Thanks to Project Indigo, every student at the university has been provided with an Apple iPad and Apple Pencil with the goal of giving students the necessary tools for academic success, as well as providing a suite of campus-oriented applications and resources at the touch of a button.
To that end, I have curated a list of apps that I believe will prove invaluable to all students–and faculty–at the university.
Goodnotes
This is one of the most popular apps on the App Store for productivity, and for good reason.
Goodnotes is an easy-to-use note-taking app that comes with a plethora of options for users, including being able to customize the style of writing implement that they’d like their Apple Pencil to emulate.
Students are also able to easily insert images and other forms of media into their note pages, if needed.
However, there is a catch: Goodnotes 5 costs $9.99 for a full unlock. The free version of the app limits users to three notebooks and for many full-time students, that simply isn’t enough.
I’ve used this app exhaustively all semester and I’d say the paywall is well worth the cost.
Alternative note-taking app: OneNote
For those seeking a free alternative to Goodnotes, Microsoft’s OneNote app is worth considering.
OneNote offers many of the same features that Goodnotes provides, with the only caveat being that it may require more fine tuning out of the box than the latter.
However, if you’re willing to stick with it you’ll find it a suitable alternative. Additionally, it integrates well into the Microsoft ecosystem.
New York Times
Every student at the university gets free access to a New York Times (NYT) subscription. If you haven’t redeemed your access pass during onboarding, you can find a tutorial on the university website under the Blackmore Library page.
The NYT app provides easy access to the newspaper’s articles in an easy-to-use format, with optional settings provided to allow users to tailor the app’s front page to cater to their needs.
It even allows you to play games owned by the NYT, such as Wordle and Connections.
forScore
forScore is a sheet music app that allows musicians to go paperless, providing an all-in-one package for keeping track of sheet music and allowing students to take their sheet collection wherever they go.
Like Goodnotes, it also comes with native support for Apple Pencil, allowing users to take notes and annotate as needed.
One of the app’s best features is gesture-based navigation, which allows for musicians to turn sheet pages through facial gestures such as using their lips to point left or right.
This app is provided free of charge to Conservatory students; university students who are not affiliated with the Conservatory can still purchase the app for $19.99.
GasBuddy
An indispensable app for commuter students, GasBuddy provides a list of nearby gas stations and their fuel prices, allowing users to filter locations by their price, location and if they offer accommodations such as restrooms.
Prices are updated constantly by local app users; if you find that the reported price is incorrect, you can report it on the app with the touch of a button.
