As a college student, there are so many online resources out there to help make life a little bit easier for us. Over the past few years, I have tested out dozens of apps and websites that have the goal of making life more convenient (some of which are geared specifically toward college students). Some have turned out to be completely useless and did nothing more than waste space on my devices. Others have become a part of my daily routine and save me time, money, and effort every day. These sites and applications range from study tools to food delivery services to shopping apps, so they can help in practically all aspects of your life.
So do you want to learn about websites and apps that will actually help you out and not just take up storage on your phone or laptop? If so, keep reading for my list of websites and apps that I think every college student should have.
EDUCATIONAL/STUDY
Quizlet
Quizlet has been my favorite study tools since I first found out about it in high school. Over the years, many new additions have been made to this app/website. My favorite feature that Quizlet has added is how you can easily import your notes to create a study set. If you are someone that types their notes, this is extremely useful because now you can easily transfer these notes into Quizlet rather than having to retype everything you probably already spent hours taking down. Quizlet is great if you have a ton of new terms to memorize. It makes studying slightly more fun by giving you the option to play games and even build your own practice tests to switch up your study methods.
Google Drive
Google Drive has become a popular service over the years because of how easy it makes file saving. I prefer using Google drive over Microsoft Suite because it is easily accessible to view and edit across all devices and it makes sharing files extremely easy. Having the Google Drive app is especially convenient when I’m on the go and quickly need to reference something or when I need to send a document but I don’t have my laptop readily available.
Duolingo
Duolingo is an awesome app that allows users to learn over 30 languages. I am working towards completing my Spanish minor, so during the summer, it has been my goal to work on retaining information while also expanding my vocabulary. It offers hundreds of lessons that only take a few minutes to complete. Because of this app, I have recently begun learning Italian which is something I have always wanted to do. I considered taking a course at my university which would cost me hundreds of dollars. Duolingo is free and extremely easy to use. You can set goals for yourself and it’s super easy to track your progress.
Grammarly
I installed the Grammarly browser extension on my laptop and it has been a lifesaver! This has saved me from many embarrassing typos and grammatical mistakes. Grammarly is a
SHOPPING
Unidays
I’m all for trying to save money in any way I can. Unidays is awesome because it is an app made specifically for college students to help them gain student discounts and earn rewards at popular stores like H&M, Asos, and Forever 21. There are so many stores that I constantly shopped at and I had no idea that I could have been using a student discount. Unidays is free to download and will save you tons of money.
Amazon
I think that all college students should take advantage of the Amazon Prime student discount. All college students are eligible to get a free six month trial of Amazon Prime. Once this trial expires, the discounted subscription is $59 a year, or $6.49 a month. I order the majority of my textbooks for school through amazon and I have probably saved hundreds of dollars by doing this. Most of the books I am able to rent for just a fraction of the price that it would cost to purchase. At the end of the
The other perk of having an Amazon Prime account is the 2 day shipping which is especially useful for those who don’t have a car on campus and have a hard time getting to the store.
Fetch Rewards
Thank you to my mom for sharing the app Fetch Rewards with me. I now live off campus so I am constantly making trips to the grocery store. This app allows you to scan your receipts, earn points, and get rewards. Rewards include gift cards to places like Sephora, Amazon, and Nike. I’m a big fan of apps and websites that allow you to get money from doing nothing more than what you are already doing. I have to go to the grocery store so I may as well take 5 extra seconds to scan my receipt and get rewarded for it.
Rakuten Rewards
Another shoutout to my mom for letting me know about Rakuten Rewards, formerly known as Ebates. Rakuten allows you to get cashback for simply shopping online. People are often hesitant to do things like this because they think there’s a catch, at least that’s how I felt at first. But no, there’s no catch! You simply download the browser extension and it will alert you if there are any coupons to apply to your purchase and tells you the percent of your purchase you are eligible to get cashback for. They send you a check in the mail once every quarter, then you are free to spend your money however you’d like. They also have a way that you can set up your account so that you can get cashback for in-store purchases.
Click here to sign up and get $10 when you make your first purchase!
MISCILEANOUS
Uber/Lyft
Most schools don’t allow their freshman students to have a car on campus making it difficult to get around. Taking the bus or walking isn’t always possible to get where you need to go so Uber/Lyft are the way to go. I would not suggest relying solely on Uber/Lyft for transportation but it does come in hand in a number of situations. I have both apps on my phone because sometimes one has a cheaper price over the other.
Transit/ Other University Transportation App
My school uses an app called Transit for our bus system. My campus is HUGE and my freshman year, taking the bus was the best way for me to get around. When I put in my destination, the app was able to tell me which bus to get on and at what time it was leaving. I would suggest finding out if your school has a similar app especially if you go to a school with a bigger campus.
Google Maps will also give you details for bus information.
GrubHub
Many universities do not allow students to bring their cars on campus the first year making it difficult to get food from anywhere other than the dining hall. While the dining hall may seem like food heaven at first, their limited selection gets really, old really fast. While I do not recommend eating out every single night, I do think its okay to buy food every so often. There are so many food delivery services out there that it’s hard to keep track. The app I use most when ordering takeout at school is GrubHub. They deliver food from some of my favorite local resturaunts and they often offer discounts.
Every college student NEEDS to make an account on LinkedIn. It is a great way to stay in touch with professionals and it’s an easy way to network. If there is one thing that I have heard a million times in college, it is how important networking is. Networking is one of the best ways to learn about internship and career opportunities. I have gotten into the habit of checking this social media platform just as much as I check my Instagram or Twitter. In the future, I plan to do an entire post about creating your LinkedIn profile and how to use this platform to your advantage. Stay tuned!
Venmo/Cash App
We live in an age where people hardly ever carry cash around. My roommate and I
Spotify + Hulu
I just got a
Related: How to Save Money in College, Four Inspiring Podcasts You Should be Listening to Right Now
