Best-college-apps The Summer holidays may have only just started, but they end all too soon, and if youʼre headed back to college, itʼs time to get prepared with these apps. Fire them up, and theyʼll ease you into education again in no time.


Dropbox
Free (iPhone, Android, BlackBerry)
Youʼll need to sign up at dropbox.com before you grab the app, but youʼll be given 2GB of cloud storage space completely free for you to store all your files. Even better than free storage, all your files will be kept in perfect sync with any device you install Dropbox on, automatically.

Itʼs incredibly useful for pulling up revision notes wherever you are, through your phone, your own laptop or even a friendʼs. You can share folders too, so whenever your friends add files to it, theyʼll automatically appear on your computer – no downloading required!

Spotify
Free with subscription (iPhone, Android, BlackBerry, Nokia, Palm)
Now hear us out. We know £9.99 per month is a lot to ask of a student, but think about it this way: For £120 per year, you get almost every track ever laid down, on tap, with syncing playlists and the ability to share playlists with friends. How many albums would you buy in a year? If itʼs one a month or more, youʼre quids in. Itʼs perfect for parties too, and with a Spotify Premium account, you wonʼt have to suffer any adverts spoiling the mood.

Facebook
Free (iPhone, Android, BlackBerry, Windows Phone, Nokia, Palm)
Chances are, Facebook was the first thing you grabbed when you fired up your new smartphone, but you may not have considered the educational use of the ultimate procrastinating network. You could set up study groups through Facebook Events, share calendars and even use group Chat to keep in touch with mates. Groups is a must-use feature, letting you share information with your circle of friends or class buddies.

Evernote
Free (iPhone, Android, BlackBerry, Windows Phone, Palm)
We canʼt stress enough that Evernote is the perfect accompaniment for notetaking. Whereas Dropbox makes archiving easy, Evernote is about instantly grabbing notes in text, image or audio form. It makes storing and tagging them easy, so whenever you have a thought, a reminder, or even a lecture to record, just stash them here.

Allrecipes.com Dinner Spinner
Free (iPhone, Android)
If youʼre flying the coop, doubtless youʼll be cooking for yourself too. Allrecipes.comʼs mobile app is a free solution that pulls up innovative ideas and recipes for you based on the ingredients you already have in your cupboard, and walks you through making them too. Spoilt for choice? You can shake your phone to see a new random recipe suggestion too.

Get more for your money with O2 Student deals
Whether youʼre due an O2 upgrade or looking for a new contract, O2 can help you out with brand spanking new student deals. Youʼll need your NUS number to place an order, so have it to hand before calling customer services on 0800 954 1412.

Pay Monthly:
Grab a Pay Monthly mobile, and get £50 credit on any new or upgraded 12, 18 or 24
month contract, no matter which phone or tariff you choose.
 
Simplicity:
Choose between £25 credit on a £15.50, 12 month tariff or £10 credit on a 30 day SIM
only tariff.

Pay & Go:
Save up to £40 on the Samsung Mini, Ace, S and S2.

Mobile Broadband:
Get £20 off any O2 Mobile Broadband starter kit
 
Accessories:
Pop into any O2 Retail store and get 10% off accessories by showing your NUS ID.

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