11 Must-Have Mobile Apps for College

On any given day, your college schedule might include two exams, a tuition payment, reading homework, and any number of important social activities. And to top it all off, you’re hungry. So, how will you manage everything? Many students are putting technology to the test, using smartphones and other mobile devices to navigate the insanely active college experience. Check out some of the best mobile apps for college students—many of them free—in the iPhone and Android markets.

iPhone/Android: Facebook

The Facebook we all know and love lets you keep up with pals, but it’s also a great tool for staying aware of breaking news stories, local events, campus developments, and the ever-essential celebrity gossip.

iPhone: Chegg/Android: BIGWORDS.com

Use this tool for renting textbooks on the go: You can search by book title, by ISBN, or by using your phone to scan the book’s barcode.

iPhone: iStudiez Pro/Android: CoursePro

Organize your classes, syllabi, upcoming tasks and assignments, and important deadlines with this college scheduling app.

iPhone: Mental Case/Android: StudyDroid

This flashcards-for-your-phone app lets you create sets of memory-joggers using text, photos, and/or audio clips. You can also access online databases of existing flashcards by subject.

iPhone/Android: Evernote

Keep track of lectures, text notes, presentations, photographs, voice recordings, Web pages, and much more—then save them for access later from your phone.

iPhone/Android: Wi-Fi Finder

Using GPS, these apps help you locate open wireless Web networks—free, paid, or both—complete with directions to each hotspot via Google maps.

iPhone: Wikipanion/Android: Wikidroid

Much to the chagrin of many professors, Wikipedia’s extensive database of user-generated info is wildly popular with college students. A word of caution: Use it to get the basic gist of a topic before starting your real research…and never cite it as a source in the footnotes.

iPhone: Instapaper/Android: InstaFetch

Bypass the sometimes limited connectivity and browsing capabilities of mobile devices with this app that allows you to save web pages for viewing later—on or offline.

iPhone: GoodReader/Android: Adobe Reader

These “read anything, anywhere” tools are great for viewing and managing large PDF files on your handheld device.

iPhone/Android: Urbanspoon

Urbanspoon is your guide for for eating off campus. Search nearby eateries by neighborhood, cuisine, and price, all with a swipe of your finger.

iPhone: PocketMoney/Android: Pageonce Finance

Sync an unlimited number of bank accounts, payees, loans, credit cards, and PayPal accounts to stay on good financial footing while focusing on your studies.