Wednesday, April 17, 2013

Best iPhone Apps for College Students





By Keith Gilabert

As a college student, you need to have several things in order to keep your sanity.  For one, you have to have a good study schedule, next you need to be able to communicate with your friends and family, which is why so many students need a virtual assistant aka iPhone.  However, one of the most important aspects about having an iPhone and being a college student, is the fact that you can apply certain applications that will help you both in your academic life, as well as in your social life.  With the iPhone consistently coming out with new applications it difficult to gage which apps are the best for your needs.

One application that is definitely a social tool for a college student is the Ajax Bartender iPhone application.  This amazing application allows you to find and make over 40,000 various alcoholic drinks.  However, what really makes this application so unique is the fact that it allows you to choose your drinks based on what you want to put in them.  Have you ever been with friends, and someone says they want to drink Tequila, but they don't know how to make very many different types of drinks with it.

Now here are list of 5 great apps that are a far cry from the above one; however, it serves an equally important role in the life of a college student.  Whether you are majoring in physical science or criminal justice, you will have to take math courses.  

1. StudyBlue Flashcards: When college students are preparing for a big test, flashcards are one tool to help with memorization of key terms. While students have used paper flashcards for years to prepare for an exam, there are emerging digital options.
Enter StudyBlue Flashcards, which already has millions of flashcards created by other users. Using the mobile app, students can receive test score feedback so they can focus on material they haven't yet mastered. And, unlike paper flashcards, a student can set reminders on the app so he or she can maintain a study schedule before a big test. (Available for: iPad, iPhone, iPod, and Android; cost: free)

2. Evernote Peek: For students who use iPads in the classroom, Evernote, which is most known for its note-taking cloud service, provides a way for students to organize their notes into study materials. Using Evernote Peek, students' notes—whether text, audio, or image—are turned into study questions.

By using an iPad Smart Cover, students can lift the cover to see the question, and then lift more to see the answer. To move on to another question, a student simply closes the cover and restarts the process. For students who own an iPad but do not own a Smart Cover, the app produces a digital cover to hide answers. (Available for: iPad; cost: free)

3. Graphing Calculator: Whether a student is majoring in a math field or needs to complete basic requirements, it's likely that a college student will need a graphing calculator. While many students may purchase a graphing calculator, these devices can cost upwards of $100.

Graphing Calculator, from Appcylon LLC, provides a scientific calculator that allows students to plot and trace multiple equations on the same graph at a fraction of the cost. The app also comes equipped with a custom keyboard and is set up for students to take screen shots and share the graphs via E-mail. (Available for: iPhone, iPod, and iPad; cost: $1.99)

4. School Helper: Managing a schedule in college can be difficult, but there are many apps that specialize in daily organization. School Helper focuses on helping students manage their academic schedules by tracking things such as grades, homework assignments, notes, and exams on the home screen. Students can add widgets to this main screen as reminders for assignments that need to get done.

Under "Marks," students can track grades in a particular course, and can adjust the percentage each assignment or exam counts toward the final grade to get a clear picture of their performance throughout the semester. (Available for: Android; cost: free)

[Learn about more apps for managing college life.]

5. Trello: A cornerstone of some college courses is classroom collaboration. While group projects can cut down on the work an individual is responsible for, it can be confusing to manage who completes what task. Trello can help organize an entire project, large or small, by assigning each person a label and filtering responsibilities to that individual through the app.

Students can create deadlines, assign tasks, and even collaborate in real time, as changes that are made in the app are instantly updated. And all members of the group will receive a notification when changes have been made. (Available for: iPhone, iPod, iPad, and Android; cost: free)

Having a virtual assistant will make you more productive and give you better grades. 

Good Luck!

About Keith Gilabert
Keith Gilabert has worked side-by-side with equity and derivative specialist developing trading programs. In 1998 Keith  Gilabert developed a trading strategy to boost performance of managed portfolios.   The trading strategy returned a staggering 27% year over year return.  In 2002 while the market finished down over 30%, Gilabert’s strategy returned 15% net of all fees.  You can find him on Google+ and Twitter.

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