Technology Apps for College Students

Welcome back to the millions of college students starting their semesters at their respective campuses! As you begin your semester, here are some recommendations on some technology applications that might make being back that much easier!

Study Socially

When students can use Facebook Connect to sign into an app designed to optimize study time, you know the world has changed. StudyBlue takes advantage of your virtual Rolodex to help you share notes, flashcards, and other study tools. Notes can be recorded as text or as multimedia content – that means you can share audio and video with your class-skipping colleagues.  Oh the possibilities!

Another good site is:  Quizlet, which is an online flashcard and quizzing resource that also uses Facebook Connect.

One-Stop Comparison Shop for Textbooks

BigWords is a site that a slew of online retailers are using to get you the cheapest possible textbooks, taking the legwork out of online comparison shopping. BigWords also claims to optimize prices by looking for multi-item specials, shipping discounts, coupons, and other exceptional deals. You can also share “bookbags” with others, and the site claims an average $225 savings on multi-item orders.

Another good site is:  Book Deal Finder

OR, you could just Rent and Return Textbooks!

BookRenter soothes the eternal frustration of spending a triple-digit amount on a textbook you’ll use for four months and then resell to your college’s bookstore for a princely ten bucks. Renters register and have access to the company’s catalog of millions of titles. Prices are refreshingly reasonable; shipping options and rental periods are flexible; and return shipping is free.  How often can you get free stuff in college unless its fun stuff from your Campus Activities folks?

Situate Yourself

DesignYourDorm is a new-this-year app that allows college students to design their dorm room interiors in 3D and purchase their decor selections online. Not only can students often choose their exact room dimensions and layout from the DYD database and collaborate with dormmates to get rooms furnished based on thorough checklists; parents can also send care packages, to contribute to your late night snacking habits.

Mobilize Your Textbooks

Coursesmart is a leader in the e-textbook game.   Their catalog so far includes 7,000 ebooks, and their software works for both Macs and PCs. The desktop apps also allow students to take notes while reading, and both desktop and mobile apps have built-in search function.  Pretty cool!

Research on the Fly

The mobile version of Wikipedia has long been available for on-the-go consumption, but did you know Wikipedia also just released an official iPhone app? You can also try iPhone apps such as Wapedia, Wikiamo, or Wikipanion.

Get Yourself and Your Group On-Task

Remember the Milk is one of my favorite apps for individual or group tasks. This full-featured program allows users to keep track of tasks through RSS feeds, share tasks via email, add tasks via email or mobile phone SMS, and even assign tasks a specific location. It also plays nicely with Gmail, Twitter, and Google Calendar, as well.

Oldies But Goodies

For staying organized, keeping in touch, taking notes, and generally keeping yourself sane, your old friends are more useful now than ever. And by “old friends,” I mean those apps you already use so much you don’t even realize they’re apps anymore. Try seeing Facebook, Google Docs, Google Notebook, Gmail, Twitter, and Skype as study and communication tools rather than just time-wasters, and you’ll notice that you can get a lot done on your favorite sites.

So, what apps are you using to get it together this year while you’re On The Go?  Best wishes for a successful academic year!