Monday, December 13, 2010

Top 10 student mobile apps for 2010

Target audience: Students, educators, nonprofits, social change organizations, mobile diehards.


School just got easier with this collection of the top 10 apps that you can’t hit the classrooms without. Having recently left the classroom (Cornell 2010 — woot!), these are some tools that I definitely wish I had. Add them to the list of Top 10 Student Tools for Fall that we ran last month.



Evernote: A revolution in note-taking
1This app is revolutionizing notes as we know it. Evernote is a mobile and web sync friendly, media-rich note-taking machine. The basic function of the app is note-taking with the ability to add voice, photos, location and tags as well as the option to share with friends. The most exciting feature of this app is the Evernote trunk, which is filled with all sorts of valuable tools that are sure to help you excel in the classroom. Platforms: iPhone, iPad, Android, BlackBerry, Windows Mobile, Palm Pre.




                       2Who needs a textbook when you have Wikipedia’s brain child,Wikipanion? This app has really high ratings – because it’s simply a great app. You can access open source content on any topic imaginable, an essential tool for any class. Platform: iPhone.





GoDocs: Essential for your Google docs

3View, download and send your Google docs from your iPhone or iPad with this $3.99 app. Google docs are the go-to collaboration 
tool for students, and GoDocs will make collaboration even easier. The only thing it doesn’t do is let you edit docs. Platforms: iPhone, iPad.






Cliqset: Consolidate your stream
 4Sharing, discovering and discussing on mobile and the Web just got easier: Follow your streams on Facebook, Twitter, Buzz — 70 social networks all told — in one place with Cliqset. This app is sure to help students simplify their lives and help professors keep students engaged. Platform: iPhone.




MyHomework: Digital planner in your palm
5Make sure you hand in all of the assignments on time – download this app. MyHomework makes it easy to keep track of, and color code all of your homework, classes, projects and tests. The app will also notify you when you have late and upcoming assignments by numbering them on your application icon. Buh-bye, paper planner. Platform: iPhone.

Rate My Profs: Students strike back
6The website has been around for a while — more than 10 million comments about 1 million profs — and now there is a free app available for this. Gotta admit, I love it.Rate My Professor was my bible for finding some of my favorite classes at school and avoiding some of the worst. Democracy run amok? Who cares! Platform: iPhone.






Kindle: Save money on textbooks
7Digital textbooks are for sure the way to save. With over 6,000 textbooks available for the Web, mobile and tablets, Amazon’sKindle will save you about $60 on your average textbook purchase. Multiply that by the amount of textbooks you buy in one semester — that’s a lot of extra spending money. Platforms: iPhone, iPad




FlashCards++: No more 3x5s
 8There are a lot of flashcard apps to choose from – FlashCard++is the best bang for your buck, going for $2.99, less than a deck of 3x5s.This stand-out study app makes it easy to study anything anywhere with your mobile phone. It can sync with Quizlet and also back-up your cards to Dropbox. If you’re not pleased with this one, check out CoboCardsCram or Flashcards Deluxe. Platform: iPhone.




Sleep Cycle: Wake up feeling your best
9While this won’t help you get more sleep, Sleep Cycle does serve as an alarm clock that wakes you up during your lightest sleep phase, helping you wake up feeling most rested and relaxed. Sleep is almost as important as studying before a big exam. Costing only 99 cents, this app is definitely worth it. Platform: iPhone




iTranslator: Translations at your fingertips
10You can use iTranslator to connect to Google Translator, Babel Fish or Free Translation to help with your language courses. Or, maybe it’ll help you figure out what language your prof is speaking. Platform: iPhone.





Other mobile apps to check out

Other interesting apps that have come across our desk from our friends at GradeGuru:
• gFlash + Flashcards and Tests: Create your own flashcards and share them with classmates as you study.
• Alarm Clock Pro: No need for that annoying alarm clock sound, with this app you can create an alarm clock with customizable themes and the app lets you set an ITunes playlist to wake up to.
• NY Times: Tet news from the New York Times online for free while you’re on the go to make sure you’re up to date before heading to class.
• Graphing Calculator: Not only does this app have all of the functionality of a graphing calculator, a screenshot of the work can be taken and emailed to anyone.
• Convertbot: This app converts currency, length, mass, time and much more. It supports over 440 units of conversion to help with any assignments.
• Periodic: This app offers a complete reference to the Periodic Table of Elements. It also offers useful information such as an element’s atomic weight, electron configuration, melting point, boiling point, atomic radius, ionic radius and year of discovery.
• MyGPA Calculator: Calculate your GPA per semester and cumulatively.
• Look for the upcoming release of GradeGuru’s StudyTracker ($1.99), which helps you track your effort at school, class by class, to help you achieve your grade goals.
What helps you bring home the A+? Please share in the comments below.

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