The Best Apps For Students

FSU and College Studying Apps

Remember when you were in college and everything was easily accessible via apps on your phone? No? Well, me either. Our kids, however, do live in this world and there are literally apps that provide things like food delivery, tutoring services, or finding a parking spot.  Below are some I thought were most useful. Forgive me if it is a little too long, but truly there is something for everything and it was hard to narrow down.

As well, on Wednesdays and Thursdays, from 7 to 9 pm at Strozier library, students can get one-on-one consultations to help create an individualized plan based on their needs, with continuous technical support. Students can download and test new apps with guidance to find what works best for them.

• FSU Guardian – I am listing this first because we always want to know our kids are safe.  It is a free, personal safety service valid to FSU students that rapidly provides information about an individual to FSU police during an emergency. Students set a safety timer when heading to an unfamiliar location, meeting someone he or she does not know or any other situation in which he or she would like someone to check-in. If their timer expires and their guardians see they have not yet arrived, they will be notified, so students need to be sure to deactivate it once they are safe. One of the best apps for peace of mind.
• myFSU – is the official mobile app for FSU. It gives students convenient access to campus news, a mobile version of Blackboard, campus maps that help navigate campus, dining locations and hours, a directory of FSU faculty, and more. It is free of charge.
• FSU Tranz – It is great if your student has a car. Believe me, it helps when students are rushing to class and can’t find a parking spot (I assure you those parking tickets can add up.) This free parking app shows how many spaces are available at that moment in all the on-campus parking garages. It even includes a map with each garage labeled. Students should check the app before heading to campus so they aren’t attempting to use it while driving.
• SeminoleSAFE – a collaboration of campus entities including FSU Police, Emergency Management, Dean of Students, University Health Services, Student Counseling Center, Environmental Health & Safety, Housing, Athletics, and more.
• Spear It Rewards – Students earn points by checking into events or connecting to various social media accounts via this app. Later they can redeem their points for prizes like a NorthFace backpack or a Nike pullover.
• Transloc – Students can view where the on and off-campus buses (there are 7 routes) are and approximately when it will arrive from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. It also provides announcements regarding service interruptions and the Nite Nole route (10:30 p.m. to 3 a.m.).

More Helpful Apps…

• CamScanner – as its name implies, this allows you to scan docs and save it as .jpeg or PDF. Great if you need to email or fax an important document.
• Canvas – Just like the website, students can instantly access their Canvas courses for free without having to lug around a laptop to keep up with your homework. You can see your grades, submit assignments, send and receive messages, view content, and modules, watch videos, take quizzes, and more.
• Chegg – Highly recommended. Oftentimes you can rent a book for more than half the price that a bookstore is renting it out. Students can rent, buy, and sell their books. They also offer assistance with completing homework and gives access to tutors, at a cost.
• Coursicle – Need to get into a class? Coursicle will notify you as soon as it has an open seat. $4.99 for premium per semester or free if you refer three friends.
• EasyBib by Chegg – With EasyBib Plus, students can use the plagiarism checker to find missing citations, and fix them before submitting their paper. Also, easily catch writing style and grammar errors with easy-to-understand explanations on how to improve their writing for next time. No matter what citation style (APA, MLA, Chicago etc.), EasyBib Plus will help create the right bibliography. Right now, students get a 3-day free trial of the product.
• Evernote – is a free app that takes note-taking to the next level. Students can brainstorm ideas, make to-do lists, take pictures of pages and sketches, organize everything into a notebook format, and share with others or collaborate as a group. The app even has the ability to search handwritten content; so finding your past notes is easy.
• Google Drive – Allows students to collaborate with other students as well as share documents, slides, sheets, and other files for class-wide projects and group study sessions. This is interchangeable with Microsoft’s OneDrive app.
• Grammarly’s mobile keyboard is the personal editor you can take with you wherever you go. Best plagiarism checker & proofreader.
• GroupMe – At some point in their college career they will have to participate in a group project, which means the fate of their grade, depends on working together. While GroupMe can’t force the group slacker, should there be one, to pull their fair share; it can facilitate easier communication. It works like a group chat, but, because you don’t have to meet up anywhere, everyone in the group saves time and money by making plans and discussing problems on their phones.
• iHomework 2 – If your student is really organized then skip this one, but I know a few that could definitely benefit from it. This free app can keep track of their assignments, deadlines, and tasks, and plan them out over a certain time period so they’re not left cramming at the last minute.
• iTunes U- if you use Apple devices, this app is a great study tool. iTunes U gives students access to text and course materials from universities across the world.
• LitCharts – is great for English majors. This free app helps understand literature. Find reviews, summaries, themes, and quotes for hundreds of titles without any in-app ads. Think of it as a portable Cliff Notes.
• Mathway – This app is great for college math. It guides students step-by-step to get the solution or check your work to see if it matches up to theirs. One of my daughter’s well-loved apps
• Although I would never have used it, my son, economics, and business major, may find this one useful. RealCalc Scientific Calculator means students don’t have to lug around that fancy scientific calculator because this free app allows them to complete all of your computing right from your mobile device.
• Offtime – This app costs $2.99 and is worth it if you’re looking to disconnect and avoid distractions in order to focus on homework, or studying. It blocks websites, apps, text messages, phone calls, and other notifications for a set period of time so you don’t get off-topic.
• OneDrive – A Microsoft app that allows students to get and share documents, photos, and other files from your Android device, computer (PC or Mac). It allows you to open and save files in Office apps (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote).
• Outlook – allows students to easily access their school email on their phone.
• PhotoMath- Another great app for college math courses. Students can take a picture of the equation and Photomath shows step-by-step directions to solve the equation.
• Quizlet – Quizlet is a free study app that allows the user to take other people’s quizzes or create their own. A user can create multiple-choice, matching, true/false, and open-ended questions and use these in various ways, such as flashcards and games. Students can share their “study sets” with others in their class and even encourage a professor to create one.
• Scholly – One of the fastest-growing apps after appearing on Shark Tank in 2015. This app matches students with scholarships using specific parameters and customized data. The app can even spot scams and weed out scholarships that require you to give your social security number (did we mention, don’t ever do this).
• Scribd- Scribd complies with all the important files and information to the topic a student may be searching for in one place. Students can create a library on the app and compile the notes, documents, and books that correspond to the topic of their research.
• Wolfram/Alpha is actually a fancy search engine that can answer questions, perform computations, conduct analysis, and prepare reports. You can get help with complicated algebra and calculus equations or find chemistry, engineering, or physics formulas. This app is $2.99.

