With one in three students today taking either some or all of their courses online, having the ability to be mobile and productive is just another way that technology truly is changing the way we become educated. Smartphone apps are providing college goers with digital resources that help achieve the real potential that this digital revolution has, especially for those seeking an online degree. Here are five of the most helpful, free apps a student can use.
1. Evernote
Even for the student taking all of his or her classes online, Evernote is a great tool for organizing notes, both those captured on the application’s camera feature and those recorded in searchable audio files. For instances where a student does find themselves in front of a whiteboard, this app can capture the notes and save the file to be searchable as well.
2. Dropbox
There are reasons that Dropbox is the most popular cloud-based document storage program on the web. With the ability to synchronize documents, up to 2GB with the standard free account, a student can work on a single project regardless of his or her location. For students who log in to Dropbox using an edu e-mail address, each referral they make qualifies them for an additional 250MB of memory space.
3. iSpring Free
Looking to get a leg up on your classmates when making a PowerPoint demonstration? iSpring Free allows users to insert a Flash file directly into a presentation. Though with limited controls, reviews make clear that this device is simple to use.
4. My Class Schedule
Time management is a skill everyone needs. For students – especially those balancing school, work and family – an app like My Class Schedule does a great job of keeping track, not only of future meetings and events, but more importantly, the app tracks the number of days left before a major paper is due or a critical test is scheduled.
5. Thinking Space for Android devices, SimpleMind+ for the iPhone
Everybody has a space where they do their best thinking. Unfortunately, many times those spaces don’t have a computer nearby. With either one of these two mind-mapping apps, the process of identifying a central idea and then visually breaking that idea into its logical, supporting ideas is as portable as your smartphone.
