Typically when you see a best college apps list it is littered with apps you don’t actually need. One list even had Twitter as a recommendation for an app college students need. Apparently in the year 2014 people still think that they need to recommend people to join Twitter. In this list you’ll find apps whose sole purpose is to help you get ahead in college.
Andie Graph
[Price: Free]
First up is Andie Graph. This one takes a little work but once you get it working how you want it then you have a graphing calculator in your pocket at all times and that can come in handy. The app is free to use but you’ll need to obtain a graphic calculator ROM in order to make it work. You can find instructions on how to do so by following this link.
The world's most underrated math app.
- You can use this as a replacement for the TI-82, 83, 83+, 84, and 86 calculators.
- No more buying batteries or lugging around that regular one.
- The app is free with no ads.
- Essential for any college student taking a math class. So useful for all students.
- Getting a ROM to run in the app requires that you or someone you know owns a graphing calculator most of the time.
- The process is a little more involved than some people may feel comfortable with.
A graphing calculator is an essential tool in college. Why carry around that bulky thing when you can make your Android phone do it?
CamScanner
[Price: Free with in app purchases]
You never know when you’ll need to scan something. It could be lecture notes, a work sheet or homework sheet, or any number of other things. CamScanner lets you scan these documents and then uses some algorithms to clean things up a bit. You can then share it via email or for a nominal fee you can even fax it if you need to.
You will need this app eventually.
- Lets you scan documents into PDF form.
- Allows you to email for (for a nominal fee) fax documents to wherever.
- Tools available to increase scan quality and improve document quality.
- Allows you to make annotations on documents.
- Some of the more awesome features like cloud support require a paid subscription.
- If you don't pay for it, some of your documents will get watermarked.
This isn’t just a good app to have for college. It’s a good app to have pretty much all the time.
Epocrates
[Price: Free]
Epocrates is a medical reference guide that professionals and students alike have been swearing by for a long time. It has an Android app and although the latest version appears to be a little rough around the edges, the information therein seems to be still good. This is a great reference guide for any medical student to carry around.
The doctor and nurse reference guide.
- You can find information on various drugs with a simple search.
- Performs calculations like BMI and GFR.
- Keep up on the latest medical news and research information.
- Checks for harmful drug interactions with up to 30 drugs at a time.
- The latest version of this app is a little rough.
- Can take a while to update.
When you’re in a field as involved as medicine, it’s always a good idea to have something like this on you.
Evernote
[Price: Free with in app purchases]
Evernote is pretty much ubiquitous with greatness on Android. It has so many users that many phones come with Evernote pre-installed and practically no one complains about it. Using this app you can take notes, create notebooks, and store information about practically anything.
We recommend people download this app at least 20 times a year.
- Use notes to create to-do lists, take down lecture notes, and all sorts of other uses.
- Handwriting mode lets you write your notes or draw equations if need be.
- Multi-platform support means you can access this on your Android device, iPad, Windows PC, etc.
- First class organizational structure helps you keep information sorted appropriately.
- You can share notes with classmates which can be helpful.
- Collaboration is a premium feature that you have to pay for.
- Integrating everything you currently have into Evernote is going to take a while.
You might as well get it now because it is that good.
Google Drive
[Price: Free]
Pretty much every area that Evernote fails in is where Google Drive succeeds. You can create documents, spreadsheets, and presentations if you need to or upload them from your computer for easy access on mobile later. You can also collaborate with classmates. I’ve used this in college before to write term papers and create study plans with fellow students before. It’s quick, effective, and cross platform.
For when you don't want to leave your dorm but still work together.
- Free collaboration on documents lets you work with your classmates on one document that you can all edit at once.
- Upload up to 15GB of various files and documents for free.
- Document, spreadsheet, and presentation support is included.
- Cross-platform support means you can upload, download, and work on your files from your computer, tablet, or phone.
- If you use other office suites on your computer, then your files may have formatting issues when opened on Google Drive.
- You'll need to get at least two additional apps called Sheets and Docs in order to edit spreadsheets and documents on your phone or tablet.
