Our phones are the extension of our personalities. We take them everywhere we go, so why not make the best of it? Our phones allow us to be ultra-productive if we use them the right way. I’ve come up with a list of the top ten apps for students in our fast paced world.
1. Spark
An influx of emails can become a mess very quickly. It’s easy to let them pile up to the hundreds or even thousands. Spark organizes your emails, keeping the newest at the top and organizing them into different categories for you. I find this really nice for organizing myself, keeping the emails I need and getting rid of the ones I don’t.
2. Google Drive
For the first few years of high school every time I wrote a paper I had to send it back and forth to myself via email in order to work on it from school and home. There’s nothing worse than getting to school and realizing you forgot to send yourself the updates you made the previous night. My time and email space would have been spared if I had discovered Google Drive earlier. Google Drive allows you to work on a document and save it on your account so there’s no sending back and forth.
3. Spotify
Everyone loves music, and Spotify has it all. There are playlists for when you need to get pumped for the basketball game and for when you need crack down and study for that big chemistry test. They have a soundtrack for every moment of life and you can stream it, for free!
4. Sleep Cycle Alarm Clock
You watch a couple extra episodes on Netflix, losing a few hours sleep, and think it’s no big deal. The morning comes and you feel like you’ve been hit by a truck. Want to know why? The sleep cycle app tracks not only how long you sleep but how well you sleep. This is helpful for those who find themselves catching z’s in class.
5. Mint
You’re in high school, you have your first job, and you have no idea how to save or spend (wisely) your money. Mint is a banking app that helps you see what you are spending compared to what you are earning. You can set budgets on certain things, such as only spending $10 on coffee a month. This allows you to visualize what you are actually spending and save for future needs.
6. Kahn Academy
Have you ever arrived home looked at your assignment and had no idea how to do it? The notes don’t make sense and don’t know where to start . . . turn to Kahn Academy. They have videos and activities for every subject broken down into smaller sections. The videos re-teach the subject in a concise manner, not wasting your time with unnecessary words. They also have ACT and SAT prep that is helpful.
Grades are important and easier to manage when you check them regularly. Having the Skyward app on your phone helps you to track your progress not just at midterm. It also gives you the ability to warn your parents about that test you didn’t do so well on, before they see it.
8. Password Box
Every site app and program requires a username and password. While using the same username and password is convenient it’s not always possible. There’s nothing more frustrating than typing and re-typing different combinations of usernames and passwords you use, trying to hit on the right one. Keeping them all in one spot is not only convenient but more time saving than you would think. Password Box is an app that keeps your passwords for all your social media and school accounts
9. Quiz-let
Notecards are a great way to study, but I hate carrying around stacks of flash cards. Sometimes it’s nice to study while waiting for a doctor’s appointment, but it’s awkward to bring in a pile of cards. Quiz-let lets you make notecards on your phone and you can also make a quiz to test yourself.
10. Any. Do
I don’t know about you but I can’t remember anything. I’ve missed deadline after deadline for scholarships and assignments; I even missed a test once. Any.Do allows you to create a reminder list for different categories (work, school, etc.). Remembering that big project is due tomorrow will no longer be problem, because it will remember for you.
All apps are available in the AppStore.
Photo Credit: Leah Emerson
The Pine Needle 