As a college student, I know how much time my generation spends on our phones. They’ve become an essential part of our lifestyle (and dare I say our wardrobe) and we really can’t leave home without them, because they're how we communicate and, in an increasing number of cases, do some of our schoolwork.
Here are the five staple apps that all college students should have on their phones to navigate school, work, and fun:
1. Rave Guardian
With this app, you can set a timer if you’re going somewhere unfamiliar or alone that is synched to several of your contacts . If you safely reach your destination before the timer goes off, you disable it; if you don’t and the timer runs out, the app contacts your selected “guardians” who are sent a notification to check in on you. You can also enable location settings, allowing your trusted contacts to view your location, in case you’re lost or do not feel safe.
2. Google Maps
Whether you’re trying to find walking directions to an unfamiliar building on the first day of the semester (I did this for the first week of my first semester) or you’re venturing off-campus, this app is a must. Offering walking, biking, car and bus riding times and directions, Google Maps will help you find that off-campus party everyone is going to or that building on the other side of campus that you’re half-convinced doesn’t exist.
3. Google Drive
This app, when partnered with other Google apps (docs, sheets, etc.) will allow you and your friends or project partners easy access to all of your papers in one convenient place for reading and editing on-the-go. It should be a staple app in your phone, plus it’s great for collaboration.
4. Uber
This app is great for the times when the bus schedule doesn’t work with your schedule and you don’t have access to a car of your own. Many people use Uber to get to and from airports/train stations or going on big grocery shopping trips. It’s also a useful service if you’re at an off-campus party. Most colleges have an internal no-questions-asked ride service, but most of those programs only run on-campus or have a very small off-campus radius, so being able to call a ride when you’re farther away from home is always a good idea.
5. GroupMe
The messaging app designed for group chats. More efficient than texting and more inclusive than Facebook messaging (participants only need a phone number to use GroupMe, meaning that they don’t need a Facebook or other account to log in). Also, you can private message people through this app and “like” messages. I use this app so much that I get confused when I forget that I can’t like messages on Facebook Messenger or when I’m texting.
Of course, it's also best to download any apps that your school offers or tells you that you should (for example, The College of William and Mary has its own app that provides up-to-date event information and important emergency announcements). There are many additional useful apps that will help you function and perform better at school, so I highly encourage that you ask around and explore to find which work the best for you!
