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Gadget Lab

10 Android Apps For The Tech-Savvy Student


If you’re a student, an Android phone could be one of your most valuable tools. From looking up a word in the dictionary to recording a lecture while browsing the web, Android has it mostly covered.

The tools available for students also provide a compelling answer to the question, “Is multi-tasking really necessary?” Unlike the iPhone, Android’s background processing capability allows apps from independent developers to keep their current state when you switch to another app. That means you can switch through multiple non-native apps without losing information.’s Brian Chen recently wrote about the successful results seen at Abilene Christian University, where the school provided 1,000 students with the choice of an iPod Touch or iPhone, encouraging the students to integrate the gadgets into their curriculum. But even if your school doesn’t give you a free iPhone, you can still use a smartphone to make yourself a smarter student.

Here are 10 Android apps that not only have made my bag significantly lighter, but also help me get the most from my classes.

1. StudyDroid (Free)

This app will help you free a few dollars for your ramen fund by allowing you to create unlimited packs of flash cards on your phone, instead of index cards. Simply create a pack, add a card, fill out the front and back, and keeping adding cards as you need them. When you’re done filling out the cards, swipe left or right to move to each card and tap on the screen if you need to see the back. You can also mark a card as “known” and StudyDroid will keep track of your pack knowledge by displaying a percentage of known vs. unknown.

2. Droid Scan (Free)

If you’ve ever taken a picture of a white board with a regular camera, it probably hasn’t turned out quite right: Unless you’re directly in front of the board, it won’t look square. Droid Scan uses perspective correction to convert images into high-quality scans instead of distorted messes. After snapping a picture, set up four points to crop around your content. From there, you can share your shot via email, Picasa, or SMS.

3.  3banana Notes by Snaptic (Free)

4176829677_d685214b93_o3banana Notes makes it easy to store your notes in a cloud and access them anywhere. Any information you throw into 3banana will sync to a free web account at You can also create notes on the web and see them appear on your phone which provides a seamless connection between your notes and devices. There are also a lot of options to share your notes so if someone missed a class and wants to borrow your notes, put ‘em in 3banana.

4. HandyCalc (Free)

Less stuff to carry, more money in your pocket; it’s a scientific calculator!

5. Wapedia (Free)

4177588488_da07fc66af_oWhile has a mobile-friendly site, Wapedia is a lot faster. First of all, you don’t have to open the browser and type in Wikipedia’s URL, which saves precious time during fast-paced classes. Second, it offers access to a lot of alternative wikis: You can search for a keyword and it will display a list of other wikis that mention your search term.

6. SciencePal ($1)

SciencePal is a great bundle for referencing a lot of your science needs. It includes elements, constants, polyatomic ions, the solar system and nuclides. Each tool is detailed and quick to access.

7. CoursePro (Free demo, $3 for full)

With CoursePro you can track your classes, assignments and grades. Create a class, insert assignments and enter information like meeting times, the percentage each assignment counts toward your overall grade, alerts for due dates and any other additional notes you need to keep yourself focused and on track.

8. Elements (Free)


A periodic table of the elements is a handy app for your science courses. Just click on an element to look up its melting point, appearance, atomic radius and more.

9. ColorDict (Free)


ColorDict is hands-down the best dictionary app on Android. It’s hampered by slightly confusing installation: You need to install the software first, then download the data that goes into the dictionary (the actual words). There are many options for different kinds of data as well (such as a thesaurus plug-in). Once you’ve downloaded each of these plug-ins to your phone’s SD card, the dictionary is ready to go. I have a dictionary, thesaurus and spelling data in my ColorDict and they all appear under any search term, color coded.

10.Voice Recorder (Free)

This app does exactly what it says. After you finish your recording you can save the audio file and e-mail it to yourself. If you want to keep the recorder on while using other apps, press “Menu,” go to preferences and enable background recording.

By the way, if you’re a journalism student in the SF-Bay Area and you’re interested in an internship with Wired next semester, you can contact Dylan Tweney (his contact information is on the right column). Feel free to send me an email if you’d like to hear about my wonderful and valuable experience as an intern at Gadget Lab.

Photo by Sam Rayner via Flickr Creative Commons