Whether they add convenience or are just for fun, here is a list of the apps that I have used the most often at college and can’t imagine living without.
I didn’t include any social media, sports, or photo editing apps. These are just a few that I see as essential for all the college students out there.
Yik Yak
If you’re late to the Yak game, it’s about time to catch up. An anonymous, local Twitter, there isn’t much need to explain this one. I met my ex-girlfriend on Yik Yak, it’s where I get all of my news around grounds, and it’s just a lot of fun. Go download it…now.
Venmo
Venmo is an app that allows you to transfer money to others who also have it on their phone. After you link it up with your bank account, Venmo becomes a handy tool to pay your friends for picking up the pizza tab last night at 2 a.m. or whatever it may be that you owe one another for. As the treasurer of my fraternity, I’ve even had a couple of brothers pay their dues with Venmo. It adds an entirely new level of convenience, to the point where paying someone back in cash is now just a hassle.
We all need to be basic sometimes, and when that $5 coffee craving hits hard, the Starbucks app is a handy tool to have. You can earn stars that add up to rewards, so all of those fraps will eventually pay off. And if you’re a first year, a freshman, or just lost, you can find the closest location to you with the app. It also offers the same free iTunes download of the week that you find in the store, but you can download it directly from your phone. And if you have an iPhone, you can add a Starbucks card to your Passbook and pay for your order by simply scanning your phone screen.
Moocho
Long before the iPhone 6 announced their mobile payment system, Moocho had been delivering an efficient and rewarding way for college students to pay with their phones. You can rack up points to earn free food by using the app at the participating merchants. It’s really easy to use, and they’ll often offer free goodies just for fun. While it’s only available on nine college campuses throughout the country, if you’re lucky enough to have a Moocho-friendly city, make sure you take advantage.
Groupme
Groupme is an essential app for any group of individuals who want or need to stay in the loop with one another when an email listserv just isn’t convenient enough. I myself have five separate chats on Groupme, including one for my entire fraternity, one for my pledge class, etc. Not everyone is going to have an iPhone, so Groupme offers a convenient way for everybody to communicate. With features such as being able to “like” each other’s messages and being able to easily create memes to send to the group, there is plenty of fun to be had.
