You’re sitting in class, watching the hands move slowly on the clock, waiting 10:50, the time that indicates English 101 is finally over for the day. You know that your next class, history of civilizations, had a homework assignment.But what was it? And what was the meeting you had after school for your sorority? As your teacher drones on about gerunds and participles, you find your mind wandering to the contents of your backpack. Do you have your book and your notes? All you know for sure is that your cell phone is sitting on your lap, right where you always have it.
Life as a college student is, at best, hectic, and you must stay organized. Use your phone to help with everything else, because smart phones do everything. With the right apps, you can keep your to-do list straight, your homework assignments where they belong and your head screwed firmly to your shoulders. As you load up your phone with apps for school, save room for these four organizational options.
1. Koalcat’s Clear
Koalcat’s Clear is a to-do app that lets you make a digital to-do list that you can mark off as you finish your tasks for the day. While it’s not fancy, it is free, so it will fit into your college student budget. Also, because you can add to your list simply, you can easily add a surprise assignment or meeting with friends as you go about your day.
2. Evernote
Rasmussen College recommends Evernote as an app for college students who need to keep track of everything from their to-do list to notes and even voice messages to themselves. This app is perfect for those times when you need to jot down a quick note and don’t have a paper handy or perhaps can’t take the time to actually write it down. You may even want to take notes from class on this app. If you do, you’ll never have to worry about losing your notes again.
3. Mint
Mint organization app image by Jason A. Howie via Flickr.
Mint allows you to organize your finances. It was named the Best Mobile Personal Finance Tool by Lifehacker in 2012 and was called one of Kiplinger’s Must-Have Money Apps in 2011. With the app, you can see all of your personal financial accounts on one page. When you make a purchase, it will automatically categorize it, and thus it helps you track your spending more easily. Best of all, it helps you with your budget because it’s a free app.
4. Google Calendar
To keep track of your homework assignments, consider the Google Calendar app. It will integrate with your smartphone, tablet and laptop, so your schedule remains front and center no matter what device you are currently carrying. Set up your calendars on the web, then sync them to all of your mobile devices.
Life is stressful, and when you add the demands of college, it can quickly become overwhelming. Get a handle on your college experience by getting a handle on organization with the help of your smartphone.
Guest post by Norman Randal
Norman just sent his son off to college, and he writes about current events and technology to keep him from worrying about whether all that tuition money is actually spent on books.
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