1. Venmo
Venmo makes paying friends back quick and easy. It eliminates the need to scramble to get cash out or write a check. Instead, you just link your bank account and send and receive money from your friends through the app. When you want your money, just click cash out and the money is sent right to your account. I was wary of the app at first, but after I used it to collect money from a large group of people, I found it was so much easier than trying to keep track of each one individually.
2. GroupMe
Good-bye group texts, hello GroupMe. This app has been around for a while, but it is good for large group messages, like new member classes. You can easily title the group, share pictures and “like” messages that you support. Users can also shut off notifications when they do not want thousands of new messages to show up on their screen.
College students are always looking at a bunch of different feeds for information. Feed.Ly is an RSS aggregator that combines all of your news into one feed. All you have to do is select which kind of news you want to receive, and the app collects it all for you.
4. Tag
If Snapchat and dropping a pin combined to have a wonderful social app baby, it would be Tag. Users communicate with friends by sending pictures and it will share your location at the bottom. This app is extremely helpful for nights out when you need to find your friends.
5. SelfControl
We all know what it is like to pull an all-nighter at Library West. When the late night hours start to come around, it is easy to get distracted. Before you know it, you have spent hours mindlessly scrolling through Facebook and Twitter. SelfControl blocks certain social networks for a set amount of time so you can focus on studying. I have used this app during long lectures to help me pay attention, and it helped so much.
6. RescueTime
If you cannot handle being completely blocked from Facebook, use RescueTime. RescueTime tracks time spent on social networks, mail, and other apps and identifies which one is the biggest distraction. It will send you alerts when you have spent too much time scrolling through news feeds and remind you to get back to work.
7. Viber
Viber allows you to keep in touch with people who are far away from you. With free talks and calls, this app is ideal for people who are studying abroad and want to stay connected with family and friends. You can even send pictures and videos through the app.
8. Mint.com
Every college student is on a budget. If you are like me, it can be hard to manage just how much you are spending. The Mint.com app monitors your spending and helps you keep track of just how much money you have in your savings account. Before you buy those really cute shoes or offer to buy on the next night out, check your budget on the app.
9. It’s On Me
This social app is new to college campuses, but is sure to take off. The basic idea behind the app is to connect people who are out with others who might be interested. Users can set their profile to green if they are ready to meet people, or red if they are not feeling it that night. Users can also match up, start a conversation and meet up somewhere in the bar or club they are at. Throw in an exchange of virtual drinks and you have an app that takes social to a new level. Local venues normally throw in specials for app users as an added bonus.
10. MyFitnessPal
No one wants to gain weight in college, but the late night pizza and easily accessible junk food can make it hard to stay on track. MyFitnessPal is a calorie counter that helps you track what you are eating. It includes over 1.5 million foods and a bar code scanner to help find any brand of food. It also has 350 exercises to keep you fit and healthy. Invite friends to achieve fitness goals together.
