Best Back-To-School iPhone Apps

Cheap or Free Applications for Students With iPhones

Aug 16, 2009 Michelle Schusterman

For keeping organized, editing papers on the go, and finding cheap textbooks, these iPhone apps are perfect for students heading back to school.

There are hundreds of apps available that encourage procrastination, but many can help students stay focused and on task when it's time to buckle down and work. Here are a few of the best apps for high school and college students.

Stay Organized With One Simple App

It's no secret that there are tons of apps that promise to help the user stay organized, but many of these can be just another distraction.

Evernote is simple and easy to use. Students can take a snapshot, jot down text, or use the voice recording feature to remember everything from lectures to library research. Just add the information, and Evernote does the organizing by running the data through recognition technology and syncing it to the user's desktop or laptop, ready to be tagged.

An easy search function means all notes are at the student's fingertips. Best of all, Evernote is completely free.

Edit Word Documents on the iPhone

This mobile Office suite allows students to edit, create, and view Microsoft Word files, and view Microsoft Excel, Powerpoint, PDF, Apple iWork, and other files on an iPhone.

Research papers and theses can be edited on the go, then simply emailed to the student or professor's email account. Documents To Go's unique InTact technology ensures that the original formatting remains the same. This app is available for $4.99.

Find Cheap Textbooks Online

BigWords doesn't sell books, but this free program seeks out the cheapest textbooks by comparing prices at every good online textbook retailer. Bookstore scores are available, keeping students informed on the condition of the book.

BigWords considers shipping, coupons, and promotions, taking everything into account to find the cheapest textbooks for students. Download BigWords for free at the iTunes store.

Custom Made Flashcards for Studying

While some time may be required for student's to create their own personalized flashcards, iFlipr already has nearly 3 million cards in their database to choose from.

Available for $4.99, iFlipr Flashcards utilize images, text, and can be copied and pasted directly from spreadsheets. The cards are available for study offline, and the program uses an intelligent learning algorithm for smarter study.

Fraction and Graphing Calculators

Hundreds of basic calculators are available for the iPhone. One of the best for performing simple operations with fractions is FracCalc, which is a free download on the iTunes store.

Many high school and college math classes require the bulky and expensive TI83 graphing calculator, but for only $0.99 students can opt for the PI83 graphing calculator instead. The PI83 features over 100 math functions and is designed as a replacement for the TI83.

For teachers wary of students using iPhones during testing, the PI83 timestamps all screenshots so teachers can see the time the app was opened.

WordBook English Dictionary and Thesaurus

The most popular dictionary app of 2008 was the WordBook, available for $1.99. With 150,000 entries, this dictionary has the equivalent of 1,800 pages. WordBook provides the typical functions such as etymologies and a thesaurus with word links, and a few fun features as well, like the word of the day, and a crossword and anagram solver. No internet is necessary to use WordBook.

More iPhone Apps

For the more eco-conscious student, try these Green Apps for iPhone.

The copyright of the article Best Back-To-School iPhone Apps in Mobile Technology is owned by Michelle Schusterman. Permission to republish Best Back-To-School iPhone Apps in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

The Evernote App Organizes Notes and Thoughts

iFlipr Helps Students Study With Flashcards

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