Here me out. I was in your shoes three years ago. An incoming Freshman with little to no knowledge about how to navigate the collegiate atmosphere. As an only child, I looked to my parents for advice regarding what college would look like and what I needed to do to make it everything I perceived it to be. Now, looking back, I can say their advice may have been a bit outdated . Because of this, I was in over my head when I started my journey as a first year student. I am here to tell you about the mistakes I made and what resources you can use to make your transition a bit smoother. Here are some of the user friendly important apps you can utilize. Enjoy!
Remember the digital notecard platform you used in middle school and high school to study vocab and memorizing human anatomy? Quizlet? Yeah, use it! Usually, the material first year students need to study has already been made as a Quizlet set by another freshman year student. Instead of wasting your time (and paper!), like I did making a new set of terms, simply thank the previous student who wasted their time making the set and start studying here. Use this application with the mentality to study smarter instead of harder in order to optimize your time!
Prior to the start of my classes, I looked over each syllabi and noted which novels and textbooks I need for these courses. I decided to order most of my books through Barnes and Noble while buying my textbooks at full price. Once I purchased the required readings, I noticed the giant hole that had grown in my wallet. Yikes college readings are expensive! I learned from this mistake and made a mental note that the following semester I would RENT these required readings. Since that expensive semester, I have looked at other options for renting books such as Amazon and at the least expensive option, renting books from my campus’ bookstore.
I have some news for you, the dining hall at your university may not be everything it is perceived to be. Freshman year I made sure to use my meal plan in order to be conscientious about overspending during my first semester; but, occasionally, the repetition of the meals would get the best of me and I would crave something other than stir fry or cereal. Uber eats and Postmates is perfect for when you want to spice up your palette and take a break from on campus dining. You can order at any time and have your meal come straight to your door. This app is perfect for late nights filled with studying when you can’t muster up the energy to leave your desk.
Many first year students are required by their universities to take a foreign language during the first semesters of college. I took Spanish throughout highschool; but, during the summer leading into my first semester as a college student, I wanted to brush up on some of my skills. To do so, I used the application Duolingo to practice some of the tricky verb conjugations that usually left me stumped on Spanish exams. Throughout my first year at my university, Duolingo came in handy for studying for spanish exams.
Social applications such as Loopchat allow students to expand their social communities through person-to-person messaging. If a student has a question regarding classes, thoughts on a specific professor, details for social gatherings on campus, or just wants to reach out to another student, this app is a must have. Diving into the social scene on a college campus may be unnerving for some; but, using Loop Chat can help you overcome these struggles.
PEERS edu is a peer to peer tutoring application that has allowed me better navigate and understand my course materials through other students. With PEERS edu I am able to ask for a fast or quick tutoring session when I have available time and for any set duration. I am a Communications major and an English minor and spend a lot of my time writing papers for my professors. With a few taps of my screen, I am now able to access a network of tutors through PEERS edu and can quickly converse with someone regarding my papers and assignments.
These are just a few examples of the apps I have used over the duration of my college experience. There are plenty more; but, these are the applications that have facilitated my college lifestyle both socially and academically. I hope you take them into account before you set off on your own collegiate journey. For my fellow college students, what applications do you think belong on this list?
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