Students and the apps they love
Apps were made for college students, right? Millennials may be one of the largest demographics of people to use a variety of different apps on their smartphones.
Between apps to help with classes, time management and social interaction, students are downloading left and right, and there are plenty of favorites.
Here are a few that Utah State University students specifically feel they’ve come to love as college students:
Canvas:
This app is directly linked to a students’ online Canvas. With classes, assignments, to-do lists, messaging and grades, students can see everything they need for classes, right in their palm.
“I love it because I can access my classes on my phone or tablet and not have to haul my computer everywhere,” said Rachel Hulse, a junior majoring in elementary education. “I don’t have to log onto Canvas on the Internet when I want to check real quick what homework is due, or if my teachers have us look at something on Canvas.”
The convenience is enough to probably sway any busy student.
However, students should keep in mind that no technology is perfect, and the Canvas app is sometimes slow to load and isn’t able to display everything that can be see on Canvas on the computer. It’s a convenient on-the-go homework help, but the computer is good to use for the big stuff.
Google:
“I like the Google app a lot,” said Kyle Reed, a freshman majoring in aviation technology. “You can just look up anything on it, and you can talk to it, and that’s really cool.”
The Google app is just like the search engine used through the Internet on a computer. It is free and can have numerous windows of searches open for a few days before refreshing. It can also connect to a personal Google account, when the user signs themselves in, to save searches and bring up information that may relate to them.
Google Translate:
Though it began as one of Google’s tools to be used on a computer, anybody can now quickly translate between languages with the Google Translate app.
It can be especially useful for students in language courses, like Janna Weaver, who said that it was something she regularly used in her Russian classes to help with quick word translations.
Google Translate is the free app that helps someone like Weaver the most with homework, especially the stuff that is not in English.
Fantastical:
An app for calendaring and keeping schedules in order is what a lot of students need. For anyone with and iPhone and Gmail, this particular app could be especially useful, according to student users.
“Fantastical is an amazing, beautiful, well-designed calendar for iPhone that makes it so easy to visualize and plan schedules. It syncs with Google Calendar flawlessly and you can even quick input appointments as needed.” said Andrew Davis, a former USU student majoring in graphic design.
Though it costs$2, Davis said it is worth the money for helping students stay organized.
Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat:
Though apps to help with schoolwork are an obvious convenience for students, they still want their social media. And having smartphones only helps the connection between students happen more frequently.
“I use Instagram, Twitter and Snapchat. It’s like I go from one to the other to the other and back again. It’s like a circle,” said Thomas Dale, a sophomore majoring in business administration. “I love being social and knowing about people’s lives, and I also like to show my life to other people. It’s the social aspect.”
Reed agrees, and said he also likes being able to see what other people are doing.
And every college student knows the social aspect in life is important to keep them sane. Having a smartphone and apps to keep connected only makes it more convenient, and therefore, a constant part of many students’ lives.
Living with or without apps:
Perhaps, though, most interesting is seeing how students go without smartphones or apps.
For Risha Russon, her husband having one for her to occasionally use is enough, especially since she feels that most people are being sucked into their phones all the time.
“I think we just get so use to technology instead of focusing on where we are, what we are doing, the people we are with,” said Russon, who is studying economics. “We’re so focused on getting our questions answered, we miss out on connecting with people cause we’re sucked into our devices.”
So apps and smartphones are convenient, and many students probably can’t imagine life without them. However, there is also a balance needed in life, Russon said, and it has to do with knowing when to put the phone down.
Even if Google is just sitting there dying to be asked something random.
—mandy.m.morgan@aggiemail.usu.edu