Top Eight iPhone Apps For Students
Not everything in Apple’s iPhone App Store is fun and games: Students should check out some of the handy educational tools and reference guides in the App Store.
One new, popular utility that could be useful for students is Convert, a 99-cent (AU$1.19) unit calculator that’s currently the no. 2 best-selling app in the App Store.
It converts dozens of unit types, ranging from measurements you might use in math class—angles and area; to science class —temperature and force; to design class — typography and computer file sizes.
It’s also been a big hit. The app’s developer Tap Tap Tap tells us that it’s sold 100,000 copies of Convert since it went on sale in mid-August. After Apple’s 30 per cent cut, that’s about $US70,000 in sales so far, in less than a month. Not bad!
Other interesting apps for students include several digital organisers, which could replace a paper calendar and assignment notebook.
The free app MyHomework is one popular example, and it’s currently the no. 2 most downloaded education app in the App Store. It lets students keep track of their classes, homework assignments, projects and tests, with a fun, simple user interface.
College students may be more interested in iStudiez Pro, which seems more tailored to the nature of university studies, helping you keep track of lecture and lab sessions, tasks, homework, scheduling, etc. At $AU3.99, it’s currently the no. 1 most popular paid education app in the App Store.
One apparent disappointment: An iPhone app that hooks into the Blackboard software that many schools and colleges use, which would be a great help. But we stop short of recommending the free “Blackboard Learn” app that’s in the App Store.
Why? Reviewers have given it terrible grades—a 1.5 star rating out of 5 possible stars, complaining about all sorts of shortcomings and bugs. We don’t have access to a Blackboard server, so we couldn’t try it first-hand. But it sounds like it could use an update.
Have any favourites for students? Let us know in the comments section.
iStudiez Pro: AU$3.99
Keep your schedule and class locations at a glance, keep track of lecture and lab locations, and track tasks and deadlines, homework assignments, etc.
AlgebraPrep Series: AU$3.99 each
Need to get your algebra knowledge in shape? These apps—a series of five, for AU$3.99 each—include practice, videos, and tests for algebra factoring, graphing, systems, equations and real numbers.
Convert – The Unit Calculator: AU$1.19
Converts dozens of unit types, ranging from measurements you’d use in math class—angles and area; temperature and force; design class—typography and computer file sizes. Currently the no. 2 most downloaded paid app in the App Store.
Dictionary.com: Free
There’s plenty of paid dictionary apps in the App Store—Apple is currently promoting a $25 dictionary, for example. But this one is free and includes audio, etymology and a thesaurus. Caveat: It’s a big file because it’s designed to work offline, too. So it’s a good idea to install it over a Wi-Fi signal or USB sync.
MyHomework: Free
A simple assignment notebook, which is currently the no. 2 most popular free education app in the App Store. Track assignments, quizzes, tests, etc.
The Chemical Touch Lite: Free
“Sometimes all you need is a simply periodic table,” the app maker says. True! Includes elements’ masses, densities, melting and boiling points, etc. Also a pro version for AU$1.19.
Simplenote: AU$2.49
The iPhone comes with a built-in note taking app, but it’s an ugly yellow design and requires you to plug in your phone to sync it with your computer. Simplenote syncs wirelessly to a Web interface, so you can take notes in class and pull them up on your laptop, even if you left your iPhone cable at home.
Free Language Tutors: Free
This app maker, 24/7 Tutor, offers several free tutoring apps, including Spanish, French, Italian and German. They include audio of words, a puzzle game, flash cards, and quizzes.
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Comments (AU Comments | US Comments)
Hmm, I wonder if the Blackboard app is free. I have an online class using Blackboard. I may have to at least test it to see.
Red-headed bookworm
@Ali Khan: It deserves 1.5 stars... in Hell.
@PaddyDugan: My son will be instructed NOT to give any of his personal property to ANY school official, they can call me if they have a problem, not take his personal property away.
That being said, he would NOT be allowed to take a phone or whatever to school if he kept getting caught doing things he wasen't supposed to do with it (like cheat, call friends) during class. Im the parent, not the Nazi teachers with a police ego.
