Best iPad Apps for College & University Students | 2024 Edition

Let’s be honest: when your parents philosophize about your university life, they think you’re living a carefree existence filled with sex, drugs, and skipped lectures. They imagine you partying in shared apartments and primarily using your student loans to consume high-quality grass from the Netherlands. In reality, you are struggling quite a bit, dealing with nearly impossible deadlines, too many assignments, and the next presentation you haven’t prepared for at all.

To make your university life a bit easier and bring more ease into your life, we recommend what we believe are the best iPad apps for students in university. These apps help you better organize your day, meet deadlines, achieve your study goals, expand your German and English vocabulary, and save time.

In our list, we do not claim to be comprehensive but rather recommend the apps we have thoroughly tested and use in our daily lives.

Download these apps quickly and prove to your parents that you can handle the tricky juggling act of university stress, stocking the fridge, and paying bills surprisingly well.

Structured – Daily Planner

A well-structured daily routine is essential if you want to efficiently accomplish as many tasks as possible in a short amount of time. For students looking to add more structure to their daily lives, we recommend Structured.

The app helps you manage your personal life, work, and university commitments. An organized daily plan assists you in the hectic university life, allowing you to gradually complete your to-do list and ensuring you don’t forget important lectures and appointments.

Structured not only looks sleek and is easy to use but also offers a range of practical features. For example, you can import calendar events, sync the app with the Reminders app, use iCloud synchronization, and activate notifications to avoid missing tasks and appointments. You can also set up recurring tasks and add notes and subtasks. In addition, Structured offers widgets for the home screen and VoiceOver support.

The app typically costs 4.99 euros, but you might occasionally get it for free with some luck.

Structured is available for iPad, iPhone, Mac, and Apple Watch, ensuring you never lose track, no matter which device you’re using.

Apple App Store: Structured – Daily Planner

DeepL Translator

English proficiency is crucial for students due to exchange programs, international literature, and the globally interconnected job market.

Many students have a good but not perfect command of English. A good translation app can help expand your vocabulary and understand complex phrases.

With DeepL, you can translate texts, voice recordings, images, and files in 29 languages.

The app offers useful features such as “Speech-to-Text,” allowing you to speak into your microphone and have it instantly translated. This also works in reverse (“Text-to-Speech”). It’s also cool that you can translate text from images by pointing the camera at them. Moreover, you can save translations to expand your own vocabulary.

The basic functions of DeepL are available for free. The Pro subscription starts at 89.88 euros annually, allowing you to translate longer texts without character limits and even whole documents.

DeepL is available for iPad, iPhone, and Mac.

Apple App Store: DeepL Translator

Duden Dictionary

The Duden app is considered the ultimate reference for the German language and its spelling and grammar.

With the Duden app, you have access to the extensive dictionary of the Duden publishing house, which has been the leading reference work for the German language for over 130 years.

The app is user-friendly and offers numerous features that facilitate word lookups and learning or improving the German language.

You can search for words, check your spelling, find synonyms, and much more.

Another plus of the app is that you can use it offline. We also like the “Flashcard Quiz,” allowing you to practice the meaning and spelling of words in a playful manner.

You can create your own vocabulary lists or choose from pre-made lists to focus on specific topics.

You have the option to purchase individual Duden editions for 21.99 euros or acquire all Duden dictionaries for 129.99 euros.

Apple App Store: Duden Dictionary German

Evernote

If the capabilities of Apple’s standard Notes app aren’t sufficient for you, we recommend taking a look at Evernote.

In Evernote, you can create notes and to-do lists, add PDF files, photos, audio, web clips, and much more to your notes. Additionally, with the app’s camera function, you can scan and organize paper documents, business cards, whiteboard presentations, handwritten notes, and drawings.

You can also manage your to-do lists with tasks. This allows you to set deadlines and reminders to never miss a deadline again. You can even integrate Google Calendar into Evernote to combine your scheduling and notes.

