Summer is ending, and the new school year is beginning. Are you ready? It can be a daunting experience, but if you go in prepared, you'll have a better time of it.
Here are seven apps that no college student should be without as they brave the new school year.
1. Evernote
In your parents' day, taking notes meant pen and paper. Now, you can do it with your laptop or tablet. You can even use your smartphone to record the whole lecture. But how do you find all of these notes and files when it's time to study? The Evernote app lets you store it all in one place. You can upload files from any device, store and organize them in the cloud, and access them anywhere through the Evernote app. It's a great way to keep your notes in one, easy-access location.
2. EasyBib
One professor wants you to cite all your sources in MLA style. Another wants you to use ALA. If you're like most college students, you'll spend hours just on your bibliography, painstakingly comparing each citation to the example you Googled, making sure that every period and comma matches up. However, EasyBib lets you do all of that automatically. If you're citing a website, just enter in the URL, and it will format it perfectly. If you're citing a book, search the database by title or ISBN to get the correct citation. Or you can cite over 60 other kinds of media, from newspapers to YouTube videos to press releases. With EasyBib, you can save time creating your bibliography and concentrate more on the actual content of your paper.
3. Mathway
For some people, math just doesn't come easily. Unfortunately, you'll have to take math in just about any college. But the Mathway app can offer assistance. With categories ranging from basic math to Calculus and Statistics, you can enter in any problem, and it will help you solve it. That is, actually HELP you solve it, working it out step by step with you, so you can see how it's done, rather than just providing you with the answers. There's a desktop version as well, but the mobile version can assist you while you're in class, in the library, or studying with friends . . . wherever you might happen to be.
4. RealCalc Scientific Calculator
This app turns your phone into a scientific calculator, so that you always have one with you when you need it. Between this and Mathway, math courses will hopefully be a little less daunting for the number-challenged.
5. Studious.
When is that big paper due? What date is the next quiz? Keeping track of dates and deadlines can be difficult. But Studious acts as a daily planner, specifically designed for your class schedule. Enter in all the information about each course, from the test times to the location to the professor, and your phone will give you a reminder of each important deadline.
6. Merriam-Webster and Dictionary.com
Confused about the word your professor just used in his lecture? Trying to beef up the vocabulary of your term paper with another word for "figurative" (hint: synecdochic might be a good one!)? Want to impress your friends with big words at parties? Both Merriam-Webster and Dictionary.com have mobile apps that let you look up definitions on the fly. Dictionary.com allows you to save your favorite words for easy access later, while Merriam-Webster also has synonyms and antonyms. Both have a Word of the Day feature as well, sent right to your phone or tablet.
7. Alarmy
One of the biggest challenges for college students is waking up in time for that early morning class. Whenever your alarm clock goes off, you absentmindedly hit the snooze button until it's far too late. So the Alarmy app (also called Sleep If U Can), while not strictly educational, may still be the most invaluable tool of your college career. Most students today use their phones as alarms, so this one utilizes your phone's other features to help you wake up. The only way to turn the alarm off is to get out of bed and take a picture of a specified object elsewhere in your house (e.g. the bathroom sink).
Kinda wish I would have went to ECPI right out of high school instead of VCU/ODU
— Sandy Cheeks (@_tyrambitious) July 10, 2015
With these apps at your disposal, you can get through your courses with as little stress as possible. Now if only there was a college that could help you do the same. There is. ECPI University's year-round course schedule could help you earn your Bachelor’s Degree in as little as 2.5 years, or your Associate’s Degree in as little as 1.5 years. Contact us today for more information and ask why so many students choose ECPI University. It could be the Best Decision You Ever Make!
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