As the semester dwindles down you may find yourself craving new apps to download for entertainment, news or possibly just your wellbeing. Below is a list of the best free apps every college student should have on their phone, tablet or computer. Enjoy!
Circa is a general news app every college student would benefit from using. News stories are delivered to your phone in short paragraphs comparable to the size of a tweet. As soon as there is a new development in the story, the newsfeed is updated with another short paragraph. It’s perfect for college students who are in a rush and don’t have time to pick up a newspaper. The key points are there without any fluff. Even better, you can choose to follow a story and receive a notification every time a new entry is added.
RCRD LBL is a dream come true for any music junkie, or anyone who gets bored listening to the same tracks on their iPod. This app brings an endless variety of music straight to your phone that you can stream for free. You can listen to the radio stream or pre-made playlists- commercial free. If you fall in love with a song, save it. E-mail yourself the songs you chose to save, and then you can import them into your iTunes free of charge.
If you’re like me and can’t memorize anything without flashcards, then Study Blue will become your best friend. It is essentially flashcards on your phone, but it also allows you to create folders for classes, and it tracks your improvement in those classes. Don’t waste money on paper flashcards when you can get the same thing on your phone for free!
Flipboard makes staying on top of social media at least three times easier. Sign in to Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and other accounts you frequently use and you will be able to get your social media fix by one quick “tap” of the thumb. If social media sites are not your preferred news outlet, you can choose to feature websites, like The Huffington Post or Pitchfork, on your Flipboard. This app saves you from the traditional routine of frantically closing multiple apps after using them.
Obsessive calorie counting might be an extreme, but it’s a good idea to be conscious of how many calories you are consuming on a typical day. I’m currently trying to avoid the ominous freshmen 15, and My Fitness Pal is like having a little Jillian Michaels in my pocket. Okay, so my phone doesn’t yell at me when I eat a doughnut, but it does keep track of everything I eat and when I exercise. If you’re looking to stay fit and trim through the never-ending winter, then I highly suggest this app to keep you on track.
I’m just going to assume you are a poor college student, like me, and would benefit from an app to manage your money. Mint.com Personal Finance keeps track of all your money and what you have been spending your money on. It’s easy to blow through money when you don’t keep track of it, but this app keeps you in the loop with all of your expenditures. You can set a budget for the month, but whether you stick to it is up to you.
Trendy games never last long, but Letterpress is a hot game right now. Your goal is to create words while coloring-in the tiles. In order to win you have to have the most colored tiles on the board. It may not sound addicting, but trust me it is. Letterpress acts as a great distraction from the papers I should be writing, and readings I should be checking off my assignment list. I apologize in advance for getting you addicted.