As a college student, and specifically a BU student, my iPhone is never far from reach. Admittedly, I’m not a huge app hoarder and I don’t keep many on my phone. However, if I’m going to download an app I never want to pay for one. I always thought you would have to pay for the best apps. But surprisingly, the four best apps I have on my phone were all free and I use them almost every single day.
These are four free apps I love and would recommend to any BU student!
1. BU Mobile
Navigating the BU shuttle alone can be a disaster (personal experience has proven). The BU mobile app has time schedules, stops, and a live view of the BU shuttles as they make their way around campus so you know where they are. They even let you know how many minutes away a bus is from a given stop so you can plan your trip accordingly. The app also has campus maps, BU Today, an academic calendar, student, faculty and staff directory, and a course lists for all the different schools.
2. Google Translate
As a BU collegiette, I am living (and sometimes struggling) through the foreign language requirement. The Google Translate app is perfect for finding the English translation of words in the language of your choice. It has hundreds of different languages and some I have never even heard of. It has cool features like a speaking component where you can say a word into the microphone and it will translate it for you or you can write the word with your finger. It also saves the words you look in your history so you don’t have to search the same word over and over again. I am definitely NOT saying to go ahead and translate paragraphs at a time in order to find a quick fix for your homework, because the app is not designed to function that way. The Google Translate app is more like an online dictionary that you can use when those few words in your French reading are really messing you up.
3. TV Guide
The TV Guide app is a simple and awesome app. The channels here at BU are different than my TV channels at home which was frustrating to get used to. I discovered that you can go to channel 9 on a TV connected to BU cable and it lists the shows that are on. However, I found myself getting frustrated with how slowly it moves and how annoying it is to wait for channel 2 to come all the way back around when I missed it go by. The TV Guide app lets you look at all the shows that are on at night and even days in advance. It can let you set reminders when a new show or your favorite movie is on and it has a search bar where you can look things up by name or channel. It even has a special section where you can just select ‘what’s new’ and it lists all the new shows on for that night.
4. Tip Calculator
Like most other BU students, I love to go out to dinner. With so many options so close to campus and even on campus how could you not love it?! The Tip Calculator is a great time saver and makes things so simple when you’re out with your friends. It lets you choose the percentage you want to give and whether or not you’re splitting the bill or paying together.