More and more people are choosing to attend the best online colleges over traditional schools not only because they tend to be less expensive but also because such schools allow students to learn and complete the coursework on a schedule that might include work, family and other obligations. Going back to school is always a challenge, but if you have a laptop, smartphone or tablet, many mobile apps tailored to college students are available to facilitate your pursuit of a degree.
Some prospective students might not yet know which online school they would like to attend. Android's Online Degree app, for $2.99, can make the decision easier. It even includes a quiz to determine which school is right for you.
Several of the following apps are no-brainers and should be included in any student's arsenal, no matter what discipline you're studying. All of them are available on Apple's App Store.
Need help finding the right word for an essay? Instead of reaching for that hefty dictionary, simply download the free Dictionary.com app or, for the serious linguaphile, the New Oxford American Dictionary for $29.99.
Having a hard time keeping track of your assignments, projects and due dates? There are quite a few options. Things ($9.99), Work Organizer ($3.99) and iStudiezPro ($2.99) can all help you manage your workload and busy schedule, while the free myHomework app reminds you when due dates are approaching.
Don't remember how to cite a magazine article or website in MLA? The iSource MLA app, at $2.99, will set you right. Now there's no excuse to have an incorrectly formatted bibliography.
Some schools require that their students regularly log into Blackboard, which, according to their website, helps "to engage more students in exciting new ways, reaching them on their terms and devices-and connecting more effectively, keeping students informed, involved, and collaborating together." The free Blackboard Mobile Learn app will keep the communications and content manager at your fingertips.
Sometimes making sense of all the notes you take can be a daunting task. But with Flash My Brain, for $5.99, you can compile your biology notes into digital flashcards that can then be shared with friends.
Not interested in buying a pile of books? The Textbooks and BookBargain apps, both free, offer thousands of textbooks from which to choose so your work area isn't cluttered with tree-killing tomes.
Dropbox, also free, allows you to keep your essays, presentations and other important files safe and secure in "the cloud."
Many specialized apps are also available for students attending a certain online school. The University of Phoenix, for instance, launched an app last year exclusively for their students which allows them to connect with professors and other students, retrieve and turn in assignments and receive their grades. Western Governors University and Golden Gate University, both popular online schools, have followed suit with similar apps. And from the files of strange-but-interesting-ideas, Walters State Community College in Tennessee has test-run a frog dissection app for students sensitive to animal rights or who simply want to save the necessary $20 for the frog.
If you have a smartphone or tablet, the time might be ripe for you to put it to greater use than texting, Facebooking and playing Angry Birds. Check out some of these helpful apps.