BeerManMike
@SJRNWT: When I went to high school we could use the payphone during study hall and lunch.
chauncy that billups
As a Chemical Engineering major, I highly recommend Chem Touch. It's extremely useful and the developer is constantly updating it with new features.
e2drummer
@PaddyDugan: The high school I went to allows cellphones in class. If you got caught texting or calling in class, you'd get your privileges taken away.
Personally, I used to use my phone in high school as my textbook. I'd scan pages and view them on the screen instead of lugging 50lbs of books everyday lol.
SJRNWT
@PaddyDugan: In my school we were allowed Electronic Devices during lunch and before first bell and after last bell.
And if you wanted to use your iPhone or something in class all you need is a dumb teacher or a good seat.
"Graphing Calculator" (the one by gabor something or another) is really good. I got it while it was free, but I'd gladly have paid for it.
rootyb
There are other converter apps that are excellent and free. Try Units or ConvertBot.
I got the blackboard app a couple months ago, the problem I've had is that my school uses their own portal to blackboard that won't work with the app.....yet blackboard claims they're trying to remedy this but they haven't updated it yet. The other thing is that at FSU (where I go) they have enough computers and wifi support that I can use my iPhone or a terminal to check it without the hassle
Pyrowrx
@Ali Khan: Damn, you beat me to it.
TJ
I love my iStudiez Pro app. I whole-heartedly recommend it to my schoolmates at university. It was featured in the WSJ a month or so back, and it trumps the other schedule keepers I've used (MyClasses, Timetable)) It allows for me to schedule one-time classes, for when Profs must reschedule for a day, as well as multiple sessions for a class (labs, supplemental instruction, etc.) Great app
ColbertSuperNationalist
Yeah, bring that iphone to school, kid. Teacher needs a new phone. Cuz you know they just take 'em away, right?
PaddyDugan
Blackboard, the website deserves 1.5 stars out 5 so i'm not surprised the app is shit
Ali Khan
Hmm, I will have to check out the blackboard app.
I cant test it out now (wifi is slow right now on it). Tomorrow blackboard is down, saturday I will have to try it out.
KTK1990
@PaddyDugan: Assuming parents sign the standard paper at the beginning of the year, the teachers do seize electronic devices, among other items considered contraband. You might not like it, but you have to go down to the school to retrieve it. Since many of the devices are acquired without parental knowledge, or parents just can't be bothered, many a classroom/office drawer is stuffed with gadgets.
PaddyDugan
This "Top 10" list should really be numbered. Not for ranking purposes, but for organization.
curlycarlos
Im much more a fan of iProcrastinate than myHomework. It looks smoother, loads faster, actually shows you how many assignments you have pending in the icon, and has better touch recognition. it takes me at least 5 tries to hit a button in myHomework.
@chauncy that billups: When I went to high school we could only use the candlestick phones before classes or during lunch...and even then only if the switchboard operator was sober enough to man the board.
@PaddyDugan: What? Are you 12? Cell Phones are allowed in collage.
Software_Goddess
Wow the periodic table is a lot fuller than I remember it being.
Software_Goddess
what about remember the milk? I use that to keep track of all my homework and upcoming projects!
Dan Mandle
@Ali Khan: Blackboard... Terrible software is right! I know someone that works for the company that acquired blackboard. When they did they pretty much went around to one another, asking what blackboard even was... I had to explain it to him.
Chewmieser
Stony Brook doesn't support the Blackboard app. Our BB page loads fine in Safari though, so I couldn't care less.
I do have to agree with people that ConvertBot is better. The fact that it can pretty much convert any unit known to man is highly impressive.
@BeerManMike: Ahhhh, so you're the mandatory parent that barges into the class and yells at the teacher for disciplining your child? Every year I had a classmate who had a parent like you...
The fact is, if the kid is texting in class, he should have his phone taken away for the remainder of the class. There's no reason you need a phone in class. If there's an emergency and you need to contact your kid, you can call the school and they'll get him/her for you within a couple minutes at most.
Having a parent call a teacher everytime they catch a kid texting or calling in class is absolutely retarded. It's a huge waste of everyone's time.
SJRNWT
@Software_Goddess: Collage...haha.
Too bad they don't sell spell check for smart asses.