Restaurants & Entertainment

• Audible: College can be very busy and many students don’t have time to sit down and read a book for pleasure. Audible allows students to listen to audiobooks on the go. It has entertainment, information, and educational programming. Students can join Audible for a discounted price of $9.95 a month when they verify their student status. They will get three titles every month as well as audio-guided workouts and the opportunity to exchange an audiobook for free.
• DoorDash – This is the same concept as UberEats.  They have an easy app that guides you through your order.  They have also launched Project Dash. This initiative helps tackle food waste and hunger in the local communities that they serve.
• EatStreet – online and mobile food ordering and delivery service provider
• Fandango NOW – Another streaming service offering movie rentals.
• GoPuff – A convenience store delivery app. Delivery is $1.95. Order anytime; delivery is very fast.
• Groupon: This is a great app that provides discounts for various things in the area for students to do when they are not studying or going to class. Some examples of what you can find on the app include, escape rooms, shows, fitness classes, and even nightclubs for older students.
• GrubHub – Simply browse menus, pick what you want, and submit your order.  Local suggestions are great and most deliveries are around $3. They run specials if you sign up for their emails, so get that setup.
• Hooked Deals – Hooked can help students find exclusive, real-time specials from restaurants near campus. The thing is; the deals typically the last one to three hours, so they need to be ready to scurry on over. Once there, they show the cashier that they got hooked and enjoy.
• Ibotta – is another cash back app that is simple and convenient for students. By taking a photo of your receipts and they will match items you bought to offers that are available for points on the app and give you cashback.
• Insomnia Cookies – As though being able to order and have cookies delivered until 3 am is not enough; they can also earn loyalty points when they order through the app (even if they plan to pick the cookies up). The only glitch may be that sometimes they may be short a driver, so be sure to check first if delivery is what you were hoping for.
• Instacart – For faster shopping and easier checkout, get the app and have groceries, etc. delivered from most of the same places as Shipt, but also includes CVS and Whole Foods.
• Pocket Points – I love this one. It literally incentivizes students to keep their phones out of sight during class. They just open the app, lock their phone, and earn points for the time it is off. Later they can trade the points for discounts at certain restaurants (ie: Muscle Maker Grill, Pita Pit, Dominoes) and local and online businesses (FSU Bookstore, Sperry). There is even Double Point Tuesday (which is great since my daughter has three classes on Tuesdays.)
• Postmates – Another great food-related app like UberEATS. This allows students to deliver food and goods similar to Ubereats. Postmates also has the option for students to have items such as groceries delivered from places such as Winn-Dixie and CVS.
• Seamless – delivery from just about any restaurant
• Shipt – Get 2 weeks free and $15 off your first order on deliveries from stores like Publix, Costco, Target, and ABC Fine Wines & Spirits. Let their shoppers do what your student doesn’t have time to.
• Yelp – Always students to find the best places to eat, drink, shop, and have fun. You can also read reviews that other people have written as well as write your own review.
• Zupp (formerly Party Tutor – Allows students to explore local specials and deals for nearby restaurants, apartments, bars, and local businesses. My daughter is a big fan of this one. You can enjoy exclusive rewards at everyone’s favorite bars and restaurants; it’s just $4.99/mo. Download it on your mobile device.
• And when you need coffee, download Dunkin Donuts or Starbucks to pay for your purchase and earn rewards.
• For music, many students recommend Spotify and Pandora.

