Five apps to make student life easier

In the modern, technologically-driven world it’s very rare that you’ll come across a student who isn’t attached to a mobile device. The growth of tablet computers over recent years means that now, more than ever, students are using the latest offerings from Apple and Samsung keep on track in lectures. And while apps are great for entertainment and leisure, to the student there are also a vast range of handy applications that will help get you through university. 

Dropbox 

Dropbox is the perfect student app. Allowing you to access all of your cloud documents from anywhere you have an internet connection, it means you can always have access to your work no matter where you are. Work can be completed on your desktop or laptop on an evening and then be reopened on your tablet in next morning’s lecture. The service is secure and best of all, the app is free. 

Pages 

One relatively problematic trait of the iPad is the reluctance of Microsoft to provide their Word package, which means that to word process on your tablet, you’re going to have to find a replacement. If you have a new model Apple tablet, Pages is free to download, and is the best alternative when it comes to creating documents. While there are other options available, this word processing app is the easiest to use and has by-far the best user interface. 

Spotify 

For when the workload just gets too much for you, there is always music, and Spotify is the leading app for mobile streaming. Now free for standard use, the app gives you access to thousands of tracks in an instant. Every so often, you’ll encounter an advert, however, for a free app which comes in so handy when you want to listen to your favourite tunes, it’s a small price to pay. 

Evernote 

Evernote should be the best friend of a student stuck in a boring lecture. It’s the perfect app for note taking, however, it also has many more useful functions. The app gives you use of a file storage system, so you always know where to find your work from previous lectures, and it combines the handiness of typing out notes with recording audio snippets to compliment your work. If you’re directed to a web page as part of the lecture, you can easily access the web and clip an article to store in your Evernote folder, meaning that the app centralises everything you could need when listening to your tutor. 

Dictamus 

We all know how tough it can be to retain concentration through a lecture. The heat of the lecture hall leads to many students ‘switching off’ mentally, and when the exam period rolls around, we find that there are vast chasms in our knowledge when it comes to particular subjects. Dictamus is one of the leading audio recording apps available, and has the ability to filter through the buzz of a large room and pick up the main voice in the room. Set Dictamus to record at the beginning of a lecture and you’ll thank yourself when it’s time to revise.