Wondering how to block access to the internet? Share docs between your friends? Keep track of your social life?
Let’s be honest. As a student, you probably feel overwhelmed and like you’re juggling to keep all the balls in the air: Work, school, classes, deadlines, relationships….
It’s so much! Too much.
There is where apps come in. Apps can make or break you. They can save you time, keep you organized, de-stress you and more.
But not to worry guessing which app which help you most. Here is your army of apps that will help you stay organized, on top of things and lower your stress levels.
You’re going to review apps segmented into larger categories. These apps will help you with:
- Your health
- Your social life
- Your sleep schedule and cycle
- Your awareness of current world events and news
- Your time management, productivity and how to block the internet
Health
Blogilates
Cassey Ho has a successful YouTube channel dedicated to fitness: diet, workouts, stretches and more.
Her app gives you access to all her videos, an online forum and a monthly workout calendar. There are also additional premium upgrades in which you can buy more of what you’re enjoying from her.
Get it here (Apple Store).
My Fitness Pal
Need to track your calories? Set weight loss goals? Track what you eat?
Get “swole” or get the bikini bod?
My Fitness Pal helps you track all of that. It also includes a library of standard foods eliminating entering everything manually. This app can easily track the calories of what you eat with a drag and drop interface.
It saves you time allowing you to stay on track with your fitness goals.
Zombies, Run!
How do you turn something boring into something fun that you WANT to do?
Of course you make a game out of it.
With this app, you’re running around trying to collect materials to fortify your base camp, going on missions and in a race against time to keep mankind safe from the zombie infestation.
This game became the highest-grossing health and fitness app on iTunes in just TWO WEEKS.
It’s no wonder why … who DOESN’T feel motivated to run when zombies are coming for you?!
Social Life
Google Calendar
You can use Apple’s iCal if you want, but Google Calendar lets you stay in sync keeping all of your parties, obligations and extracurriculars organized.
Getting a calendar is one of the simplest things you can do. Keeping everything in order will DRASTICALLY reduce your stress levels.
Pair this with a program like Calendly to have people schedule in social time and appointments with you as well!
Google Keep
Think of Google Keep like a bunch of sticky notes and checklists. It’s something you can use on the fly to take quick notes.
It’s synced with your Google account, can be accessed online and via your desktop or laptop and is incredibly easy to use.
Tinder
The infamous app for “dates, relationships and everything in between.”
While there are some pros and cons surrounding Tinder, many people are meeting because of it, and it offers you a way to move forward with your dating life even when you’re on the toilet….
Just make sure you talk to people in REAL LIFE as well. That’s important.
Sleep Schedule and Cycle
Sleep Cycle
Using the iPhone’s accelerometer, this app records your sleeping habits and uses sleep cycle theory (measuring REM cycle times, etc.) to aim to wake you up at the right time.
You set a window of time (for example, one hour), instead of a specific time (say 6 a.m.). The app then judges when to wake you up based on your movement.
You’ll receive detailed reports and recordings of your sleeping habits for review.
Twilight
Bright light from screens and devices can mess with your sleep schedule and keep you awake at night.
Twilight can be installed on your Android device to tone down the color intensity as it gets later in the day to match your circadian rhythm.
Fun test: Install it and later at night, check out how bright the screen usually is when Twilight is disabled. You’ll be pretty surprised.
You can also get the app f.lux for your laptop and desktop.
Updates on World Events and News
Feed.ly
This excellent RSS feed app allows you to keep tabs on everything that interests you.
You input your favorite blogs, news sites and more. Everything will be displayed all together for you, so you don’t have to search numerous different sites.
You’ll receive notifications every time there’s something new to review, so you’ll always stay up-to-date on everything you like.
Buzzfeed
You can call them the Kings and Queens of viral articles and fun content. Some articles might be time wasters, but others are rather informative and, honestly, a great read.
The app puts everything all together allowing you to customize what you’d like to see based on your interests. You can also view quizzes, trends, search for news and more.
New York Times Now
The New York Times app, also known as NYT Now, gives you access to the most important stories of what’s occurring in the world. These stories even include those from OTHER sites and newspapers.
If you’re looking for an all-in-one app to get the best info on global events, this is the app for you.
Time Management, Productivity and How to Block the Internet
Evernote
Think of Evernote as your second brain. Evernote lets you create notebooks and notebook stacks, grouped into categories, where you can organize your thoughts in business, life and more.
It takes a while to get the hang of it, but once you do, you’ll never want to drop it.
The premium version has OCR scanning so you can even find text in pictures you’ve scanned in, upgraded storage space for any files you attach and more.
Dropbox
Dropbox makes file sharing easy and convenient.
Install it on your phone and let it automatically backup photos you take (don’t worry, you can have it only do this on Wi-Fi). Share documents with other people with simple links.
Second to Google Drive, Dropbox is one of the most popular file sharing apps available.
Google Drive
The other standard in file sharing, Google Drive allows for you and your classmates to work on documents at the same time between each other.
Jason can be writing and editing the document while you Skype about the revisions you made, and Jen can write her own comments as well.
…And this all happens at once.
Most companies use Drive to share their files and standard operating procedures, so it’s great to become accustomed to it while you’re in school.
FocusMe
You’ve got to manage your time and attention, and sometimes block access to the internet….
Otherwise, you’ll blow it all on Facebook the entire day.
FocusMe is an all-in-one app that:
Answers the question of how to block the internet.
Can block both websites AND apps.
Shows you reports of your schedule and where you spent your time on.
Has an included Pomodoro timer if you’re a fan of that technique.
Allows you to schedule focus sessions in advanced.
Can pre-schedule break reminders in to make sure you get up and stretch!
If you want a total solution to turn yourself into a productivity machine, FocusMe is the app for you.
There’s always more to do when you’re a student, and it won’t stop as you become an adult. Learning to control your impulses, manage your life and keep everything in order is ESSENTIAL to be successful.
With this list of apps, you’ll be able to still crush it as a student, and be MILES ahead of anyone else in your class … who are probably just playing Angry Birds or Pokemon GO.
