12 Super Web Apps For College Student Success In 2008

College students are online a large percentage of the time. Sometimes the computer can be a toy, but it can also be a valuable tool. With the growing number of Web 2.0 applications out there, it can be difficult to know what's out there.

So College Students Rule has compiled a list of Web Apps that are extremely useful for college students. Most of these will be familiar to you if you spend anytime online. The beauty of creating a list like this is that you can add your own favorite web apps in the comments below.

1. Facebook - It is my belief that Facebook has surpassed MySpace as the social network of choice amongst college students. That's probably due to the origins of Facebook, starting out with access to only those people with a .edu email address. Since they've opened up their registration and open-sourced their application development, Facebook has exploded.

2. Word Processors - I can't seem to land on just one. Besides, these apps aren't necessarily college student specific. So here's what I consider to be the top three online word processors:

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  Google Docs - an easy to use word processor that integrates presentation and spreadsheet possibilities as well.
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  Buzzword - This site is simply beautiful. It is based off Ajax and has been recently released by Adobe. I love the way my documents look on this site.
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  Zoho Writer - This site accepts a wide variety of word processing formats. It also works with a variety of programs that are offered in the Zoho Suite of applications.

3. Meebo - If you do any type of Instant Messaging, meebo is your one stop site to access all kinds of IM accounts. You can use AIM, Yahoo!, MSN, Google Talk, ICQ and Jabber.

4. myNoteIt - online note taking and class schedule organization tool. There's a lot of these types of apps out there. This one is very well organized. Share your work with others in your class or community.

5. Del.icio.us - Social Bookmarking tool. You will be doing research and want to note a certain website. Store your links online and apply tags so you can find them quickly.

6. Google Calendar - I think the best organizing tool for a college student is a calendar. This is a super calendar with lots of add-ons to easily access your schedule through email or SMS.

7. Bookfinder - Never look anywhere else to find a textbook that you need. This site searches the entire internet and shows you the best price for what you're looking for.

8. Wikipedia - Most of your professors won't let you quote or cite any type of Wikipedia articles in your research. But it's still incredibly useful to give you an overview of most subjects.

9. Bibme - Here's an online application that will create correct bibliography entries for books, magazines, newspapers, films, journals, etc. If you register, it will even save your entries.

10. Divshare - Unlimited free online storage. You can upload files to your divshare account up to 200MB in size. Easily share files with others.

11. Craigslist - This site is better than Ebay. You can even buy and sell textbooks here.

12. Schoolr - A unique search engine that combines the search fields of Google, Wikipedia, Dictionary, Thesaurus, Acronym, Urban Dictionary, Encyclopedia, Citation Builder, Book Summary, Text Translator and also has a Unit Converter.

All of these web apps are free and that's a good thing. All you need is a computer and a connection to the internet. If you have a web app that you prefer to one of these in the list, let us know. One of the great things about the internet is that it gives us options.

Comments

[Jonathan]

Out of curiosity, why myNoteIt? There are a million websites for note-taking out there, many of them built around the idea of a "web 2.0 approach" to notes, from wiki-type notes to other forms of collaborative note taking. What makes myNoteIt stand out above all others?

as for Bibme, there's also very many options out there [http://www.nextstudent.com/the-students-blog/archive/2008/01/02/5-online-tools-to-help-you-cite-your-research-papers.aspx]

i'd also recommend mediamax, if we're talking online file storage [[which also has a million options out there]].

This list is great, keep up the good work

[tim]

That's the beauty of Web 2.0. There are soooo many options. I chose these because they are the ones that appear to be gaining the most ground and popularity in their respective areas. It could be that another app will come out of nowhere and blow the others away. But for now, this is a suite of online apps that I'd recommend to anyone.

Thanks for the additional links. I am hoping for more suggestions.