“If you’re the type of person who has to fulfill your dreams, you’ve got to be resourceful to make sure you can do it.” -Vin Diesel
Upon entering my first year of college, I researched extensively about the best websites and apps for college students. I didn’t fully understand just how much I’d use these simple websites everyday and in research. This list is cumulative, both experience-driven and research-driven. These websites are extremely user-friendly, functional, and advantageous for your college experience.
1) Quizlet
This website allows students to make flashcards, test yourself, and even allows you to share your flashcards in a group setting. The tests range from competitive games to simple back and forth electronic flashcards. Your teachers can even create a Quizlet Live set so that you can learn cooperatively in the classroom.
2) Mint
This website is all about analyzing where your money is spent. The site and app of the same name will create personalized budgets for you. It is extremely secure and comes from the makers of TurboTax® and Quicken®. The app and website are both free of charge.
3) WayUp
This website and app frequently updates you on jobs and internships available in your area that you might be interested in. It is tailored specifically to college students’ needs as well as recent graduates. You can set up either a public or private profile, complete with your extracurricular interests, hobbies, and skills in an easy-to-use format. A representative for WayUp and my orientation leader, Zoey Chopra, first introduced me to the site, and I use it frequently.
4) Audible
Audible is a platform where you can listen to your college books as well as the books you select to read in your free time. You can even speed up the pace as it reads and your first thirty days are free! It is owned by Amazon. I highly recommend reading the book in physical format, but for brush-ups Audible is fantastic.
5) TED
Seems like a simple solution, but I always consult TED talks for article ideas, research papers, and credible sources because TED talks are given by experts in their respective fields. The research papers I’ve written with TED talk sources are usually the most interesting because you have the chance to relate your research paper to a current event and prominent source on the topic. This ability shows a great strength to your professors.
6) Refdesk
Refdesk serves as your personal fact-checker. If you heard a quote that you want to use, but you are not quite sure where it came from in your knowledge-bank, Refdesk is the go-to search engine. It also obtains useful, citable facts such as today’s gas and oil prices and Gallup opinion polls.
7) Erin Condren
Erin Condren is the go-to website for college organizational needs and design inquiries. The LifePlanner is my favorite planner; it has my seal of approval. You can build your own planner, furnished with a plethora of inspirational quotes and an hour-by-hour, day-to-day planning guide. You will achieve a level of organization you’ve only dreamt to obtain. Protip: you will get $10 off your first order by signing up on her email list here.
8) Pocket
This website is a must for the avid-reader. If you come across a website on any of your devices that you would like to save for later reference, you can save it in your virtual "pocket." You can save any website on your iPhone, iPad, Mac, Android, or Kindle Fire. You can even tag the website with a relevant word to remind you about it, or whatever research project you are working on.
9) IceCream Apps
An easy way for college students to have a lot of the necessary software for online homework or research projects in an easy-to-use, catch-all format. It obtains a slideshow maker, PDF converter, and an Ebook reader.
10) Momentum
If you’re an avid Chrome user, download Momentum! It is available free of charge on the Chrome webstore and gives daily positivity your way. With gorgeous images as your background that change frequently, your motivation to consistently perform and study in college will increase with Momentum on Chrome. It even allows your main focus for the day as the prominent center of your page when you open new tabs and an integrated to-do list.