It’s no secret that most of us spend an ample amount of time with our phones in our hands or nearby, whether we’re using them or not. A 2014 study found that college students, specifically women spend an average of ten hours a day on their phones. It’s not likely that we’re going to use our phones significantly less while in school, so why not make that time well spent?
Recently, I switched to iPhone from Android and in doing so, discovered a world of new applications for productivity, creativity, and plain-old time wasting. These are five apps that I’ve been using to keep my life at least somewhat organized this school year:
Brella is the best free weather app available in my opinion. It provides detailed, conversation-style descriptions of the day’s forecast and how you should dress for the weather, based on your preferences. You can tell the app what you consider ‘Freezing’, ‘Warm’, or ‘Cold’, and what you like to wear in these conditions. I’ve generally found it to be more accurate than the built-in Weather app on the iPhone.
2. Cash App by Square (iOS, Android)
There are many ways to send and receive money online today, but I ultimately prefer Square Cash app, with PayPal as a close second. The standout feature for me is the ability to order a debit card tied to your Cash app account, so that money sent to you can be used immediately. There are also special offers available at businesses like Chipotle, Chick-fil-A, and Wendy’s when you use your Cash card to pay. For me, those two features are enough to make the Cash app my primary method of conducting online transactions.
If there’s anything the App Store absolutely possesses an abundance of, it’s to-do list apps. Many of them offer too many gimmicks to be useful, and some others lock their best features behind paywall or have clunky interfaces. MinimaList offers all of the features you need in a to-do list app, and none of the ones you don’t. All you have to do is swipe down to create a new task, and when it’s done swipe right to mark it as complete. When you no longer want to see it on your list, swipe left to delete the task. That’s it! If you want to complete a task in a certain amount of time, click on it and a timer will appear. You can give yourself 5, 25, or 50 minutes before the timer goes off. I wish there was an option to enter a custom amount of time, but this is a good place to start.
If there’s anything that living off-campus has taught me (or has at least attempted to), it’s the art of grocery shopping. My biggest problem, like most people, is forgetting to make a list. Or, there are times where I will make a list and leave it at home. Out of Milk has improved the efficiency of my store trips tremendously. It allows me to quickly list what I need, as well as keep track of what’s already in my pantry at home! If I know the price of the items I’m buying beforehand, I can make sure I’m going to stay within my budget. I also use it while at the store, checking off products as I put them in my cart.
The final app on this list has been very useful for me as someone who utilizes public transportation as one of their primary ways of getting around, both on and off campus. DoubleMap allows you to track all of the main bus lines in your area, and choose which ones you’d like to see, so you can just follow the buses you take if you’d like. When the buses are running, you can see where each of them are on their routes (I took the following screenshot on a Sunday, when the buses are not in service). I’ve found the app to be about a minute behind, but it’s much better than guessing and waiting around when your bus is running late.
Hopefully, these apps can make your screen time a little more productive and your school year a little more manageable. Good luck!