Imagine being the age you are, but a decade ago. Say you were trying to figure out which bus to take into the city, and what time the bus would come. This, my friend, would be a long process. You would have to call Septa and ask them which bus to take, where the stop is, and where to get off. Or the other alternative— a paper copy of the bus schedule.
Thanks to modern technology, you don’t have go through the hassle of calling septa or carrying handheld schedules. We now have these convenient technological tools called apps. Apps have changed the way that we live our everyday lives.
In the article “The Rise of Mobile: How Mobile Apps Have Changed Our Lives”, Marissa Delisle acknowledges that even though that the two App making monopolies (Google and Apple) have had their app stores for almost a decade now, the use of mobile apps has had a huge impact on society. In just a decade, we have over 6.3 million mobile apps at our disposal. These apps allow us to perform simple tasks.
Delisle compares the development of desktop apps with mobile apps and focuses in on how mobile apps are on the rise due to the fact that almost everyone carries their phone around. Delise later discusses how the use of mobile apps have transformed the way we go about our everyday lives. She observes how they have influenced the way we interact with people around the world and how apps have made that easier for us. These apps also affect our way of playing (sometimes for hours) with the millions of games available. Apps are a game changer for society.
Knowing that apps can simplify takes with the tap of your finger, here a few apps that we suggest all SJU students have to survive college..
*Offered for free on both iPhone and Android*
The first App to consider is Black Board. This app is convenient for keeping up with your everyday classes. You download the app and put in your information. Once that’s set, you’ll be able to see everything for you classes. You can check your syllabi, grades, and assignments. It’s easier than carrying around a planner or having to log into a website to check your grades.
*Offered for free on both iPhone and Android*
Ever wonder when the next school shuttle is arriving or how to get to off-campus locations such as Drexel Arms or Merion Gardens? Well you guessed it–there’s an app for that too. This app shows you what stops are available and enables the user to track and it allows you to track where the closest shuttle is through its own GPS. It’s the sameprocess of putting in your information and what university or college you attend.
*Offered for free on both iPhone and Android*
Sadly you can not use the university’s shuttle bus to travel far off-campus. Want to be able to travel around the city without paying too much? There’s SEPTA public transportation and luckily, there’s an app for it. It works similarly to Rides System. It allows you to put in your location and your destination and gives you the information you need about your travel. It lets you know the stop you get on, the stop you get off and your estimated departure andarrival time based off of the time the bus is supposed to arrive to the stop.
*Offered for free on both iPhone and Android*
Imagine having to write a paper or, if you’re in COM 200, doing a Hawkchill post but not having access to a computer or a laptop. Say it was the morning of class and you just had a few things to fix up in an essay. You could do that quickly using the Google docs app. It mimics the website version and is as easy to use.
*Offered for free on both iPhone and Android*
Another google made app that is very convenient is the Gmail app. Yes, you can use the email app that your phone automatically has downloaded, but if you’re one to have many accounts, you may want this app. You could use it for your school email, which everyone receives when they become a student. This will possibly make it easier for you to separate school emails from regular emails. Which is important, because every student should make sure they’re staying updated with their school emails incase there are messages from professors or the school itself.
*Offered for free on both iPhone and Android*
Don’t live in Philly and attend SJU? Want to make sure you have your books in time for when classes start? Download Barnes and Noble’s college app called “My College Bookstore”. Luckily, SJU’s bookstore is connected with Barnes and Noble. This allows you to put in the university on the app and then once your school portal information is connected, you’ll be able to purchase your books with just a few taps on the screen.
*Offered for free on both iPhone and Android*
Trying to stay connected with everyone in a club, study group, or on the floor of your residence? Download the GroupMe app. It’s convenient because both iPhone users and Android users can be in one group chat without any conflict. It’s an easy, free, and professional way to stay connected. The good thing is that many students at SJU seem to be very familiar with app. In fact, it is usually used during SJU freshman orientation once students are separated into their orientation groups.
*Offered for free on both iPhone and Android*
Ever heard of a simple way to stay connected with job opportunities of your interests, while also advertising yourself? Try LinkedIn. Your profile basically advertises you, allowing you to put where you work or have worked, your education, your skills, and your resumé all onto your profile. People can view your profile and connect with you and vice versa. You can also view different companies’ profiles and see what job openings they may have. Stay updated with these job opportunities by downloading the app.
*Offered for free on both iPhone and Android*
Say you’re a part of a club and need to send money in for it or say that you’re buying something from a club but only have a credit or debit card on you. You’re probably wondering how you could simply pay for everything without cash? Venmo is a good app for that. All you have to do is enter your card info into the app and then you’ll be allowed to send money and receive money from people with a mini description as to what the money is for.
*Offered for free on both iPhone and Android*
Need a snack or some coffee? Want to be able to receive rewards and discounts? The Dunkin Donuts app allows you to do that. It allows you to find the nearest Dunkin Donuts near you, which is ,luckily, right down City Line Ave for students on campus. You can also order on the app, so that you don’t have to wait in line to order.
Now that you’re aware of these top 10 apps. Go take the advantage of them. Technology is only advancing and we might as well use what’s given to us.
