This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Ashoka chapter.

Edited by Aneesha Chandra

COVID has created a very peculiar situation: it has brought our constantly buzzing world to a halt. Still, life has to continue, and so does our education. Our schools and universities have moved into virtual space, meaning that we are spending more time on our phones and laptops than ever before. Having this semester online has its pros and cons. It has increased our screen time as well as our me-time. Since our phones have taken on the role of classrooms, why not make them student-friendly? Here are a few suggestions for apps that would be helpful to have on your phone:

StepSetGo (SGG): LET’S WALK

You can buy stuff by walking — not walking to the store, just walking! SSG is an app that encourages you to go for a walk: it counts your steps, rewards you with coins, and lets you buy free goodies with those coins. If you are a university student like me, you might never have realized how much you used to walk on your campus. More walking means more coins. However, COVID has limited our movement, which is all the more reason to use the app — stay fit and buy healthy drinks, accessories, electronics, sports gear, and more in the “Bazar” for free. You can check your progress, access a weekly report, and collaborate with your friends. But I must stress that you need to walk and ensure there is consistency. Overall, the app is health-oriented and effective. Highly recommended.

DropBox: READY FOR THE CLASS

The new semester has begun, classes have resumed, our timetable is packed, and there are a bunch of notes to take. Dropbox is just the right app to have. The app is very easy to use, and the design is aesthetic and engaging. It has impressive and useful features. Drop page is where you can take notes, add links to the text, insert timelines, add to-do lists, strike off finished tasks, and much more. The app comes in handy while working in a group. It can be used to assign tasks and quickly share files. It sends notifications when changes are made, shows what those changes are, and who made them. Multiple files can be stored in the app and can be accessed from any device.

Habits: LET’S DO IT

If you want to learn a new hobby or just want to include a new habit in your routine, “Habit” will be your guiding angel. The app is simple and minimalistic. Add the habits you want to develop, then tick them off after you complete the task. The app also has a reminder feature where you can add your preferred timing. You can go back and watch your progress. However, since the app is very simplistic, it doesn’t have compiled weekly or monthly reports like other apps do. But for minimalistic use, Habits is the one.

Inshorts: STAY UP-TO-DATE

Knowing what goes around us and the happenings in the world is necessary for every student. However, considering our tight schedules, there isn’t enough time to read newspapers. Inshorts is an app that will provide short pieces of news from around the world. The news articles are short, have precise headlines and a three or four-line summary of the news. If you wish to know more about the article, just swipe right and it will direct you to the primary sources. The news can be organized to the preference of the reader. The categories include sports, politics, science, and so on. Inshorts delivers local, national and international news.

Forest: STAY FOCUSED

This app has gained a lot of popularity, and rightfully so. The internet has proved extremely useful during the pandemic, but at the same time it can be very distracting. Owing to social media, our attention span has reduced significantly and the youth is facing difficulty in staying focused. Additionally, classrooms have moved online, making it even harder to stay focused. This app prevents users from using other apps and getting distracted. Every time a user sets a timer, a seed is planted and the plant starts to grow. If the user stays focused by not using any app, the app rewards them with a plant. However, if they fail to stay focused the plant dies. By staying consistent and focused, the user can grow their own forest.

Note: Every time a plant is successfully grown the app awards the user with coins. The pro version of the app lets users use the coins to plant REAL trees. Download the app to know more.

Bonus:

StayFree: WATCH YOUR TIME

It is very taxing to keep track of time while surfing online. Hours pass by unnoticed and we end up spending a lot more time online than we should. Stayfree is an app that can hold us accountable by keeping track of the time we spend on our phones. The app provides users daily, weekly, and monthly reports. It compares time spent on the phone/app to the average usage. Users can also set a time limit on apps that they know they tend to waste time on. The app also notifies users whenever they exceed the time limit. An app of this kind is a must-have for students.

Since laptops and phones have assumed the role of our new working space, let’s make them more eye-friendly and productive. I hope the suggested apps are useful. This brings us to the end of the article and to the beginning of having a fun and productive time on your phones! Adios!

5 Must-Have Apps: Student Edition