What’s also cool is that Evernote’s search function can recognize text in images and handwritten notes, making it easy to find the content you’re looking for.

Thanks to the synchronization feature, you have your notes readily available on your iPad, iPhone, and Mac.

We find Evernote particularly useful for studying, helping you keep track of lecture notes, exams, and assignments.

We recommend creating notebooks for each of your courses to maintain consistent organization.

The basic version of Evernote is free.

The premium version costs either 7.99 euros per month or 69.99 euros annually. Evernote Premium offers features like full-text search in PDF documents, a monthly upload limit of 10 GB with a maximum of 200 MB per note, more options for information sharing, and a presentation mode.

Apple App Store: Evernote – Notes Organizer

Studydrive

Studydrive definitely belongs on the list of the best apps for students. The app offers Europe’s largest student community with over two million users.

Studydrive provides access to over 800,000 verified study materials from fellow students at over 6,000 universities worldwide.

The platform helps you organize your university documents and materials, quickly and easily use study materials from other students for free, connect with others, study together, and clarify open questions.

You can create study groups in the app, receive study tips, create flashcards for learning, and much more. Additionally, you can even earn money as a course expert with little extra effort.

The brains behind Studydrive are from Berlin and aim to help you navigate your studies with a broad smile.

The app is completely free.

Apple App Store: Studydrive – Study Simplified

Studo: The App for Your Studies

Studo also aims to make your university life easier.

In simple terms, Studo is a web browser app that optimizes and enhances university systems for mobile use.

The app offers many cool features. The lecture overview displays your lectures and courses in a clear format and directs you to your course materials and schedule with just a tap.

Additionally, you can create a timetable to ensure you never miss a lecture. There’s even a chat function for exchanging information with fellow students and answering important questions about your studies.

Furthermore, you can find student jobs in the app and receive push notifications about your exam results. With the integrated mail client, you won’t miss any emails from professors and fellow students. There’s also a news section to keep you informed about the latest updates on campus life.

Studo supports almost all universities and colleges in Germany and Austria.

The subscription costs 2.99 euros per month or 19.99 euros annually.

Apple App Store: Studo: The App for Your Studies

Pennies – Budget and Expense

I don’t know about you, but at least during my time in university, I didn’t always have the most optimal cash flow, to put it mildly. An app that helps me keep an eye on my finances and manage my expenses would have been a great help. That’s precisely what Pennies offers.

The app provides an intuitive user interface that allows you to quickly and easily input and track your daily expenses.

One of the useful features of Pennies is the ability to set budgets for various categories. For instance, you can create a budget for groceries, transportation, entertainment, or other categories and inform the app how much you want to spend on each category. The app then monitors your expenses and provides feedback on how much you can still spend before exceeding your budget.

Pennies also allows you to manage multiple currencies. If you often travel abroad or have expenses in different currencies, you can easily input your expenses in the relevant currency, and the app automatically converts them to Euros.

Additionally, Pennies provides stylish visual representations of your expenses in the form of charts and graphs. You can filter your expenses by category, date, or other parameters and present the results in a clear and easy-to-understand graphic.

Thanks to iCloud integration, you can access Pennies on your iPad, MacBook, and iPhone.

For students looking to better manage their finances, we highly recommend Pennies.

The app is available for a one-time cost of 5.99 euros, and it’s worth every penny—pun intended.

Apple App Store: Pennies – Budget and Expense

Forest – Stay Focused

Forest is a smart app for students who have difficulty concentrating for extended periods. In the app, you can plant a digital forest that grows and thrives as you work.

When you open the app, you can set a time interval from 10 to 120 minutes during which you want to focus on your work. During this time, you cannot open other apps or access your iPad, as the app prevents distractions.

If you successfully complete the set time, your digital tree grows, and you can earn points to unlock other tree species or donate to real trees in the physical world. However, if you leave the app before the time is up, your tree dies, and your progress is lost.

