Us university students get a bad reputation with our use of technology. I mean, why can’t we just send letters home to our family and wait 6 weeks for a reply like in the good old days? Means so much more than a text… Anyway, I digress, the student life would be near impossible without our trusty mobile devices. I’ve named a few apps that can be absolute lifesavers below, to help you survive your university experience.

(I’ve tried to go for free apps because we are university students and even 0.99p is a lot for an app)

Study and Productivity

Dropbox – Halfway through last semester my computer died and wiped everything. This happens to some poor university student in the world pretty much every day. Having an app that can back up your files is such a weight off your shoulders. Dropbox also makes it super easy to view stuff across different devices so you’re not constantly emailing yourself the most recent draft of your essay.

Google Docs – Useful for many of the same reasons as dropbox, files you can access online and across devices are endlessly wonderful. On top of this google docs are the best thing ever when it comes to collaborating with your friends. You can share ideas for an assignment or project, or collate some lecture notes together. Working with your friends at uni can be life changing.

TED – TED talks are just the best, okay? You will become obsessed. It’s also an awesome place to find out new fun stuff about your field. Hit it up.

Jorte – Jorte is an exceptionally adorable planner and calendar. You can put stickers on dates, and colour code everything, and generally make all your commitments and assessments look slightly less depressing when put on a calendar. There are lots of other cute planning or timetabling apps which are also awesome, but Jorte is probably about as cheery as you’re going to get.

Wunderlist – To do lists are a must at university. Who knew just ticking something off could be so satisfying? Wunderlist makes it super easy to create different lists for the various activities you’ve got going. My very first use of Wunderlist was to make an extensive packing list for my move to Edinburgh, and I’m still using it now – though maybe for slightly less exciting things

Forest – This is a super cute app that aims to help you put your phone down when you’re supposed to be studying. The longer you go without using your phone, the bigger your forest will grow.

Voice Recorder – Not every lecturer will record their lectures. Do it yourself! Most lecturers won’t mind, it’s amazing for revision. Also, incredibly helpful if, like me, focusing in lectures is a serious mission.

Momentum – Okay this one isn’t that useful, but it’s very cute. It’s an extension for google chrome which puts up very pretty pictures and a goal you’ve picked for the day up when you open a new tab. I’m pretty sure you can get some fancy pro version which has more emphasis on the momentum side of things, but either way it’s still nice to use.

Sleep

Flux –  Flux is like my baby; I’ve had it since before I left high school. It’s not just good for sleep but also for looking after your poor eyes and head when you’re staring at screens a lot. Flux is mostly for your computer, nowadays most phones have some other kind of ‘night mode’ built in. It decreases all the nasty blue light in your screen which is good if a) You’re planning on sleeping soon but you’re on your computer anyway or b) you’re up till ungodly hours doing assignments. The initial adjustment to a yellower screen is kind of weird, but it has seriously saved me so many headaches over the years.

Alarm – any damn alarm app will do just, seriously, set one.

Sleep Cycle – Okay this isn’t 100% necessary but if you’re like me, a massive weirdo who likes to track these things, it’s always going to be a fun app to have. If you’re lucky it might even sort of maybe improve your sleep habits eventually.

Health

Up – Again this is a personal preference option, but fitness can be hard to keep up at uni. One of the best and easiest goals you can go for is the recommended 10,000 steps a day. It’s surprisingly hard to hit this goal. I love Up because you can also track sleep, and it gives you cute fun facts most days, but there are heaps of apps out there that will motivate you to walk a little further.

Clue – This is aimed at anyone out there who menstruates. We all know how much it can mess with our routines, and our studies. Clue is consistently rated as one of the best tracking apps so that you’re not taken by surprise when shark week arrives. It also helps you track mood, exercise habits, activities, and other stuff that’s going on with your body. Clue has made this part of my life so much easier and made me incredibly aware of my cycle.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hope some of these apps can improve your life in some little ways!

Allie x