Tracker Pixel for Entry

​Major App-eal

Culture | August 31st, 2016

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.

Recently in:

By Alicia Underlee Nelsonalicia@hpr1.com Ten North Dakota communities will participate in the nationwide No Kings Day of Peaceful Action on October 18. The grassroots movement is a nonviolent protest against President Trump’s…

By Michael M. Millermichael.miller@ndsu.edu I would like to recognize some of the scholarly Germans from Russia from Canada and USA shared on the GRHC website. There are additional names not included here. If you have suggestions…

Friday, October 31, doors 8 p.m. show starts at 8:30 p.m.The Aquarium above Dempey’s, 226 N. Broadway, FargoThe annual Aquarium Halloween Cover Show is back and it is stacked. And this time there are a limited amount of presale…

By Sabrina Hornungsabrina@hpr1.com At the end of September, downtown Fargo said goodbye to another old friend; the Spirit Room closed its doors, marking the end of an era. The Spirit Room room has been a fixture downtown for the…

By Ed Raymondfargogadfly@gmail.comAnother public health crisis besides guns: lack of empathyThe Sisters of Charity have finally had enough of their Trumper boss, Roman Catholic Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York. One of the most…

By Rick Gionrickgion@gmail.com Holiday wine shopping shouldn’t have to be complicated. But unfortunately it can cause unneeded anxiety due to an overabundance of choices. Don’t fret my friends, we once again have you covered…

By Rick Gion and Nichole Hensenrickgion@gmail.com The wait is finally over. Those who have visited Nichole’s Fine Pastry & Cafe lately know about the recent major additions and renovations that have taken place over the past…

By Sabrina Hornungsabrina@hpr1.com Dakotah Faye is a hip-hop artist from Minot, North Dakota, and he’s had a busy year. He’s released two albums. This summer he opened for Tech N9ne in Sturgis and will be opening for Bone…

By Greg Carlsongregcarlson1@gmail.comNoémie Merlant, working from a script she wrote with Pauline Munier and her “Portrait of a Lady on Fire” collaborator Celine Sciamma, directs herself in “The Balconettes” (the…

By Sabrina Hornungsabrina@hpr1.com Gallery 4 downtown recently celebrated its 50 year anniversary, making it one of the longest consecutively running galleries in the country. With different membership tiers, there are 17 primary…

Press release“Shakespeare with a sharpened edge.” To launch its 2025 – 2026 season, Theatre NDSU is thrilled to team up with Moorhead-based organization Theatre B to perform a co-production of Shakespeare’s “Romeo and…

By Annie Prafckeannieprafcke@gmail.com AUSTIN, Texas – As a Chinese-American, connecting to my culture through food is essential, and no dish brings me back to my mother’s kitchen quite like hotdish. Yes, you heard me right –…

By Sabrina Hornungsabrina@hpr1.comNew Jamestown Brewery Serves up Local FlavorThere’s something delicious brewing out here on the prairie and it just so happens to be the newest brewery west of the Red River and east of the…

By Ellie Liveranieli.liverani.ra@gmail.com When we are sick, all we want is a cure. You go to the doctor, they give you a pill, you take it for a bit, then you are cured. It happens. But unfortunately, it is not always the case. …

By Alicia Underlee NelsonProtests against President Trump’s policies and the cuts made by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) are planned across North Dakota and western Minnesota Friday, April 4 and…

By Vern Thompsonvern.thompson@rocketmail.comMoral accountability and the crisis of leadership  As a recovering person living one day at a time for the last 35 years, I have learned not to judge others because I have not walked in…