Money, Finances & Getting Around

Come to think of it, your students should also have the Uber app (and an account) so they never get stuck walking home late at night alone. If they prefer, they can also use Lyft which works the same way as Uber. And probably UberEATS too, so they don’t have to stop studying to go pick up dinner. UberEATS brings the food directly to them.

• Dosh – is a smartphone app that gives you cash back every time you make a purchase at participating outlets using your credit card. It automatically sends a small percentage of cashback without coupons, scanning of receipts, or promo codes.
• JoyRun – is not only a delivery service app but a future job! This app delivers just about anything. Joyrunners (people like you, your friends, and their friends) bring you whatever you request. It works for every restaurant. There are no minimums, surge pricing, or overpriced delivery fee. You simply request a run from whatever you’re craving and a Joyrunner will bring the food to you. Payment is done through the app. They also notify you if someone in your area is perhaps going to Chipotle and you can put in your order with theirs.
• Mint – My son is a big fan of this one. Managing money while in college can be a struggle. Mint is a budgeting app that helps students keep track of their finances, as well as help them understand where they can make some budget cuts of their own.
• Starbucks App – Upload funds to your Starbucks card on your app and go cashless. The more you order, the more points you receive, and rewards you can redeem on free food and coffee. *Rewards cannot be redeemed at any FSU Starbucks but the cashless cards are all accepted.
• Venmo – I am mentioning this because I think it is so easy to use, but your students probably have it already. My kids are the ones that introduced me to it. Venmo allows students to pay each other back for anything their friends may have paid for them; their share of the electric bill, half the groceries, that drink at Potbelly’s, half the Uber ride…and so on.
• Park Mobile – is an application where you can pay for parking on your phone and add time from any destination you are, instead of dealing with the hassle of using a meter.

Health, Wellness & Fitness Apps

• Headspace – Maybe this should have been the first one I wrote about. I use this one too because everyone deserves a mental break. For students who want to improve their mental health, not just maintain it, the Headspace app is the perfect place to start. It acts like a personal trainer for meditation, taking just ten minutes a day to guide your brain toward developing meditation muscle-memory. They offer a ten-day trial. If nothing else, the app is a daily reminder that for ten minutes a day, we all should calm down, breathe, dislocate from any stresses and surroundings, and try to focus on how we feeling on a deeper level. (Note: I included parents here too, because, well, the world would be a better place if we all did this.)
• MyFitnessPal – tracks diet and exercise to determine optimal caloric intake and nutrients for the users’ goals. Calorie charts, nutrition facts, exercise, and more.
• Calm – a great source to learn to meditate, techniques for sleep, and stress reduction. (There is presently a Groupon for a discount on this app.)

These are useful and fun too…

• Student Beans will give them discounts for food & drink, fashion, tech and mobile, health & beauty, travel, study, and more.
• BenchPrep – GMAT, GRE and LSAT preparation
• Couch to 5k – helps you train to run a 5k. I actually used this once. It works!
• Duolingo – Great app for language-learning.
• FandangoNOW – streaming services offering movie rentals
• FindMyHeadphones -This app is AWESOME. It can find any Bluetooth device. My roommate has linked her airpods, computer, iPad, just about anything that is Bluetooth. It is a great app to have if you easily misplace things!
• Fiverr – an online marketplace for freelance services. Students can find or list services to find help or work.
• Hummingbird – An affordable App started by FSU students. Put in a request for anything from housekeeping to dog-walking to hardware needs.
• Magoosh– GRE prep app- word of the idea etc
• ParkByApp – An app that allows you to upload a debit or credit card and pay for metered parking. It also allows you to extend your parking time from your phone without having to revisit the meter. This app is applicable in College Town metered parking and additional metered parking on campus.
• Rakuten (formerly known as Ebates) – If you like to online shop, but hate spending money then you may get hooked to this app. I use it more on my desktop, but you can make an account to get cashback on so many online stores! I simply look up any store and it will give me a notification if I get cash back and how much I may get back. I personally have received almost $1000 back over the last few years! It is also accepted with Amazon so if students purchase any textbooks or school supplies on Amazon then this app is highly recommended.
• Target – The Target (Cartwheel) app has saved me so much money. I do not need to buy anything through the app, I simply click “cartwheel offers” and it shows me every coupon that is currently available. I can save as many coupons as I want and when I am ready to go to the store and buy my products, I show them the app barcode and it takes all the coupons at once.
• Wag – A Dog-Walking app. Think “Uber” but for Dog services. Affordable and the walkers are all thoroughly vetted. Upon signing up, Wag will send you a free lockbox for your key to leave for walkers. Wag offers dog-walking, dog-sitting, and dog boarding.
• Word of the Day- builds vocabulary. I like this one too.

It’s a wonder we ever made it through school without some of these. There are even more; fitness apps, language translators, and so on, but at the risk of overwhelming you (scroll back to Headspace if I have); I tried to keep my list to only my favorites.

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