I hate to admit it, but back in high school, I wasn’t always the most in-the-know when it came to news or politics. Sure, I’d know about the big headlines of the week, and I’d catch some stories when my parents watched the news on TV, but I rarely actively sought it out without having heard of some newsworthy topic through the grapevine.

Come college, I decided to major in journalism, which subsequently meant my news habits had to change. As a journalism student, I’m often required to read The Boston Globe or The New York Times for classes, so beginning my freshman year, I had more motivation than ever to keep up to date with what was going on in the world.

That being said, I still only took baby steps. I’d read the newspapers – or, more realistically, their websites – the day before I had my journalism classes so I’d know the most recent stories, but it wasn’t becoming something I did on a regular basis. The days I didn’t have a journalism class, I’d completely forget to check the daily news, instead preoccupying myself with other homework that I deemed the priority.

A turning point for me was the presidential election of 2016. Maybe it was because my journalist instincts were kicking in; maybe it was because I was finally old enough to vote; maybe it was because it was such a controversial election that I couldn’t help but be intrigued. Nevertheless, that election was the first time that I truly cared, with no other motivation than my own curiosity, to be in the know about politics on an in-depth, well-informed level.

Once the results of the election died down as much as they could, reading the news started becoming less of a priority again, but I caught myself before completely slipping back into old habits. I wanted to make it a little easier for me to stay in the loop, so, after getting the idea from a professor, I downloaded The New York Times app and turned my notifications on.

And let me tell you what a difference it has made. Instead of needing to remind myself to check the news regularly, my phone does it for me. Periodically throughout the day, I get notifications for the top news stories and any breaking news. Even if I don’t feel like reading the article, just getting to read the headline of the story in the notification helps me become more informed.

Whatever the news app you choose, it’s worth the download and the phone storage because it’s the easiest way you can keep up to date with this increasingly fast-paced world around us.