The student grind challenges us all, especially at the peak of the semester when it’s all downhill from here. Here are four iPhone apps (check out the Android list here) for four different areas of your life that could help keep you sane.

[Full disclaimer: We have either tried these apps or know someone who has. These apps are free or mostly free, outside of in-app purchases. We cannot fully endorse these as every individual is unique and some apps might not work for everyone.]

Studying – Due is a (mostly) free reminder and countdown organizer for all those important papers due in the last week of the semester. You know, those papers you haven’t started yet? Yeah. Those. Due will keep after you when a professor won’t or can’t over Thanksgiving break. The catch? It’s $5. If that doesn’t break the bank for you, maybe give this one a try.  

Sleep – Sleep Cycle is…exactly what it sounds like. It’s an app that can track your sleep cycles throughout the night using the microphone on your phone (creepy, but ok). The app can determine when best to wake you based on what part of the sleep cycle you are in and in coordination with the wake-up time you set. By using the app consistently, you can create a sleep cycle, which can help you in the long-term to feel less tired.

Diet & exercise – MyFitnessPal is an app where you can scan food in (assuming they have a barcode on the packaging) or look them up in the database in order to keep track of how much you are eating and macro and nutrients involved. The app will also starting giving you insights about your diet the longer you track it, and the insights are generally broad but effective if listened to. You can also log exercises and track steps.

Mental health – Sanvello: Stress & Anxiety Help is a free, scientific-based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy app. It is good for mood-tracking and has several tools at your disposal to calm down from an anxiety attack or uplift you from depressing thoughts. Not all tools are available in the free version, however, so this might be something you could look to use as supplemental in between visits with a counselor. A unique aspect of Sanvello are its guided journeys, which are reminiscent of meditations but with the aim of shifting your mind’s focus elsewhere. It’s easy to use and is featured on the UNF Counseling Center’s page for helpful apps.

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