Are you about to start your freshman year in college? Did you buy a MacBook, which you intend to use this coming semester? Then you made one of the best choices!
A recent survey revealed that 71% of college students prefer Macs over Windows PC. Some of the notable reasons for their choice include ease of use, durability, and Mac’s power to synchronize.
However, relying on your MacBook’s default features is not enough. You need to consider using some MacBook apps for college students.
But what are the best Mac applications for students? Continue reading below as we discuss seven of the best ones out there.
Mac Productivity Tips
Before we go through some of the best Mac applications for students, let us look at some Mac features you can start using today.
Keyboard as Pointer
Did you know that you can control your mouse pointer using your MacBook’s keyboard? Go to “System Preferences” and click on “Accessibility.” Go to “Mouse & Trackpad” then look for “Mouse Keys.”
Tick the box next to it to enable this feature. You can use either the 7, 8, 9, U, O, J, K, L keys or 7, 8, 9, 4, 6, 1, 2, 3 keys to move the mouse pointer. Moreover, pressing “5” or “I” equates to clicking the mouse button.
Monitoring Uptime
One of the most important things every Mac user must learn is troubleshooting. And an integral part of your troubleshooting workflow is learning how to check your Mac’s uptime.
Go to the Terminal and type “uptime.” Press enter to reveal the details showing how long since you last restarted your Mac.
Another option is to press and hold the Option key while clicking the Mac menu. You will then see the “System Information” option. Select it and choose “Software” in the lefthand column.
You will see the uptime on the right-hand side, besides “Time since boot.”
The Command-Space
If you want to find something fast on your Mac, simply tap Command-Space. Do the same thing if you wish to open an application. The same thing goes if you want to convert currency.
Finder Control
If you spend a lot of time using the Finder window, you can use some of the key shortcuts to streamline your task. Hit Command-1 to open the Icons view. Press Command-2 to open the List view.
Furthermore, Command-3 will open the Columns view while Command-4 opens the Cover Flow view.
7 Best Mac Applications for Students
Apart from basic apps like Paint for Mac, there are many others that you need to download. Let us proceed with the best apps for college students that you should install on your Mac.
Here are seven of our favorites and some tips for how they can help any student.
- myHomework
One of the secrets to succeeding in college is planning your schedule. With so many things on your plate, organizing these things takes up a lot of your time. Thus, consider downloading the myHomework app.
This app allows you to view the schedule of your course in its entirety. It uses a calendar where you can input all your tasks, assignments, and other important details. It also indicates the exact due date of each one of your tasks and assignments.
You can also assign reminders and assign color codes to your subjects. If you are someone forgetful, this digital planner is your best bet.
- MacFly Pro
It’s normal for college students to keep all sorts of files and documents on their computer. But when your Mac is already full of clutter, you need the MacFly Pro to clear your disk of useless files.
This app works as a cleaner that detects and deletes duplicate files on your computer. These files may come in the form of discarded apps, photos, essay drafts, and academic paper copies.
- Grammarly
Whether you’re taking up liberal arts or not, you will still get your share of essay writing. Hence, you need to keep your grammar in check by using the Grammarly app.
Grammarly helps correct common errors in spelling and grammar use. It also detects errors in punctuation and clarity.
You can use this app for free or download its premium version. The latter is useful if you are working on some serious writing tasks.
- Prizmo
Do you wish to keep a digital copy of printed documents? Then Prizmo is the app that you need. It uses optical character recognition (OCR) and scanning abilities to convert printed text into digital text.
It can scan 23 different languages. It can also translate the text into 59 different languages as well. When it comes to editing, it features tools that allow you to skew, warp, or distort the images.
- TeX
TeX is an app that helps you produce documents with the proper professional layout. It is a typesetting system that works by fixing the layout of your documents all in a single click of a button.
If your documents involve a lot of numbers and equations, TeX can render them with precision.
- Evernote
Evernote is your ultimate cloud-based note-taking app. It lets you sync your notes across all your platforms and devices. You can even clip your voice notes and web pages if you wish.
This app can serve as your digital repository of all your notes, doodles, and any random stuff that you have.
- Dropbox
Last but not least, your roster of Mac apps for students is incomplete without Dropbox. This app is your go-to app when it comes to cloud storage. Dropbox comes with 2GB of free storage space where you can dump your files reports, and everything else.
Since it is cloud-based, you can access and share your data regardless of your location. All you need is an internet connection and you’re good to go.
Learn More About Your Mac
By using some of the best Mac applications for students, you can increase your productivity in many ways. But having all the Mac apps for students is not enough. There are many things to discover with your Mac computer.
Check out our other articles where we discuss MacBooks and other kinds of computers. We provide tips and tricks that will help you get the most out of your devices.