20 Apps Smart Students Need
on Their Smart Phones
You’re a millennial – you’ve probably been told to put down your smart phone at least once. Maybe even once today. We get a bad rap for being on our phones a lot, but why wouldn’t we take advantage of the tiny super computer that we can hold in our hands? The truth is, smart phones can be just as advantageous for students as they can be distracting. If you want your phone to become your ultimate study companion, make room for some of these apps for students.
Evernote (Free)
Let Evernote manage every note you possibly need to take. With this free app you can take notes, jot down ideas, make to-do lists, save things from the web, take photos, and more. Think of it like an ultra-organized binder & planner hybrid on your phone.
Due ($4.99)
If you have trouble remembering deadlines and due dates, Due is your app. Every time you get an assignment or a reminder, pop it into your phone. Your phone will send you alerts and reminders based on your settings. You can set up one-time or recurring reminders so nothing falls through the cracks.
SAT Up (Free)
This app is much more convenient than a huge SAT prep book. This app provides you with sample questions, daily lessons, practice tests, and tutoring. It’s a great tool for anyone preparing to take the SATs because you can get some extra practice anytime, anywhere.
Whink ($4.99)
Whink is similar to Evernote, but particularly helpful for visual learners. It allows students to take notes in aesthetically-pleasing ways, using beautiful colors, shapes, and fonts to make the process fun.
Studious ($1.99)
With Studious, students can scan and print documents, organize due dates and deadlines, organize your course schedule, and email professors all in one place. It was created to help students organize their assignments and improve time management.
Quizlet (Free)
Don’t waste anymore notecards. If you study best with flashcards, use Quizlet. You can create your own flashcards or study sets made by other users.
Socratic (Free)
Stuck on a question while you’re doing homework? With Socratic, you can snap a picture with your phone and get immediate guidance and help. Whether you’re working on history, math, or science, this app can help locate the answer you need.
Chegg (Free)
Textbooks are expensive. Use Chegg to find textbooks available for rent, or buy them for less than you’ll find them in stores. You can also get study help with a library of resources and a community of other students and experts.
Sworkit (Free)
If you’ve been studying all day, nothing can re-focus and re-motivate you quite like a quick sweat session. With Sworkit, you can choose a variety of different exercise programs, ranging from as little as five minutes to an entire hour. If you have a few spare moments, you can Sworkit.
Unplugged (Free)
Even the best students can get distracted. With Unplugged, you can challenge yourself to stay off social media and stay on task. Put your phone on airplane mode and start the Unplugged timer, and see just how long you can go “unplugged.”
Liner (Free)
If you’re doing research on your phone, it can be hard to keep track of specific things you read. Use Liner to highlight text you read! Liner saves your highlighted text in one place, and you can organize excerpts into different folders.
Vocabulary.com ($2.99)
If you’re looking for ways to expand your vocabulary, look no further. This Vocabulary.com app challenges you to learn new words through fun, addicting games.
Photomath Camera Calculator (Free)
It can be hard to get math homework help because you can’t simply Google a complex equation. With Photomath, you can take a picture of whatever you’re stuck on. This app will provide you with step-by-step instructions and explanations to help you get to your answer.
Got It! (Free)
This app is similar to the one above, but it can be used for math, chemistry, physics, and so on. You simply snap a picture of whatever you’re working on and you’ll be matched with an expert in the field. You can chat with them and ask any additional questions you have.
Calm (Free)
School is stressful! Calm will lead you through guided meditations and breathing exercises to help you relax. It also has a section called Sleep Stories, which can help you fall asleep and get the rest you need.
LookUp ($2.99)
LookUp is a dictionary and thesaurus in one beautiful package. If you need help understanding a word or want to swap out a lackluster word for a better one, this app is for you.
Google Translate (Free)
This is a great app for anyone studying a foreign language. You can translate up to 103 languages with this app, and can even translate 52 when you don’t have Internet!
Desmos Graphing Calculator (Free)
When you’re in upper level math classes, the standard iPhone calculator doesn’t cut it. The Desmos Graphing Calculator app lets you plot functions, work with statistics, create tables, graph derivatives, and much more.
LitCharts (Free)
This app was created by the same people who started SparkNotes, so do I need to say more? It’s always best to read the book you’re assigned in class but if you had to skim, LitCharts can help you out. It’s also helpful if you just want some extra help understanding what you read.
RefME (Free)
If you hate creating bibliographies for your papers, this app is for you. Scan the barcode of your book, pop in the URL of the website you used, or search your source by title. RefME will generate your citation for you, in whichever format you select.
