PhoneTalk

It's that time of the year, when we first start to feel the temperature outside cooling a few degrees and students of all ages get ready to head back to school. Many students will have a cell phone with them either on campus or after class. (Note: Please check with your child's school about its cell phone policy) With that in mind, we've rounded up a slue of apps below that can help students with everything from getting a good deal on books to keeping track of homework assignments.


1. Find the best deal on books

Getting books for class can be a daunting task, not to mention an expensive endeavor. Enter Campus Books a one stop shop for buying, renting, and even selling college text books. This app will search local bookstores, online stores, and nearby libraries for the book you need. There's no need to type in book titles anymore either, just point the phone's camera at a book's barcode and the app does the rest.

Compatible OS: Android, iPhone
Cost: Free
How to get it: Visit the app market residing on your phone or corresponding app store on your computer.

2. An encyclopedia in your pocket

All solid papers begin with thorough research. Where better to start gathering that information than the Encyclopedia? Now, there's no need to dig through heavy volumes to find what you want. You can carry it in your pocket with the mobile version of the concise Britannica Encyclopedia 2011. It includes over 25,000 fact-checked articles on a variety of topics that can be navigated using a browser-like interface. Since the data resides on the phone, you'll never need a data connection to look something up. Want to learn something new? Simply open the app, shake the phone, and see what appears.

Compatible OS: Android, iPhone, BlackBerry
Cost: $19.95
How to get it: Visit the app market residing on your phone or corresponding app store on your computer.

3. Keep on track

Going to school means a busy schedule that's likely always changing. Whether its remembering to do a homework assignment or bringing an extra book to class, having a friendly little reminder can only help keep everything on track. That's the idea behind BugMe. It's essentially a virtual sticky note, but the key is that you can add alarms to the note so it won't get lost in the shuffle of all the other apps on your phone. The Pro version of the app offers more features such as adding notes to photos or sharing notes with friends.

Compatible OS: Android, BlackBerry (even OS 7), iPhone, and iPad
Cost: Free to $2.99
How to get it: Visit the app market residing on your phone or corresponding app store on your computer.

4. Money manager

Going away to college is an exciting time. It's also the first time many students have to start handling and managing budgets. The good news is there's help available from Mint. It's an online site with a mobile version that can be used to manage everything from credit cards to bank statements to student loans. It can help students create budgets and even let them know when they're over budget in a particular category so they can adjust spending habits. It's also designed to help people save money by alerting users if they're over spending on things such as car insurance.

Compatible OS: Android, BlackBerry (even OS 7), iPhone, and iPad
Cost: Free to $2.99
How to get it: Visit the app market residing on your phone or corresponding app store on your computer.

5. Flashcards with a twist

Flashcards are an essential learning tool and now there's no need to spend time creating them on 4x5 cards. Simply download the Dictionary.com Flashcards app that includes both flashcards and quizzes. Some flashcards even have sound to help with pronunciation. There are over 70,000 decks from which to choose ranging in topics from science to standard dictionary words to history. There are also decks designated by grade (up to 12th grade) and even decks for SAT prep. Students who need a bit more customization can create their own decks.

Compatible OS: Android, iPhone
Cost: Free
How to get it: Visit the app market residing on your phone or corresponding app store on your computer.

6. Print on the go

Thanks to the Mobile Print Center by Office Max app there's no longer use for the old excuse "The dog ate my homework." Students can use this app to access documents from email, a phone's storage, or even Google Docs, then upload documents and images to be printed at one of the more than 900 ImPress centers nationwide. They can even schedule pickups.

Compatible OS: Android, iPhone
Cost: Free
How to get it: Visit the app market residing on your phone or corresponding app store on your computer.

7. After school assistant

These days students of all ages get a lot of homework. Keeping track of it all can be a daunting task, but it doesn't have to be. The iHomework app is like a virtual organizer designed with school in mind. Students can use this app to do everything from managing homework assignments, saving teacher information, scheduling courses, and keeping track of grades.

Compatible OS: iPhone and iPad
Cost: $1.99
How to get it: Visit the iTunes app market residing on your phone, iPad, or Mac.

8. Location, Location, Location

Learning where everything is in a new town can be challenging even with the help of GPS in phones. Sometimes nature calls and there simply isn't time to waist trying to find someone who can point out the nearest bathroom. The Have2P app can help. In addition to finding nearby restrooms and displaying it on a map, it also includes helpful tips such as cleanliness and if its open to the public.

Compatible OS: Android, iPhone
Cost: Free
How to get it: Visit the app market residing on your phone or corresponding app store on your computer.

9. Where all the hip words hang out

Teens these days…it's like they speak a totally different language. They actually do. There's even a dictionary to help parents decipher what their kids are talking about, the Urban Dictionary. Parents just load this handy app on a smartphone and in moments it's easy to decipher a conversation. For example, thought daisy was just a flower? Not so, it's actually used to describe a perfect girl.

Compatible OS: Android, iPhone
Cost: Free
How to get it: Visit the app market residing on your phone or corresponding app store on your computer.

10. Global messaging

As kids head off to school in other cities, states, and even countries coming up with an affordable way to stay in touch isn't always easy. Consider HeyWire. It's an app that lets users text, tweet, and do facebook chats for free. Since it does use data to send messages, phones using it will require a data plan. Although, users of the HeyWire app will have to get a HeyWire ID, they can still send texts to anyone in many spots around the world. Only catch is the person they are texting will have to pay for the text, unless they have an unlimited messaging plan.

Compatible OS: Android, iPhone
Cost: Free
How to get it: Visit the app market residing on your phone or corresponding app store on your computer.

Topics: Etiquette Text messaging Parents BlackBerry Smart phones International GPS Android Google Apple Apps