By now you may have started working on that seemingly never-ending checklist for college. You got your bed risers, your mini fridge and your own personal fan—everything to perfect your new dorm room. But there’s still more to do to prepare for school in the fall, and you won’t have to run to Bed Bath & Beyond for these finishing touches. There are several smartphone apps that will help ease your transition to college life, whether you need help with academics, time management, exercise or budgeting!
We talked to several collegiettes and got their feedback on the best apps for college students. Here are our seven faves!
1. iStudiez Pro
As excited as you probably are for dorm life, the dining hall and hangouts on the quad, there’s another important side to college life: academics. Luckily, iStudiez Pro can help ease your transition into college courses and help you manage your time. iStudiez, which was named the Best College Student App in 2011, helps you organize your class schedule and plan out your days. iStudiez Pro is $2.99 on the Apple App Store, but there’s also a free lite version if you want to try it out before you buy.
Morgan Hegarty, a junior at the University of Oregon, says that iStudiez is the app she relies on the most. “It organizes my calendar and my upcoming exams and assignments in a really easy-to-read way,” she says. Not only does the app help you keep track of your schedule (which can be tricky to remember for the first few weeks of school!), but it also organizes it in a very visually appealing way and syncs to all your iOS and Mac devices. An easy fix for anyone’s time-management problems!
2. Eventbrite
Now that you’ve got your academics all organized, it’s time to have some fun! Eventbrite is an app that helps you discover popular local events and see what your friends are up to. You can browse events (like trivia nights, festivals, cooking classes and everything in between) and get tickets with a click of a button by entering your email address (and your credit card info if there’s a price for the ticket). The tickets are automatically saved to the app with a bar code, so when you show up to your event, all you have to do is flash your phone! The Eventbrite app is free on the App Store and Google Play, and it also has a website so you can browse events on your computer.
3. Mint
Since you’re officially a college student now, you can also consider yourself officially broke. Okay, maybe not broke, but you should always be budgeting your finances and making sure you’re not overspending now that you have a bit more freedom!
Mint is a great app that helps you keep track of your money. It’s an easy-to-read app that links to all your bank accounts and gives you updates on how much you’ve been spending. It also lets you know what you’ve been spending your money on by organizing your expenses into categories (You may be surprised by how much you dish out on Starbucks after using the app for a while). You don’t even have to count the app in your new college budget, as it’s free on the App Store and Google Play!
4. Evernote
The Notes app on your iPhone can only do so much, so thank goodness Evernote https://evernote.com is another option! To put it simply, Evernote is the most advanced note-taking, list-making time-management app yet. It might sound complicated, but we promise it’s super user-friendly!
Evernote allows you to create lists, take snapshots, record audio and set reminders all in one place and across all your devices. “It organizes all your notes and you can access it on your laptop, phone and iPad with the same login,” says Eliza Lavine, a sophomore at the George Washington University. “Plus, it’s easy to send [notes to your friends] or record lectures!” The best part? It’s free from the iTunes Store and Google Play!
5. 7 Minute Workout Challenge
With classes, clubs and whatever else you may be involved in this fall, it might be a little tricky to fit in a workout every day. This app helps you fit in short but effective exercises anytime, anywhere.
The 7 Minute Workout Challenge app is a compilation of quick exercises that can be performed in seven minutes that actually achieves the equivalent of a longer workout. The best part is that they’re simple moves that are easy to learn and easy to do anywhere, even in your dorm room! You can get the app for $1.99 on the App Store.
6. Google Drive
If you haven’t already familiarized yourself with Google Drive (docs, spreadsheets, the works), then get ready to! Google Drive makes it easy to share content with others by keeping all of your work in one place online and letting others access it when you grant them permission to do so. It especially comes in handy during group projects, as all members of your group can work on one presentation or document at once from their own computers and phones. The app is available through the App Store and Google Play.
Iris Goldsztajn, a junior at the University of California, Los Angeles, says she loves this app. “If you have ideas for a paper or project, you can jot them down on your phone and have your notes directly on your computer or [on a library computer]!” she says. It makes for easy access anywhere by anyone.
7. Studious
Easily distracted? Addicted to texting? Studious, which is available for Android devices, may be the perfect app to help you direct your attention to your professor rather than your phone. You can input your class schedule and the app will silence your phone during those times. In addition to quieting your phone, Studious can also remind you when your homework assignments are due and when your tests are scheduled. You can also save notes from class on the app!
Who knew you could prepare for school on your smartphone? If you’re at all nervous for the transition to college, these apps will definitely help you ease into it and manage your time in the best way!