5 Apps That Every Student Needs
These are the five apps that I think every student needs, in no specific order.
My home screen with the apps I use the most for school
1. Pulse
Instant anxiety/updates about courses.
Imagine being notified of every grade update instantly; doesn’t that sound great? Not really. But other than that, this app has its benefits. It makes it easy to check on course announcements, course content and *most* upcoming due dates.<
I really like the upcoming tab on the app, which visualizes when assignments are due during the week. But best of all, you only need to log in once on the Pulse app, unlike using Brightspaces on a browser.
2. OneDrive and all of the Microsoft Office apps (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.)
The user interface on these Microsoft apps is also really appealing.
Productivity on the go.
OneDrive and the rest of the Microsoft Office apps are a lifesaver for me.
I always try to back up Word, PowerPoint and Excel files to the cloud to have my work time-stamped and to avoid losing important work.
Syncing files to OneDrive also makes it easier to find assignments and notes from past semesters.
These apps are great because they let you pull up and view or edit assignments, presentations and lab reports on most devices.
If you haven’t already, sign up for a UVic Microsoft 365 account.
A small life hack: If you need to collaborate with peers but you didn’t exchange info beforehand you can invite them to your document, spreadsheet, etc. and you don’t even need their NetLinkID, just type in their name.
*This has worked for me for most people as long as they are logged in to Word, Excel, etc. with their UVic account.
3. A Calendar/Reminders App
A digital planner.
The reasoning behind these apps is self-explanatory; they basically digitize your standard planner or to-do list.
My favourite calendar app is Google Calendar is a great alternative. It is accessible on every device and can be added to the generic macOS calendar app.
4. Forest/Flora
Forest app on iOS
Provides motivation to stay focused.
The idea for these two apps is that you set and start an amount of time to complete a task, and the app begins to grow a virtual tree/plant/flower, but if you leave the app, the tree dies.
I usually set the timer in the app to plant a tree every 25 minutes to replicate the Pomodoro Technique.
Personally, there is something about having a virtual plant die that makes me want to leave my phone alone during study sessions. These apps can also be used to track how much time you’re spending on each course or activity.
5. A Music App (Spotify, Apple Music, Tidal, etc.)
Because everyone’s life deserves a soundtrack.
Every student needs a music app. Whether you use music to study, listen to during your commute, rock out, or simply exist as background sound, it is an essential.
Any apps I’m missing that are essential for students? Leave them in the comments!
