We all have apps that can make our lives easier, and they’re pretty common. Some are necessary for school—like NextBus, Google Docs and Elms. Others are necessary for your social life—like GroupMe, Snapchat and Instagram. Those are apps for food, photos and friends, which are on most phone screens.
Just when you think you had it all, here are five more apps you didn’t know you needed.
1. Parcel Tracker
Ordering something online makes shopping incredibly convenient, right up until those three to five business days. You know, when you are anxiously checking for the item to arrive at the front desk. Waiting for a package to arrive is simultaneously the best and worst feeling.
Instead of logging onto your email, hunting down the tracking number and plugging it into the carrier’s website every few hours, download Parcel Tracker instead.
The app tracks products you have ordered online. Once the app has the tracking number, it sends you personalized updates, with the option to receive a notification any time the package moves.
The notifications tell you exactly where your parcel is when it arrives or leaves a destination, as well as the estimated delivery date. Often, the app alerts you that the package has been delivered before the front desk sends an email, so you can head down and pester them for those new spring sandals you just had to have.
2. This AM
This app created by Refinery 29, is also known as “8 Things to Know This AM.” Each morning, the app sends you a notification with two important topics in the news that day.
When opened, the app gives readers eight top stories of the day, which are broken up into different categories, including “Major News,” “Tech Talk” and “Spotlight.
Each page is dedicated to a single topic and summarized in a sentence. To read the full story, interested readers just have to tap the small “Read More” option below the headline.
While journalists can use the app as a preview to the day’s top stories, other students can use “8 Things to Know This AM” to keep up to date on hot topics without a bombardment of stories they are uninterested in.
3. Yummly
For those of us living in suite-style rooms and apartments, preparing meals may be one of the most challenging day-to-day tasks. You might have a brilliant idea for dinner, only to get back from class and find that the meat is still frozen and you don’t have all of the ingredients.
Yummly is a hungry college student’s best friend.
Instead of settling for takeout four nights a week, download this app to get your meal prep in check.
Once you set up an account, you’ll be able to search through thousands of recipes from different food websites and recipe blogs, all aggregated into one place. Search based on ingredients, meals or taste preferences. It’s a great way to discover new dishes and relearn to make old favorites.
When you click on a recipe that sparks your interest, you’re presented with an ingredient list and the option to view the full instructions on the website. If you decide you want to try it for yourself, you “Yum” the recipe to save it to your profile, like pinning a cute craft project on Pintrest.
On your profile, you can organize recipes into different categories, including “Breakfast,” “Lunch,” “Dinner” and “Sides.” Before grocery shopping for the week—or the month—be sure to check out the recipes on your profile. By selecting a few you want to make, you have the option to add all or some of the ingredients to a shopping list, so you never have to worry about having everything you need again.
Bon appetit.
4. Pocket Points
If takeout is still your style, have no fear. Pocket Points rewards you for not using your phone during class. Simply open the app and lock your phone.
The app, which uses GPS to determine whether you are in a building on campus, counts how long your phone stays locked while you are in class. When you unlock your phone again, the phone calculates how many points you received based on the amount of time you stayed off your device.
Points can be redeemed for any number of great deals, the most notable of which involve food. 45 points will be rewarded in a “buy one get one free” calzone at D.P. Dough. 25 points score a “buy one get one free” cookie from Insomnia Cookies. Other participating restaurants include Nu Vegan Café, The Board and Brew and Pizza Bolis.
Points can also be redeemed for great online bargains, such as 25% off The Elephant Pants purchases, 25% off Pura Vida Bracelets, free shipping from Society6 and bunch of other options.
5. LinkedIn Jobs
As job hunting becomes increasingly urgent, it’s easy to become overwhelmed with places to look and apply. There are job boards, websites, career centers and endless amounts of uninvited advice. Keeping everything—including yourself—together can seem impossible.
LinkedIn Jobs make job searching easier. Many employers hire directly from LinkedIn, so searching your desired field produces applicable job postings. Connect with the employers directly, and even send your application in through the app.
The best part of the app is that you can bookmark all of the jobs you plan on applying for, even if you can’t finish the application right away. This makes the searching aspect mobile. You can save the best postings on your way to work or class, and then come back to them later, when you can add your resume and cover letter.
The job postings also let you know if someone from your school or a former place of employment now works with the company, henceforth increasing your networking opportunities even further.