​Major App-eal

By Ben Haugmo

benhaugmo@yahoo.com

We often take for granted how much potential our smartphones possess. It’s easy to forget that our pocket-sized bricks of plastic and circuitry surpass much of the computer technology of the past. Theoretical physicist Michio Kaku has said that the power of a smartphone today outmatches that of computers used by NASA during the first lunar launch. That was in 1969, almost fifty years ago, but it’s still a pretty big leap. The devices we use to browse the internet, listen to music, and call home to mom are smarter than those that allowed humanity to set foot on the moon.

It stands to reason that if we’re toting around handheld supercomputers, tackling academic success should be a no-brainer. What follows are a few smartphone apps that can give scholars an edge over their studies, manage life outside the classroom, and provide a little distraction for those moments in between all the hard work.

1. College is expensive. No one wants to take out loans, and state and school-funded scholarships sometimes aren’t enough to cut the tuition check. Luckily, Scholly adds a bit more choice to the financial aid mix. This app hosts an extensive list of scholarships, so that students don’t have to go into debt to make the grade. Scholarships are sorted based on a variety of categories so that applicants find aid tailor-made to suit their needs.
2. For the essayist in need of an inexpensive way to complete their papers, there’s Google Docs. While paper-writing isn’t something one usually engages in on the go, having the Google Docs app on a smartphone is a handy way to take notes or make last-minute additions. It also allows for easy collaboration on group projects, letting you see your partner’s contributions even when away from the computer.
3. For when you need to make a note or reminder but don’t have the time to type it out, Dragon Dictation offers a reliable way to convert speech to text. The app even lets you transfer dictated messages directly to text, email, or social media platforms.
4. College dining halls have many tempting dishes to sample, making it easy to overindulge. The Lose It! app lets you beat the freshman fifteen by keeping track of diet and exercise goals. The app can connect with devices like the Fitbit to make keeping track of personal health even simpler.
5. Quizlet allows users to create and customize their own flashcards for easy mobile studying. Quizlet also features automatic pronunciation for foreign language subjects, and methods to share flashcards with others.
6. For students looking to brush up on foreign languages specifically, DuoLingo can provide. This app presents language learning in the form of games, and can help users enhance their Spanish, French, German, Portuguese, Italian, Irish, Dutch, Danish, Swedish, and English.
7. Keeping in touch while you’re away at school is important. Social media helps with keeping track of friends and family, but sometimes we can crave the simple pleasure of conversation. Discord was originally conceived with online gaming in mind, but its stable voice chat and messaging services are allowing it to quickly gain popularity with a general audience. Whether coordinating on the battlefield or simply chatting with the folks at home, Discord makes communication over long distance simple and easy.
8. After class is over and the day’s homework is complete, it helps to unwind with a little medieval kingdom management. Reigns is a new game for both mobile and PC platforms which follows a monarchy through the generations. Players take the role of a king attempting to balance the various resources and factions within their kingdom. The church, the citizenry, the army, and the royal coffers must all be kept from becoming too great or too few if the king’s reign is to persist through the ages. If you fail though, there’s always a new king waiting to ascend to the throne and begin the process anew. Reigns is a simple game, with a minimalistic art style and kingly decisions made with a simple left or right swipe. It’s no less enjoyable, though, thanks to its bizarre humor and the allure of seeing just how your choices will impact the kingdom.

Sure, sharpening our foreign language skills or keeping track of text documents isn’t necessarily rocket science, but they’re no less important in helping us achieve a meaningful scholastic experience. The right smartphone app can be the small step needed for a giant leap toward success.