Apps every student should download

I use a wide range of apps every single day, specifically the apps I use help me in my day to day life as a university student. From travelling around the city, to saving on my weekly food shop, the apps I love and use are an absolute lifesaver for me. If you’re wondering which apps may help you in your university life then I hope my suggestions prove useful. 

TRAVEL

As a student it’s likely you’ll be travelling about a fair bit. You may be commuting to campus by public transport, getting taxis back from the supermarket, or hopping on a bus and travelling between Headingley Campus and the city centre. However you’re travelling, there’s plenty of relevant travel apps you may find useful. One of the apps I use a lot at uni is the First Bus app. I use this to live track the buses in the city, so I can see if my bus is delayed, and how far away it is from the stop I’m waiting at. I also use it to purchase digital tickets, which I can buy in advance or on the day of travel. I’ll often purchase tickets in advance so that when I go out I know I’ve already got my bus ticket covered.

In addition to buses, I sometimes book taxis and at the end of term I use the Uber app to arrange transport. Trust me, taxis are a lifesaver when you’re weighed down with lots of bags and suitcases! In addition to Uber, there’s several local taxi companies whose apps you can download, including Amber Cars and Central Cars. I always think it’s a good idea to have a taxi app on your phone so you can easily book one at the end of a night out. 

Nightlife

Talking about nights out, I love Leeds’ nightlife. There are so many clubs, all hosting loads of different and exciting events every day of the week. To easily discover what’s going on and book tickets, download the Fatsoma and Fixr apps. Both of these apps are free to download and use on iOS and Android. All you have to do is create an account and then you’re good to go. On Fatsoma, you can get notifications of upcoming events, as well as chat with friends through the platform and make plans. On both apps you can purchase tickets at student friendly prices. Plus, as it’s all digital your tickets are stored securely on the app following your purchase.  

Photos

On nights out me and my friends always take lots of photos. I like to print out these photos from my phone so I can use them to decorate my uni bedroom and surround myself with lots of happy memories. I use an app called Free Prints, which allows you to select photos directly from your camera roll on your phone, have them printed out, and then sent through your letterbox. You can select as many as you want but each month you’ll get 45 free prints, all you need to pay is £3.99 for delivery. Which in my eyes is an absolute bargain.

Mindfulness

While university is an exciting stage in your life, and I’m sure it will include lots of fun events, it will also include deadlines, coursework, and possibly exams. I know how much hard work goes into studying for a degree and completing all the work, I also know how important it is to prioritise my wellbeing and ensure I keep a good work-life balance so I can switch off in my leisure time. One way I do this is by using mindfulness apps. For me, I find that even just doing five minutes of mindfulness at the end or start of the day helps me feel much calmer. 

My favourite apps to use are Headspace and HeadHelp, both of which are available to download on iOS and Android. HeadHelp allows you to track your mood, note down your feelings, and share this with the community anonymously. It also has guided meditations and affirmations for you to use which I personally find so helpful for relaxing and unwinding. Headspace is very similar; you can complete guided meditations ranging from one minute to a whole hour, with the flexibility to do these any time of the day. What’s great about Headspace is that you can get an 85% student discount - making a year subscription only £7.99. 

Supermarkets

My final app suggestion is supermarket points cards. I’m always on the lookout for bargains and discounts when I’m doing my weekly food shop. So much so that I’ll often shop at different supermarkets depending on where the best deals are that week. One thing I always use is a supermarket points card.

From what I’ve experienced, the best supermarket points card out there, in terms of the best deals, is the Tesco Clubcard. You can grab this for free by signing up online and then all you have to do is scan the QR code from your phone when you pay or scan your physical Clubcard. In addition to loving the deals this Clubcard provides me for my weekly shop, I love that this card allows me to grab a meal deal for £3, especially as there’s a Tesco Express next to City Campus so I can quickly pick up a tasty lunch in between my lectures. Other shops also have similar points cards, such as Sainsbury’s Nectar Card which gives you personalised discounts and the My Morrisons app which provides digital coupons. It all helps when you’re managing your student budget!

So, these are the apps I use regularly and would 100% recommend. I hope they all help you in one way or another.