University can be a huge financial drain so cutting back on costs is always a top priority. Thankfully, there are ways to make life easier on campus; below are some apps for students that will help you unwind, manage your money and get stuff done.
TVPlayer
One thing students desperately need? The ability to switch off, binge watch and never miss out on the TV schedule they have spent valuable years building. With TVPlayer you can now watch almost all of your favourite TV shows for free! The video-streaming service is available on desktop, mobile devices and even gaming consoles, such as the XBOX One and Amazon Fire so you can actually watch TV whenever you like, wherever you like. TVPlayer gives you a whopping 60 free channels, and if you bump up to the TVPlayer Plus service for £5.99 a month, you get 30+ premium channels such as Discovery and MTV, without being attached to the cord and saving tonnes more compared to traditional pay TV packages.
Lecture Capture
The days of scribbling away wildly during a lecture and borrowing your mate’s notes if you were too hungover to attend are now definitely behind us. Although many universities now record a lot of their seminars and classes, Lecture Capture makes it possible for students to have their own copy of the lecture saved to their preferred device. This means no one has to worry about missing anything that’s been said, including those all important deadlines. So if you’ve got a 9am Monday morning lecture that you’re dreading, you can put this app on, put your feet up and get some shut-eye, because Lecture Capture has got you covered!
Cleo
There’s only a few things that strike fear into even the bravest of students, and one of those is checking your bank statement. Those ‘quick’ drinks after a lecture, those extortionate bills and that irresistible ASOS sale you couldn’t miss out on can easily add up to a neck-wringing amount. Cleo is a handy integrated Facebook AI that can give you an honest and transparent breakdown of your spending. The chatbot enables users to ask it questions such as, “How much am I spending on bills?” and Cleo responds with an overview of all the bills associated with your bank account. You will need to allow the chatbot access to your bank details, however, Cleo reassures its users that it has bank level encryption and it doesn’t store your banking credentials.
Sleep Cycle alarm clock
Everyone knows that to be the most productive, you need to get a good night’s sleep. Unfortunately, the student lifestyle does not necessarily lend itself to this, this is where Sleep Cycle comes in. Sleep Cycle ensures that you get as much sleep as you need by measuring when you are at the lightest stage of sleep so you wake up feeling rested and ready for that early class. The app actually measures your sleep and records it throughout the night, so you know exactly how much valuable REM sleep you’re getting! This app is perfect for when you need to wake up for a lecture when you may be in a ‘fragile’ state.
SplitWise
Living in halls or a house share has become a rite of passage for most students. No matter the dynamic of the household, there’s always one person who has to take the reins and whip the housemates into line with the bills. Sending an awkward text in the group chat or trying to catch them when they leave their rooms is a thing of the past. With SplitWise you can assign each housemate, a portion of the bill they need to pay so you can track who’s paid what amount. After all, nobody wants to incur the dreaded late payment fees because of that one lazy housemate!
TaskRabbit
Trying to live an independent adult life? Failing at even assembling the simplest of flat pack furniture? That’s where TaskRabbit comes in, this app is the convenient and fast way to get things done around your new student pad. By calling on the 50,000 ‘taskers’ the app has on it’s books, you’re bound to find someone who’s skilled and trusted to come round and assemble your furniture whilst you can pretend to all of your friends and skeptical parents that you are a functioning adult!
HeadSpace
There is nothing more stressful than a uni deadline; let alone a dissertation deadline. If you’re struggling to stay calm and centered during those hellish weeks, give HeadSpace a go. This simple meditation app breaks down the process for even the most un-zenned of novices, by helping you carve out time to just sit and breathe in your day, it will give you the respite you deserve. The app also boasts that it can help with anxiety, so if you’re particularly worried about the amount of time you’ve spent in the pub versus the library, it can help you out there too.
