App-ly these must-have apps for students to your life

The semester is in full swing, and our schedules are only getting busier. As a digital generation, our phones are our friends — so why not make life easier with the use of our pocket-sized devices?

Be sure to check out these applications that every Rutgers student needs on their phone.

Notion

As college students, we are juggling clubs, classes, homework, jobs and friends daily. It’s only to our benefit, mine and yours, to ditch the physical planner that you’ve shoved in the bottom of your backpack and only reached for during the first week of classes.

It’s time to go digital.

Notion may be intimidating at first, but it’s very easy to navigate. Downloading the app lets you have deadlines, to-do lists, word vomits and journal entries all in one space. If you are won over by aesthetics, this app may be even more worth it as you can change things around to please the eye.

Google Calendar

Making the switch to Google Calendar is easier than you think! Google Calendar is very user-friendly and lets you color coordinate and organize all your events in one place. The app also lets you export other calendars and sends you reminders to make sure you don't forget things.  

As someone who relies on their brain to keep track of events, the reminder option is very useful because the app is much more dependable than my brain. I no longer have to worry about forgetting that I have class on Livingston campus and then a club meeting on Busch campus — not the other way around.

Canvas Student

Having the Canvas Student app makes it easy to look at grades, assignment deadlines and announcements on your phone while on the go. You can go on the app any time you feel like being amazed about your overall grade in the intro class you’re required to take.

If you’re ever itching to look at your grade while in the bathroom or at the syllabus right before you walk into class, the Canvas Student app is probably right for you.

The Canvas Student app has consistently been helpful for me. Without it, I wouldn’t be able to watch lectures at one and a half times speed while on the bus to my exam or send shockwaves through dinner when I get a notification that my professor uploaded the grade.

Starbucks App

This one is for my fellow coffee drinkers or cake pop enthusiasts. We have two Starbucks locations on campus, excluding the truck, so getting the Starbucks app and being able to order ahead (when it is available), get rewards and not wait in long lines will make life easier!

The Starbucks app allows you to get rewards and put them toward free drinks, add-ons and food as you get more points through purchases. If you're like me, you get the brown sugar shaken espresso often, and it adds up. Having the app and getting rewards allows me to justify my purchases every so often when I redeem rewards for a treat, and it could do the same for you. 

Also, if you are in between classes or heading for a study session at the library, ordering ahead through the app and walking to your commitment with a coffee in hand may just give you everything you need to get through it. 

TransLoc 

This one is a no-brainer. As a competent TransLoc user, I’m well aware of the faults in the app. Nevertheless, I know that I wouldn’t be able to get from the Livingston campus to Cook and Douglass campuses if it wasn’t for TransLoc informing me that the bus is 5 minutes away and that I have to sprint to make it there and, as a result, to class on time.

On TransLoc, you can favorite bus stops and get alerts for when a bus is arriving. You can track buses and see how far away they are. You can even see your bus moving on the little map on your phone! Trust me, TransLoc makes using the buses a lot less intimidating, and without it, you’d be more lost than you are right now. 

Yes, TransLoc doesn’t work when you connect to bus Wi-Fi, lags at times and shows inaccurate bus times. But regardless, the buses are a rite of passage for every Rutgers student, and TransLoc goes hand in hand with that — it does help you navigate the bus system, even if it lags a little behind.