Back to school season always seems to arrive before you know it, which means you don’t have much time to re-organize your life. You’ll need to adjust your sleep schedule, get your finances together, and prepare to manage readings, assignments and exams. Thinking about all these things may seem overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be. There are several free and helpful apps that can help you from the beginning right until the end of the school year.
PRODUCTIVITY
Managing your readings, assignments and study time can be difficult with everything else you have going on. A 1990 study found that students with better time management and scheduling had better academic performances. Thankfully, there are many apps that can help you schedule your time and keep track of your homework. Here are a few of my favourites…
Google Calendar – Google’s calendar app is great for keeping track of everything you have to do. There are several different layout options including day, week, month, etc. that let you focus on smaller periods of time. The month layout displays everything for each day, making it a lot more efficient than the calendar that comes on your phone. You can set goals, reminders and events and sort them by calendar and colour.
Pocket Schedule Planner – This is another app for keeping track of what you have to do, but it is more academic-based. This planner app allows you to fill in your course schedule and add assignments and due dates. From there, you can keep track of what assignments are coming up and manage your time.
Facebook and Facebook Messenger – One thing I’ve learned is that University students use Facebook – a lot. There are so many Facebook pages for information, advertising rentals and selling textbooks, but the app is also a great place for groups like your residence building, your program, a course, etc. It’s also a good idea to have the Facebook Messenger app for group chats.
FINANCE
It’s important to manage your spending when you have tuition and textbooks to pay for. But, you still want to be able to enjoy your time while studying. In fact, in a 2000 academic study it was found that “priority needs to be given to ways to teach students the importance of using good financial practices.” There are a few apps that can help you feel better about your spending by tracking and saving your money.
Banking Apps – Most financial institutions have their own app where you can check your account balance, deposit cheques, transfer money and pay bills. Some apps can also help track and rate how much you are spending. Having your banking app on your phone makes it quick and easy to check your account and send money to your friends.
Flipp – This app is very useful for grocery shopping, which you will likely be doing if you live on campus. The Flipp app allows you to make grocery lists and view flyers from different stores, which you can present in participating stores and get the lowest price. You can also add and store all of your points cards in the app.
Ebates – This app allows you to make money while you shop. On the Ebates app or website, you simply select the site you want to shop from and then earn a percentage of cash back on your purchase. You can also find coupons and better deals through the app/website.
HEALTH AND WELLNESS
Sometimes, it’s easy to forget about your health while going through a busy school year, but it’s so important to take care of yourself! A study from 2016 explains that physical activity can benefit students’ mental health and academic performance. The following apps can help you eat healthy food, log your fitness, and sleep better.
Tasty – Have you ever watched those quick recipe videos on Instagram or Facebook? Well, they may have been from the makers of Tasty. This app has hundreds of easy, fun and tasty recipes. A lot of the recipes are healthy and can take away the stress of deciding what to cook.
Fitbit – The Fitbit app is a great app for tracking all things health-related. Not only can you track what you’re eating but also how much water you drink, how many steps you take, when you exercise, how long you sleep and your period. You can add food just by scanning the barcode. You can also set goals for weight, exercise and earn badges when you meet them.
Zensong –This app is useful if you have trouble getting to sleep. Zensong has a range of different nature sounds, such as soothing rain, ocean waves and green forest that help you relax. You can select when the sound stops or starts so it doesn’t run all night or acts as your alarm. I found this app during my first year and it was surprisingly helpful for me – I even use it at home!
These are just a few of the numerous apps available to download from both the Apple and Android App Stores that can help you have a successful school year in every way. As busy as the year gets, it is important to take a moment to organize your life, and apps can help make that organizing even easier.