Every college freshman has that initial excitement of moving away from their home and finally becoming their own person. And, in today’s techno-age, every person has a Smartphone for games and social media. But what some college freshmen don’t realize is there are actually apps that could be downloaded onto their phones to help them get through their college years. Some of these you may have seen, but some may just be getting introduced to you & could be INCREDIBLY beneficial during your college journey.

1. Venmo

If you’re in college, you know how wonderful it is to have your debit or credit card hooked up to the amazing application called Venmo.

Venmo is a money application that anyone is available to use. It allows for a direct payment to be made to either you, your friend, your parents, or anyone really from your debit or credit card in a case where you don’t have any cash on you. It has saved me in many situations like this, and it is super easy to use. The only downside is that there is a transfer fee when you transfer your money from the app to your bank account, but overall, it is a great application to have when in college.

Venmo is an extremely reliable application as well, and is available for iOS & android users.

2. Amazon or Wal-Mart

Both Amazon and Wal-Mart are excellent applications to have on your phone when in college. Coming from a current college student, I’m telling you that you go in thinking you have everything you need, but there are just some things you forget and items you’ll need to replenish.

Amazon is great for college student because it has the option of AmazonPrime, which is a wonderful, WONDERFUL invention for college students everywhere, even though it costs $10 a month. AmazonPrime delivers within three days or less, and if your school offers Amazon Lockers (like mine), you could have your products sent straight to your locker and just pick them up whenever you’re available to!

You could also purchase or rent your books on Amazon for an incredibly lower price than at your school bookstore.

Now, Wal-Mart is also an excellent application to have on your phone when you’re a college student. You could find not only school supplies that you will need, but you can also see what your grocery list will consist of so you could budget yourself accordingly. Although Wal-Mart does not sell textbooks, they do sell necessary college items (like Texas Instruments calculators or Post-It! Notes) for a cheaper price than Amazon. You also could use the “Site-to-Store” option to see if your items could be shipped straight to your local Wal-Mart or if it could just be shipped straight to your dorm room.

Both applications are available in iOS & Android.

3. Google Maps (& not the Maps that comes on your iPhone)

Google Maps is an ESSENTIAL application for college. As a college student, I know that your freshman year could be very nerve wracking & painstaking. So, why add more stress by not knowing where your classes are?

I recommend Google Maps (& Google Maps ONLY) because on most iPhones, the buildings for my college did not appear as an option to select. So, my first week of school I went to the wrong building. TWICE. And then I downloaded Google Maps & all of the buildings at my school were an available destination!

Google Maps is available on iOS & Android.

4. Google Calendar

No, this is NOT sponsored by Google. Yes, I’m recommending another Google application.

Google Calendar is an electronic calendar that will alert you about special events if you schedule them in your calendar/if an event appears in your email. Most colleges create a Gmail account for you, so therefore you will already have a Google Calendar account. However, if your school does not provide you with an email account, I strongly recommend going with Gmail, as it will automatically create events that are found in your email. Also, you can color code events and set customized alerts for classes or meetings that you have so nothing will get mixed together or missed. Again, available for iOS and Android.

5. Quizlet

Quizlet is a LITERAL GIFT FROM GOD.

If you know the app, you KNOW how wonderful this app is. If you don’t, well I’m here to inform you.

Quizlet is an application that allows students and educators to create electronic flashcards for studying purposes. It will actually save your life during finals week, and I promise you, it will not disappoint. The flashcards can then be translated into all sorts of study tactics, like tests, quizzes, and a tactic called, “Learn.” When you choose the “learn” option, it repeats the flashcards multiple times until you are able to submit the correct answer with no issues.

This app is ESSENTIAL during finals week when all you’re living off of is coffee and Ramen noodles. It relieves a BOATLOAD of stress, and you can access other students’ flashcard sets too (unless they’re private-then you’ll need a password).

The Quizlet application is available for iOS and Android users.

These five applications are absolutely incredible when it comes to your freshman year of college. They actually got me through some extremely difficult tasks and times when I really thought I was drowning in work and having a terrible time trying to manage an actual social life as well. I hope they help you out too!!