You’re a student. You’re busy. You might feel like you’re drowning in textbooks. You’ve got to find ways to be less busy. Well, here we come to the rescue, dressed in a beautiful bathing suit of smartphone savvy. We’ve got five apps that can help you—as FHSS students majoring in anthropology, economics, geography, history, neuroscience, political science, psychology, family life, social work, or sociology— be less busy, and save you this semester:
1. BYU App
Perhaps you already knew this app existed. You might have used it when you lost your ID card in a snowstorm, or to make sure you aced the last test. But we’re going to point out a few things you may not have seen yet. Things that can save you time.
- Vending: now you can search where the machines are and which ones carry your favorite snacks (e.g. chocolate milk, fresh veggies, etc.). No more sprinting across campus to find the right machine before your next class!
- Campus buildings: Never get lost on campus again. If you’ve got the building name (or acronym) you can search and find it no problem
- Campus Shuttles: With the new shuttle system comes the new shuttle schedule function that you’ll need on hand if you want to make it home on time for that hot date.
2. Evernote
It’s not easy to keep all your notes in one place, especially if you want to share them with others. Sometimes you find something online, but don’t have time to take copious notes on it. Other times you need to access your notes from different devices. With Evernote, you can save things you find online, and work on projects with other students within the app. And all your work will stay in one place. There are several ways to customize your note-taking, and you will NEVER run out of room to write. It’s listed under the “essentials” list in the App Store. So if you haven’t started using it yet, we suggest you do. And just like the elephant in this screenshot, you’ll “never forget” your notes at home – because it will be on your phone. And we know that you don’t forget your phones.
3. Mint
We’re saving you with this app by saving you money. As a college student, you may feel like keeping a budget is too time-consuming, so you fly by the seat of your pants instead. The problem is, the seat of YOUR pants don’t have a lot of money in them. So this app puts all of your bank accounts into one place, and helps you create a budget accordingly. It will give you advice on how to spend and save like a financial whiz. It will automatically move your card-purchased transactions into the appropriate section of the budget spending. So instead of worrying about your finances, all you have to do is spend, and make sure to check Mint once in a while (instead of Insta).
4. Lunchbox
This app gets you free lunch on campus. Woah there we go again saving you money! If you’ve never heard of this app, then you’re in for a real treat. It was invented by two former BYU students and is being used on campuses across the United States. Four easy steps will guide you through this app:
- Read calendar to tell you when and where you find on-campus food.
- Go to food.
- Eat food.
- Food.
Simple enough right? You’re welcome.
5. Elevate
This app will help you sharpen:
- Memory
- Reading Comprehension
- Writing concisely
- Math skills
- Everything else related to the smart side of your brain
What sets this app apart from other “brain game” apps is that it makes a customizable workoutfor the areas of your brain that need the most attention. It’s mostly free (some of the exercises have to be purchased) and it’s awesome. Just look at how much fun it looks:
This is first in a series of upcoming posts about apps and technology that can facilitate a more effective educational experience. We hope you have the best semester of your life. Stay tuned and stay smart.
