The Owlfred Chronicles

As students, we have a lot going on, and let’s face it: it’s too hard to keep up with everything without a little bit of help. These days, technology allows access to just about anything with the click of a button; however, without the correct tools, the infinite information can become overwhelming. Fortunately, Apple has come to our rescue. The iPhone provides applications that keep students connected, organized, and informed.

There are thousands of applications on the iPhone. Many of these applications can actually be distractions to students. Have you found yourself playing bejeweled or solitaire on your iPhone during a boring class? It’s not exactly productive…

There are ways to make things easier. Here are the top seven iPhone apps that are a must for every student.

1. theguardian: This app is the best way for students to stay tuned-in to the news. At $4.99, this app is a little bit pricey, but the one-time payment is money well spent.  The design of theguardian is modern, easy-to-use, and very appealing. The app displays breaking news on the opening screen often accompanied by photo galleries, videos, and audio clips. The categorized tabs make browsing easy. Even better, theguardian customizes itself to your interests; with the “favorites” section, everything you want to read will be in one place. Whether you are a political science major or studying to become a doctor, you can find the news that is relevant to your life. Categories include everything from sports to technology to life and style to environment. Finally, it’s easy to stay updated from the palm of your hand.

2. facebook: While theguardian may keep you in-touch with the news, students need to be in-touch with their friends too. The facebook app allows us to access the most widely used social network directly from our phones. Most people are already familiar with Facebook, but it can’t be overlooked. Whether you are keeping in contact with friends at another school, or you are scheduling group meetings for a class assignment, Facebook is the ultimate way for college students to stay connected.

3. Pennies: For most college students, budgeting is always a lingering concern; however, keeping up with a checkbook can be a pain. Pennies makes it easy to set your monthly budget and track all of your expenses. The opening screen shows immediately how much of your monthly budget has already been spent, and the simple layout makes budgeting easy. If you always seem to run out of money by the end of the month and find yourself eating ramen noodles and collecting quarters from under couch cushions, Pennies can help you do a better job budgeting the following month. Every time you enter an expense, you choose a spending category; this way, you can see exactly where your money is going and where cut backs can be made next time.

4. Evernote: If you need help remembering assignments, appointments, and pretty much everything else in your life, Evernote is the app for you. Evernote is a free app that lets your create notes, snap photos, and record voice memos. The beauty of this application lies in the simplicity of its design and its ability to really help you improve your memory! Evernote easily syncs to your computer and the Internet, allowing you to access your information from anywhere. Track your assignments, keep class notes, and organize your thoughts with this free app.

5. Cram: Cram is the ultimate study buddy for students. This app cuts out the busy work of making flashcards, study guides, and quizzes, and allows you to spend your time studying the way you want and on-the-go. Cram has pre-made quizzes and flashcards for just about any subject you may study in school as well as material for standardized testing such as the SAT, GRE, LSAT and GMAT. Cram syncs to your computer, and enables you to digitize information from class. Information and practice tests can be shared between students—it is the perfect tool for study groups as well as a last minute review before a test is handed out.

6. Wikipanion: Wikipanion is the most convenient way to connect to Wikipedia servers. For a student, Wikipanion is the easiest way to access information especially on-the-go or during class. The simple layout makes the information easy to read and browse, and the bookmarking tool allows you to save pages to access at a later time.

7. Texts From Last Night: Texts From Last Night provides entertainment for all college students. If you are bogged down studying and looking for a break, or if you are out with friends and looking to have fun, TFLN guarantees a good laugh. These texts reveal the funny things college kids are doing after class gets out…just hope you don’t find yourself on there!