The end of September saw Facebook and the Gates Foundation collaborate on an important event – a “hackathon” that aimed at creating apps for students who are college hunting. The winners get to develop their own app with assistance, and more importantly funding, from the biggies.

What brings this event into the limelight is the fact that a large number of students are using educational apps in college nowadays. Nearly everyone in a classroom has a smartphone/tablet/laptop (yes, they’re still being used) and the need for apps just keeps increasing. Here are a few you should be using if you’re in college or just entering one.

StudyBlue

You’ve heard of flash cards, right? Paper ones, which students would use to memorize important terms before an exam. Well, now you can get them straight on your phone, with a handy app called StudyBlue. The developers have a database that stores millions of e-flashcards on a variety of topics so you can just select. You can even receive test score feedback to know which topics you need to brush up on. Moreover, you end up saving paper, as well!

Evernote Peek

This one comes in handy when you want to take notes on just about anything you heard in class, but you know what’s better with Peek? Your study material can be stored in text, image, or audio format. What’s more, the app takes all these notes (in all formats) and turns them into questions. This is a must for every iPad-using college goer. Surely, a perfect way to study for any exam, that is round the corner.

Trello

So you’ve just got your first group project and nobody knows who’s going to do what. With Trello, you can get rid of all the confusion that crops up when working in collaboration with college mates. Assigning specific tasks to people, creating deadlines, labeling issues all become a breeze with this nifty app. You don’t have to worry about one person doing all the work, as everyone is labeled with responsibilities. With real-time updates to every member in the group, Trello is a great way to go.

School Helper

Yes, there are hundreds of apps that help you manage your class schedule. School Helper takes it to the next level by allowing you to monitor grades, class projects, homework, and assignments. You can add a widget to your home screen that will remind you whenever something is due. Tracking your grades can come in handy when you need to know how well you’ve been doing in a semester.

GrubHub

Okay, this isn’t actually educational, but everyone needs to eat, right? When you’re up to your nose in assignments, exams or just end-semester work, a trip to the college cafeteria is not something you can waste time on. GrubHub with its vast database of 25,000 restaurants can help you browse through menus and reviews on your phone. The best part, which is the home delivery option, saves you a lot of time.

Every college-goer has his/her favorite apps that come in handy while on campus. While many great ones can be downloaded for free, a few need to be bought. Make sure you spend on the right ones.

Robin Mckenzie likes writing articles related to Technology, Entertainment, and Finance. He also does guest posting for Buycenturylink, a site that offers savings and current information on consumers broadband internet and cable. Visit Centurylink home page to check for services in your area.