This along with Evernote will cover pretty much all of your note taking and collaboration needs.
RealCalc Plus
[Price: Free / $3.49]
If Andie Graph is a little more calculator than you’ll think you’ll need then RealCalc is another great option. It is a trusted application and has been for years. It’s not the most intense calculator but for most applications in classes like algebra, this is more than good enough. It’s a little cluttered but it works well.
It's about as solid of a calculator as you can get.
- Comes with the basic functions you need.
- Includes DEG and RAD.
- Binary, Octal, and Hexadecimal available.
- Various other modes and functions that you will probably need.
- $3.49 is a tad expensive but you can find it on sale fairly often.
- Interface is very cluttered and can be overwhelming at first.
You may be able to find this on sale from time to time but until then, the free version is good enough.
Udemy
[Price: Free with in app purchases]
Udemy advertises itself as a university-replacement app but when I was in college I found this to be an excellent resources app. Udemy hosts a number of “classes” that you can purchase. They have subjects such as computer science, programming, 3D graphics, Microsoft Office, Adobe products, and more. These are great for complimentary learning to help you learn skills you need for class or reinforce concepts that you’re already learning.
Where to go when college isn't enough.
- A lot of subject matter.
- Excellent source of supplemental learning.
- Some material is free or at least reasonably priced.
- Once you buy a class, you have access for life so you can take courses at your leisure.
- Some material is really expensive.
- Some material doesn't translate to mobile well but you can access them on computer as well.
The app is free so there’s no harm in grabbing it up to see what’s available.
Wikipedia
[Price: Free]
You would think we’d have an app here because this is an app list. For Wikipedia, our app list entry is being used to explain that the mobile site is actually way better than any of the apps available right now. There are Wikipedia apps available should you want to use it but really the best way to experience Wikipedia is on the web. You can use this as a reference source to help you research a myriad of topics. Of course it’s 2014 and you already know all of this. Do note that many colleges don’t accept Wikipedia as a legitimate source. The best practice is to use Wikipedia to find ideas and then search for other sources of those ideas.
Wolfram Alpha
[Price: $2.99]
This application is the reason I passed my physics course. I was too bold and tried to take it before I took calculus. That was a dumb idea but downloading Wolfram Alpha was definitely not a bad idea. Here’s how this app works. You input a mathematical equation and Wolfram Alpha spits out a bunch of information about that equation. It’ll give you the answer, the inverse, and some cursory steps on how it got to that answer. It’s a great app to help you with your math homework but it also works as a peripheral learning resource because it never just gives you the answer.
The best math app ever.
- Can handle a bunch of equations. A whole bunch.
- Not only gives you the answer, but other information about the equation to help you learn. This includes step-by-step solution.
- Other peripheral features include things like currency conversion, looking up tide measurements, or even unemployment rates.
- Some step by step solutions aren't very clear.
- Doesn't support all equations and formulas.
If you take a math course at all in college then download this application.
YouTube
[Price: Free]
Last up is the venerable YouTube. Most people use this to listen to music, watch comedy, find clips from favorite TV shows and movies, and watch news. However, one thing that YouTube has a bunch of is educational videos. You can find videos of people showing you how software works, mathematical tutorials, history lectures, and all sorts of other educational things.
It's a free education in almost anything.
- You can find tutorial and lecture videos on practically any subject.
- It's free which is great for college students.
- Excellent reference material and supplemental learning.
- Subscribe to educational channels to help find good educational videos later.
- Despite being around for a long time, there are still some bugs.
- Tutorial videos are probably better viewed on desktop.
- Finding the good stuff can be difficult depending on the subject matter.
It’s the best free educational reference available.
Wrap up
College will be one of the best times of one’s life but it’s also among the most challenging. Education isn’t what it used to be and with the plethora of reference materials available, you can pretty much get a college education without stepping foot in a university. You can definitely use that to your advantage in school and get yourself ahead so you won’t regret those weekend hangovers anymore. If you have an awesome college app that’s not on this list, leave us a comment and let us know!
from Android Authority http://ift.tt/1nyOrZl
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