Education has evolved so much over the past couple decades. Smart phones, laptops, and tablets have almost entirely replaced notebooks, pens, and folders; summer jobs can't pay tuition anymore; and life is just all-around stressful! What are we students supposed to do when we can't keep track of all our assignments? Or when we can't afford that pack of ramen noodles so we have to skip dinner?
Luckily for us, we can get access to anything we need, and that access is right in the palms of our hands. The invention of the smart phone is, in this author's opinion, one of the greatest feats humankind has achieved. We are capable of viewing almost all the data ever collected in out history on this planet with a device that fits in our pocket; and even better, we can use it to play Kim Kardashian: Hollywood. So how can we use this to help navigate our way through one of the most influential periods of our lives? Well, there's an app for that. Or, I should say, a lot of apps for that. But, today we're only going to discuss 5:
- Slidejoy
Slidejoy is only currently on the Google Play market, but it is such a fantastic, simple app that I would almost recommend selling your iPhone just to get it. Slidejoy is a pretty straightforward concept. You basically rent out your lock screen to the app and it will start displaying advertisements instead of your usual back ground. Now, I know what you're thinking, and yes, I know everyone hates ads. However, you don't have to click on any of these ads. If you just swipe right it goes straight to your home screen. You also are getting paid by the app in points. These points can be exchanged for either Amazon gift cards or actual money via PayPal. It's not much, but at the very least you earn around $50 a year. You also get to see new trends, news stories, discounts, and various product advertisements that you may find interesting. There are certain ways you can earn more points as well. A couple bucks here and there can be extremely useful for those late night snack runs. Another cool feature they add is the option to donate your earnings to charity!
- Quizlet
Quizlet is a godsend. It's an app linked to the online website by the same name. Quizlet is basically a user-created database of study guides and flash cards. Chances are high that a former student in your insanely difficult American Government class already made a study guide for your upcoming exam, so no need to make one yourself! This app has saved me so many times when I either lose my study guides or get so busy I forget to study till the last few minutes. I highly recommend downloading it immediately.
- Evernote
A beautifully designed virtual workspace for anything you could possibly need. You can write articles or lengthy research papers, save articles or web clips, us it to communicate with groups on projects, and make presentations. The best part? It's available on all forms of smart phones.
- MySurvey
MySurvey is another money-making app that is great for college students. At first, it seems like one of those apps/websites that seems like a total scam. You answer a bunch of random (sometimes personal) questions and get money for it. Crazy, right? However, MySurvey is pretty legit. It started out as the National Family Opinion organization in 1946. They mailed out surveys to get the public opinions on matter via telephone and the postal service. To use MySurvey, you just make an account, and start answering questions. Some surveys will put you into special sweepstakes, others will just give you points. The point system is similar to Slidejoy's, you earn a few points each survey and make a couple bucks over time. You probably couldn't make a living off these, but the extra cash will definitely come in handy.
- Uber/Lyft
I know I said I'd only cover five apps, but these two are almost identical, so I'm counting them as one. College life can get hectic. You may not have a car, you may be stumbling back to your place from a wild night, you may just be low on gas, but have no fear, you won't have to pay for a taxi. Uber and Lyft both provide services similar to that of a taxi. You use the app to call for a ride, and the nearest driver will come pick you up and take you where you want to go. The transactions are made through the app once you save your credit/debit card info. These apps allow anyone to apply to be a driver, but the applicants must go through strict background checks. They allow users to see what kind of car the driver is using, a picture of the driver, and how far away they are at any given moment. Occasionally the drivers will even pack drinks or snacks in their car for their passengers. Uber and Lyft are fantastic companies and any college student should have at least one of these apps, although I recommend getting both because prices vary with the time of day and sometimes one will give a better deal than the other. So go explore your city, and always be sure to tip your drivers!
College is a wonderful experience, but it can also become a dense jungle full of twists and turns. These are just a few apps to help you find your way, but always be on the look out for new ones to add to your collection! We've come so far with technology, it's amazing what we can do with just a cell phone. The power is in your hands, literally.
