Here are a few apps that anyone entering The University of Texas at Austin as a freshman this year needs to get as soon as possible:
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I know what you’re thinking: Abbie, Facebook is for old people. Literally, what is wrong with you? I counter with this: your class Facebook group. Nothing says “I’m going to college” like typing up an embarrassing summary of yourself and waiting for someone to message you about rooming together. That’s just the beginning, though. Sure, a lot of people leave after their first month here, but they’re missing out. The UT [insert class here] Facebook group is the place to go to remember that everyone is just as lost as you in their first year. It’s filled with questions about classes, schedule advice, the best place to go for pizza within walking distance of campus. That, and if you want cheap textbooks or sometimes even clothes then they have those too. It’s a bonding experience, and that’s why you should get Facebook and keep it.
- GroupMe
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A lot of you might already have this one from whatever weird high school class you had that used it, but if you’re like I was and have never even heard of it before, get ready. GroupMe is an app that you can’t get away with not having. Almost every org at UT uses it as well as most classes. Basically, it’s a messaging app that enables large amounts of people to all be in one group chat. I’m currently in a GroupMe that has 2,139 members. Without GroupMe, I would be beyond lost in half of my classes. With this app, you can ask everyone in your class when that one assignment is due or everyone in your org what time the next meeting is at. GroupMe is a life and grade saver.
- Venmo
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Venmo is probably on every single list just like this one. Honestly, it’s an app that I would say everyone needs, not just freshmen. This money-sending app saves friendships and bank accounts. Venmo enables you to send and receive payments to and from your friends, making it easier than ever before to pay people back for your late-night food outings. You no longer have to remember who’s turn it is to pay for Whataburger or worry about whether or not you need to pay your roommate back for those fries. Venmo makes it quick and easy to make sure you never get into an awkward argument over money.
- Duo
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I hate this app. I wish it never existed, and I would, in fact, like to fist fight the creator. However, UT has recently decided to use this app to provide extra security to your UT accounts. The service makes it so that you have to input a code or enable the login via the app every time you log into a UT account. While I wish with every bone in my body that just typing in a password could be enough, UT has seen fit to give my Canvas page more security than most banks. So while you may hate it, go ahead and download Duo to save yourself some time.