The idea may sound simple but actually helps you stay on track while studying or writing assignments!

Forest also offers a statistics feature that allows you to track your progress over time. You can see how often you successfully manage your defined time and how many trees you’ve planted.

Forest is an innovative way to support you in completing your study tasks without distractions.

The app is available for a one-time cost of 4.99 euros.

Apple App Store: Forest – Stay Focused

Microsoft 365 (Office)

Even students who prefer Apple devices are unlikely to escape Microsoft 365 (Office) during their studies. This suite includes Word, Excel, and PowerPoint all in one app.

Whether you’re writing a paper in Word, performing calculations in Excel, or creating a presentation for university in PowerPoint, Microsoft’s classic office applications are used daily by many students. Furthermore, you can scan and sign documents, create PDF files, and much more.

Conveniently, Microsoft 365 (Office) offers seamless integration with other Microsoft products like Outlook or OneDrive. This means you can easily access emails, documents, and files without switching between different apps.

Moreover, you can easily store Word, Excel, and PowerPoint files in the cloud, allowing you to access them from any device at any time. This is particularly useful if you’re frequently on the go.

Microsoft 365 (Office) also provides useful features such as a QR scanner and the ability to create short notes.

Microsoft 365 (Office) for iPad costs 6.99 euros per month for a single person or 9.99 euros per month for two to six people.

With the premium subscription, you get access to 1 TB of cloud storage, AI-powered features for slides and Excel, an encrypted mailbox to protect against scams, and more.

You can try Microsoft 365 (Office) for free.

Apple App Store: Microsoft 365 (Office)

StudySmarter: Better Learning

StudySmarter is a cool app that helps you achieve your learning goals during your studies.

The app offers a variety of features to make learning more effective and efficient. It’s especially ideal for exam preparation, allowing you to systematically build and deepen your knowledge with StudySmarter.

One cool feature is the learning planner. You can set your learning goals, and the app automatically creates a personalized learning plan for you. This way, you always know what to study when and can optimize your study time. You can also view helpful statistics and graphics about your learning progress and add notes and reminders to stay on track.

Another useful feature is the ability to create your own flashcards. With these, you can prepare specifically for exams or quizzes. The app also provides a wide range of pre-made flashcards for different subjects and topics that you can use. Moreover, the app can generate personalized questions from your flashcards via “Exam AI” and provide detailed feedback on your answers.

The integrated question mode is another cool feature. Here, you can test your knowledge by asking yourself questions and answering them. This helps you assess how well you’ve internalized what you’ve learned and further deepen your knowledge.

StudySmarter also allows you to study and collaborate with other app users. You can connect with other users and study together, providing mutual support and motivation.

If you’re looking for a motivating app to prepare for upcoming exams and deepen your knowledge, you should definitely take a look at StudySmarter.

The app is free for students and school students. There’s also a premium version available at a cost of 3.50 euros per month (for an annual subscription of StudySmarter Premium) or 5.99 euros per month (for one month of StudySmarter Premium usage). With the premium version, you can access all learning content offline and get rid of ads.

Apple App Store: StudySmarter: Better Learning

Dictate – Speech to Text

If you’ve ever written a lengthy research paper or bachelor’s thesis, you know how your fingers can gradually cramp up after extended periods of typing. With the “Dictate Pro – Speech to Text” app, you have the option to dictate your text instead of painstakingly typing it. There’s no time limit, and it can even transcribe voice memos. This works in over 40 languages.

The app also offers iCloud synchronization, allowing you to use the app on your iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch simultaneously.

It’s worth noting that the app provides support for individuals with disabilities. You can change the system font size within the app, and even adjust the button size. There’s also an optimized VoiceOver feature.

