photos and add them to the temporary project.

It's even capable of analyzing business cards, which you can then easily save to your phone contacts. Optical character recognition (OCR) is available if you want to extract text instead of images.

9. Alarmy

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Of course, to use the rest of the apps on this list, you have to wake up first in the morning. So, to make sure you wake up on time, try Alarmy.

Alarmy gives you a challenge before you can stop the alarm. It might ask you to shake your phone 10 times, take a photo, or solve a math problem. And that's why it is one of the best apps for college students.

The choice is yours, although Alarmy has a setup routine that suggests challenges based on your sleep patterns. Additionally, you can use Alarmy to record yourself as you sleep and detect whether you snore or wake up too often. Of course, you also have the option of accessing your sleep reports.

10. Money Manager

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Money is an issue that students often struggle with. However, with accurate budgeting, you can easily cut back and keep track of what you're spending. The recommended app for this is Realbyte's Money Manager.

It comes with a lot of features and allows you to add expenses the way you want. You can also categorize your data depending on the source and configure multiple accounts. There is a comprehensive dashboard where you can view your balance and access specific details through filters.

The app also has options to attach receipts and larger expenses like real estate. If you want to display everything on the big screen, you can also load Money Manager on your web browser by going to More (.) > PC Manager in the application.

1. Download Money Manager for | (Free, subscription available)

11. HelloFresh

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If you're too busy during the exam to cook a decent meal but don't want to eat out often, you can use a meal kit app like HelloFresh. It saves students time by sending packaged meal ingredients right to your door, so you don't have to go to the store.

Additionally, the meal kits include recipes and you can order enough servings for a week. Of course, you can also order ready-made meals that you can cook in the microwave if you're too busy with your studies to cook. Another option is to order quick, easy recipes from HelloFresh that you can cook in an instant pot or air fryer.

1. Download HelloFresh for I (Registration required)

David Pac

Update 29 November 2023