Even though it feels like a lifetime, it's only been four short years since I first stepped foot into North Hall. Since fall 2012, MBU has had a few things change. For instance, we've gained two new housing developments, a football team and field and a whole slew of new degrees. We underwent a university re-branding and now bear the mark #ShineOnMBU. Not only that, but we got some major wifi upgrades (if you think it's bad now, you have no idea), lots of new classroom technology and we made a major transition from Blackboard to Canvas.

With all of these relatively big technology updates, access to information has gotten SO much easier for students. That being said, I want to talk about five apps (some MBU, some not) that would have made my freshman year way easier.

1. Corq

You like people? How about free food? Want to get plugged in with events on campus? Corq is your one-stop shop. Corq is linked with myMBUlife to update you on the events that are happening on campus every day. Let me tell you, MBU loves giving out free food, so you don't want to miss out! All you have to do is download the app and it searches your location and prompts you to choose MBU as your campus. Then it will pull up a list of all the fun activities planned in the near future. You can even add filters like "freshman" or "free food." Your first two weeks are going to have the biggest impact on how you spend your time and who you do it with. Get in the know with this app!

2. Canvas

The Canvas app is one of the best ways to stay on top of your schoolwork. You can use it to keep track of when your homework is due and what grade you got when your professor puts it in. Logging in, you just use your mobap username and password. It automatically logs you into the current semester and breaks it down by class. Have a class that doesn't send updates? You can hide it so it doesn't clutter up your screen. Plus, if you have an online class where you have to post video responses, it makes for a super convenient upload!

3. Waze

Waze is by far the best navigation app I have ever used. Whether you are new to the St. Louis area or you've been living here your whole life, it will benefit you. It's an interactive application that allows users to let other drivers know what the driving conditions are like minute by minute. It will update you on real-time traffic, obstacles in the road, cars parked on the side of the highway, construction and even alert you to police officers. I still use this app every day. It has a handy feature that tracks the traffic and updates your arrival time based on the traffic delay. This way, if the traffic is bad on the highway on the way to school, I know to use back roads to get me where I need to go on time.

4. Mint

Finances are one of the hardest parts of college. Mint makes keeping track of your fundage easier. It's a safe application that links all of your accounts. You can use your bank information and your credit card information. It'll show you what you have in your account, and the credit limit you have left. Plus, it has a budgeting feature that helps you allocate your funds. When you are close to maxing out a budget, it alerts you. It also reminds you of upcoming payments for credit cards and service charges you may receive. It also has a handy feature where you can see exactly what you've been spending your money on. When I started using it, I was shocked to see how much of my income was going toward fast food. The hands on information made it easier to track what I was spending.

5. Calendar

Time management is another critical key to success in college. Keeping an updated planner is a great way to manage your time. For this one, I do not use an app on my phone. My fiance, on the other hand would die if he didn't have Siri. He likes the convenience of being able to just say, "Siri, remind me when I get home that I need to do my biology homework." So, if this is you, utilize your calendar app to its fullest potential. For instance, did you know you can set your phone up to recognize certain locations? So when you get "home" your phone knows it and will remind you, no matter what time it is. Or you can set up your reminders based on times and deadlines. Don't wait to add something. If your professor gives you a deadline, put it in right away. If your professor doesn't allow technology in the classroom, jot it down in your notes and add it as soon as you leave class.

If this isn't you, and you like a calendar you can hold, I HIGHLY recommend the Passion Planner. It's a super detailed calendar filled with goal mapping, inspirational quotes and half-hour time increments. I use an academic calendar, so it goes from August to July, but they have January to December calendars also available. In the grand scheme of awesome planners, it's pretty inexpensive (only $30 plus shipping), and they have an option where you can print it at home for free if you just share their page on Facebook.

So there you have it! Student success really isn't that hard. It can be narrowed down to the amount of awareness you have in your life. The more you know about your surroundings, your money and your deadlines, the more proactive you can be about success in college! If you use these apps to their fullest potential I bet that they truly help you Shine On!