If you plan to use the app frequently, you’ll need to unlock the Pro version. It costs 18.99 euros for a one-time purchase or 13.99 euros annually. There’s also the option to subscribe to the Pro version on a monthly basis for 7.49 euros or 4.99 euros. With the more expensive option, you can also transcribe on your Mac, get rid of ads, dictate texts without limitations, and upload audio files for text conversion.

Apple App Store: Dictate – Speech to Text

Pocket

With Pocket, you can save articles, news, videos, and more to read or watch later. The app also allows you to access these contents offline.

You can save relevant articles and web pages that you may need later in your studies. Of course, you can also use the app to stay updated by saving interesting articles and news to read during your free time.

Pocket’s layout is clear and customizable, allowing you to focus on the essentials while reading. There’s also a “dark” mode and a “sepia” mode to reduce visual stimulation before bedtime.

Additionally, the app allows you to listen to articles, enabling you to do tasks like household chores, cooking, or exercising while listening.

You can use Pocket for free. Opting for the premium version for 4.99 euros per month or 44.99 euros annually unlocks practical features like full-text search, premium fonts, automatic article backups, and disabled ads.

Apple App Store: Pocket

Calm: Meditation and Sleep

As mentioned earlier, studying isn’t all about partying and fun; it can also be quite stressful. That’s why we recommend the meditation and mindfulness app, Calm.

The app is designed to reduce your stress and anxiety symptoms by offering various relaxation and meditation methods.

Calm provides a wide range of relaxation techniques, including guided meditations, breathing exercises, sleep stories, and soothing music.

Meditations can range from just a few minutes to an hour, depending on how much time you have and how deeply you want to relax.

Calm also offers personalized meditations tailored to your needs and daily schedule.

You can set a daily reminder to ensure you find time for your meditations and make them a part of your daily routine, as establishing routines is the best way to make something a regular and non-obligatory part of your life.

The app also features “Calm Kids,” targeting younger users with simple breathing and relaxation exercises and bedtime stories.

Calm has many tracking and statistical features for monitoring your progress.

You can also connect with other Calm users for inspiration and sharing.

If you want to reduce stress or alleviate exam anxiety, Calm is a wonderful way to support yourself. Regular use of the app can ideally lead to long-term relaxation and balance.

You can try Calm for free for seven days. Afterward, you can subscribe to the app for the regular annual price of 49.99 euros. Keep an eye out for offers; from time to time, you can get the annual subscription for as low as 23.49 euros.

Apple App Store: Calm: Meditation and Sleep

Google Calendar: Planner

A good calendar app is crucial for coordinating lecture schedules, meetings, and personal appointments.

Google Calendar offers various calendar views, allowing you to switch quickly between a monthly, weekly, and daily view.

You can create, manage, and access various tasks in the calendar. It’s also possible to add video conferences to calendar events.

Additionally, Google Calendar offers the feature of quickly creating events by providing smart suggestions for titles, locations, and guests. This saves you time in scheduling.

Of course, Google Calendar also integrates with the cloud, providing you access to your schedule on all your devices.

Google Calendar is also part of Google Workspace, allowing you to view the availability of classmates and colleagues and check their schedules.

Overall, Google Calendar is one of the best calendar apps for iPad and has become an indispensable tool for us to plan our schedules and stay organized.

Apple App Store: Google Calendar: Planner

Grammarly – Keyboard & Editor

If you write a lot in English, you should definitely use Grammarly.

The app is like your personal writing assistant.

Grammarly allows you to check your texts for grammar and spelling errors and provides style and writing suggestions.

The app also suggests synonyms and, in general, helps you write better.

Granting the app full access provides you with a dedicated digital keyboard and integration into Safari, making it available whenever you’re working in Microsoft Word, browsing the web, or writing an email.

The free version already corrects your grammar and spelling errors. The premium version, available for 149.99 euros annually, 62.99 euros quarterly, or 31.99 euros monthly, offers additional features to enhance your writing skills.

Apple App Store: Grammarly – Keyboard & Editor