12 smartphone apps every college student needs

As college students, we like everything at the tip of our finlgers: music, news, shopping, games and just about anything else that screams convenience. There are thousands of apps that can be useful in our busy life. Below is a list of essential smartphone apps for college students compiled with the help of some UWT students.

GOOGLE DOCS, GOOGLE PHOTO & GOOGLE DRIVE

The reason I grouped these three apps together is because they’re the holy grail. Having Google Docs on your phone is truly a blessing. Now you’re able to easily write your paper on-the-go. Waiting for a table at the Cheesecake Factory? Open up Google Docs and get an assignment done! Waiting to pick up your siblings or kids from school? Write! Google Drive and Google Photo are also a nice a feature to have on your phone. Google Photos will automatically backup all your pictures onto your google account, organizing them into albums that you can later customize to your own preference. It’s a nice way to keep everything under one roof just in case your phone gets lost, stolen or dropped in water. It also lets you create a collection of photos where you can share it with your friends and family just by entering their email or phone number.

GRAMMARLY

For those who struggle with grammar, this one’s for you. Once downloaded, it becomes a feature added onto your keyboard. You can use it on any app, whether you’re sending an email to your professor or making a Twitter post, Grammarly will surely help you type with confidence and mistake-free.

CASH APP

Cash App is a cash transfer service similar to Square Cash, Venmo and Snapcash. The Cash App allows you to pay your friends instantly, with the option for an instant deposit available as soon as the next day. No need to wait three to four business days to receive your money anymore.

EVERNOTE

When it comes to getting organized, Evernote will definitely keep you on your toes. This app provides you with several tools to keep your work effortlessly organized. You can create personal checklists and to-do lists, as well as set reminders for your activities and appointments. Take notes in different formats including: text, photos, audio, video, sketches and PDF. Organize your receipts, bills and invoices. Use it as a digital notepad and a word processor. Evernote can also sync to any computer, phone or tablet giving you the ability to collaborate with others by working on the same documents or share lecture notes. The only downside to this app is storage. For more storage, you must purchase their subscription which charges you either monthly or annually. Subscribing unlocks your access to more storage on multiple devices as well as the ability to work offline.

SPOTIFY

Spotify is a music streaming service, in case you didn’t already know. It’s always nice to have a music app other than the basic built in app your phone comes with — who even downloads music nowadays? With music streaming apps like Spotify, you have any song at the tip of your finger. By signing up with your student email, you are eligible for the student discount on Spotify Premium for only $5 per month. With the Premium subscription you are able to listen ad free, skip an unlimited number of songs and listen offline as well. Spotify Premium for students also includes access to a Hulu limited commercials plan at no additional cost.

PHOTOMATH

Math can be difficult, and sometimes frustrating to the point where you want to cry. But thank goodness for Photomath. Just simply point your camera to scan the math problem and Photomath will show you an instant result of step-by-step instructions on how to solve the equation. The best part about this app is that it’s free!

TWITTER

Believe it or not, Twitter does serve some educational purpose. Not only are you able to tweet about how stressed you are for that exam or how much you’re regretting your 8 a.m. class, it’s also a great source to get a snapshot of the daily news. Twitter is such a powerful platform, and it’s truly amazing how quick information is spread through social media. Keep up on current events by following Wall Street Journal, The Tacoma Ledger and other news outlets, while also staying up to date with your social life.

EASYBIB

Everyone has heard of EasyBib, right? Well now there’s an app for it! Citations can be frustrating, but with the help of EasyBib it can be almost stress-free. You can search for books by their title or ISBN, or for even quicker results, scan the book’s barcode to create citations instantly.

CANVAS STUDENT

Every college student should have this on their smartphone. We’re all forced to use it, so you might as well download the handy dandy app. You can do everything that you are able to do on the desktop version right on the app. Send messages, check your grades, upload your assignments and even reply to discussion boards.

UBEREATS

Ubereats is a must have if you live on campus. There are numerous eateries to choose from on Ubereats, many of which have a low delivery fee of $2.49. Get delicious hot and ready food delivered right to your door. Say you have an hour break until your next class, you can place your Ubereats order and have it ready and waiting to be picked up by the time your first class is over. No need to give up your parking space to go get lunch — have them come to you!

AMAZON

Shopping at the tip of a finger, literally. Amazon prides themselves on making the “earth’s biggest selection within your reach.” Textbooks are pretty inexpensive on this app. If you end up switching out of a class, returns are simple, easy and, of course, free. By signing up with your student email, you are eligible to receive a free six month trial of Amazon Prime, which includes free two-day shipping, streaming thousands of movies and TV shows on Prime Video, and Prime Music. At the end of the trial, you are automatically renewed for an annual Amazon Prime membership at the student discount price of $50, rather than the usual $100.

PINTEREST

All the rumors you’ve heard of Pinterest are wrong. This app is not just for stay-at-home moms and elementary school teachers. It’s filled with thousands of inspirations ranging from outfit ideas to writing prompts. You can find all kinds of vegan recipes, home decor inspirations, makeup recommendations, drawing tutorials and so much more. I’ve personally found a whole lot of writing prompts and studying tips that are pretty useful.