Ever wondered how your phone can help you excel in class? How your handheld can help you to manage your munchies or teach you how to survive in the wild? Then this list is for you. From travel and entertainment to food and drinks to social networking and cool ways to use the camera on your phone, these top 50 apps for college students can help you get the most out of your handheld device whether on campus or around town. (Hint: Many of the Mac apps listed are also available for Android.)
ON CAMPUS
- Use Your Handwriting - If you need to jot down a quick note or a phone number, skip the keypad and use this app to scribble notes on the screen of your iPhone or iPad.
- Dictionary.com - Want to impress your professor? Use this app to look up those tricky words for your English Lit paper. The app has nearly 2 million words, but you'll need an Internet connection to search them.
- WolframAlpha - Carry a know-it-all in your pocket with this app, which calculates answers and generates reports on questions related to physics, math, chemistry, engineering, data analysis, education, sports, linguistics and more.
- Free Graphing Calculator - Pocket protector anyone? This app puts a scientific calculator at your fingertips.
- Learn Spanish Quick - If you're taking Spanish 101, this is the app for you: Spanish flashcards with audio to help you brush up on your vocabulary.
- Find My iPhone - Can't remember where you left your iPhone? This app lets you locate it and lock it to keep your data safe.
- STUDYBLUE Flashcards - When finals come around, you can leave that messy stack of flashcards at home and instead use this flashcard app to get ready for the next big test.
- Rate My Professors - If you're not sure which professor to take for that Psych 101 class you're signing up for next semester, this app lets you see what other students have to say about professors. You can also post comments about the professors you've had before.
- Flashlight. - Don't want to get caught in the dark? Try this flashlight app that also comes with a compass to help you find your way around campus.
- Dragon Dictation - Note to self: Meet study group at 7. Skip the typing and dictate notes, emails or text messages with this voice recognition app.
- AroundMe - About to run out of gas in the middle of your road trip and don't know where to turn? Try this app, which helps you find the nearest gas station, bar, bank, hotel or whatever you need, wherever you are.
- Evernote - Stay organized in class and out with this app that helps you sync and manage notes, lists and reminders across all your devices.
NEWS AND INFORMATION
- Wiki Tap - This app keeps a wealth of knowledge at your fingertips with access to information and videos on almost any topic through Wikipedia.
- MyCongress - For all those poly-sci majors, this app will let you track news and information on U.S. Congressional officials.
- NPR Hourly News - Stay on top of the latest current events with this app that automatically plays the hourly news from National Public Radio every time you open it.
- Mashable! - Get the top tech and digital news with this app that brings you up-to-date coverage from Mashable.com.
- Alien Blue HD - Submit news or stay on top of the latest Reddit posts with this app.
- Flipboard - This app - Apple's iPad App of the year - will let you create and flip through a personalized magazine containing everything from your Facebook newsfeed to articles from your favorite magazines or websites.
- The Weather Channel - Should I bring a jacket? Get up-to-date weather, complete with radar, severe weather alerts and snow accumulation forecasts, using this app.
FOOD and DRINKS
- Yelp - If you've got a case of the munchies, this app can help. It searches for nearby restaurants (not to mention bars, café's and other businesses), then shows you community reviews to help you decide where to go.
- In-N-Out - Would you like fries with that? Find the nearest In-N-Out Burger joint with this app.
- Tip Calculator - This app will come in handy when you're dining out with friends by calculating the tip or helping you split the bill.
- iBartender - Mix it up at any party with this bartender app filled with cocktail recipes. You must be 17 or older to download it.
- Cooking - No baking soda in the pantry for those late-night brownies you're making? No problem. This app will tell you what you can substitute and give you many, many more handy cooking tips - from metric conversions to adjusting for cooking in high altitude.
- Chipotle Ordering - Grab your tacos but skip the line. Use this app to order and pay for your meal, then just breeze in to pick it up at Chipotle.
- Domino's Pizza USA - Got a late-night case of the munchies? Use this app to order pizza, find coupons, pay for your order and track your order from the time it's being made until it goes out for delivery.
TRAVEL
- GasBuddy - This app will help you figure out just how far those last few bucks in your pocket will take you. With a few taps on your iPad, iPhone or iPod touch, it will locate nearby gas stations and tell you their gas prices.
- uPackingList - Don't forget your toothbrush! This app will help you get ready for any trip by letting you create and update lists to stay organized.
- Survival Guide - If you're lost in the woods, you're certain to want with you this app filled with survival tips.
- KAYAK mobile - Looking for the cheapest flight for Spring break? This app will let you search hundreds of travel sites at once to find the best deals on fights, hotels and car rentals.
- Tripit - This travel organizer app keeps all your travel plans in one place and lets you easily share them with family and friends. Use it to keep mom in the loop or to let all your Facebook friends know where you're headed.
ENTERTAINMENT
- Shazam - What's the name of that song? Play a clip of it, and the this app will tell you.
- 8tracks Radio - Like the "mix tape" of the 21st Century, this app lets you listen to a collection of play lists for free
- College Football Scoreboard - Touchdown. Stay on top of the latest college football scores, schedules and information with this college football app.
- Netflix - Grab a bucket of popcorn and watch streaming video on your wireless device with this app.
SOCIAL NETWORKING
- Facebook - Want to know what your friends are up to? View their latest Facebook posts and uploads from anywhere using this app
- Twitter - Use this app to access the latest tweets on your handheld device from everyone you follow on Twitter.
- foursquare - Let your friends know where you are and find out where they've been and what they recommend through this location-based social networking app.
- LinkedIn - Get a jump start on your career by forming a professional network with this app. Make connections, view job listings and start networking toward that first job.
- Pinterest - Love clothing? Cooking? Decorating? Pin your favorite things with this this virtual pinboard app, then share with your friends.
GAMES
- Angry Birds - Help the angry birds get back at the pigs.
- Fancy Pants - Fancy Pants Man needs your help to rescue his sister, Cutie Pants.
- Draw Something - This drawing and guessing game is the top free and paid app. Play with friends or go up against strangers.
- Words with Friends - It's easy to get addicted to this word-building game that you can play with friends or get matched up with opponents.
USING YOUR CAMERA
- Instagram - Customize your iPhone photos and share them with your friends. This app also lets you easily follow friends' photos or share your pictures on Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare and other sites.
- Hipstamatic - Take your pictures back to the old days. Use this app to turn your phone into an old-time camera, complete with choices for various lenses, flash settings or film that each create a unique effect on your pictures.
- Camera+ - Use your iPhone camera to create professional-looking photos with this app that lets you zoom, helps you line up your shots and provides a ton of cool effects you can put on your pictures after you've snapped them.
- iMovie - Make a movie right from your dorm room - or anywhere for that matter. This app will let you string together video, photos, music and sound effects to create home movies with a few taps on your iPad or iPhone.
- Dropbox - You'll never have to worry again about losing that English Lit paper. Just put documents, photos or videos into your dropbox with this app, and it automatically saves to your computers, iPhone, iPad and the dropbox websites so you can access them from anywhere.
- myPhotoBooth - Want to hop into a photo booth and get a strip of pictures with your friends? You can do it from your iPhone or iPad with this app.