Wikipanion: Who needs a textbook?

1Who needs a textbook when you have Wikipedia’s brain child, Wikipanion? This app has really high ratings – because it’s simply a great app. You can access open source content on any topic imaginable, an essential tool for any class.

Evernote: A revolution in note-taking

2This app is revolutionizing notes as we know it. Evernote is a mobile and web sync friendly, media-rich note-taking machine. The basic function of the app is note-taking with the ability to add voice, photos, location and tags as well as the option to share with friends. The most exciting feature of this app is the Evernote trunk, which is filled with all sorts of valuable tools that are sure to help you excel in the classroom.

iTranslator: Translations at your fingertips

3You can use iTranslator to connect to Google Translator, Babel Fish or Free Translation to help with your language courses. Or, maybe it’ll help you figure out what language your prof is speaking.

Study Tracker: Chart your performance

4Study Tracker, the iPad app by GradeGuru, helps students track their class performance. Students can record their study times and grades per class to monitor their effort and outcomes — and adjust accordingly.

Google Docs: A complete collaboration solution

5Google applications such as Google Documents, Calendar and GMail have become a standard suite of tools enabling college students to collaborate – it really hits the spot for group work. Other apps in the suite include Google Talk for chat, SMS for mobile, Desktop to index your computer, Scholar to find scholarly works and Picasa to edit and manage photos.

Skype: Video chat in the classroom

6Traditionally a software app that allows users to make free voice calls to one another, Skype has a group video chat service that’s being used by professors and students to engage in classroom discussions and host virtual office hours. And, of course, use Skype video to keep in touch with a long-distance significant other — and maybe even the family back home.

Twitter: New levels of engagement

7Twitter is longer just a social network. Students and academics alike are starting to leverage this network to crowd-source questions, gather research and increase classroom engagement levels.

StudyRails: Focus, focus, focus

8StudyRails is an online study tool that helps with time management by allowing students to schedule their study time and block out access to sites that might distract them.

Mindmeister: Brainstorming made easier

9Mindmeister is a cool online mind mapping and collaboration tool that will help with your group projects and presentations. (You’ve done mind mapping before, right?) The basic version, for three mind maps, is free.

GoDocs: Essential for your Google docs

10View, download and send your Google docs from your iPhone or iPad with this $3.99 app. Google docs are the go-to collaboration tool for students, and GoDocs will make collaboration even easier. The only thing it doesn’t do is let you edit docs.

MyHomework: Digital planner in your palm

11Make sure you hand in all of the assignments on time – download this app. MyHomework makes it easy to keep track of, and color code all of your homework, classes, projects and tests. The app will also notify you when you have late and upcoming assignments by numbering them on your application icon. Buh-bye, paper planner.

Kindle: Save money on textbooks

12Digital textbooks are for sure the way to save. With thousands of textbooks available for the Web, mobile and tablets, Amazon’s Kindle will save you about $60 on your average textbook purchase. Multiply that by the amount of textbooks you buy in one semester — that’s a lot of extra spending money.

FlashCards++: No more 3x5s

13There are a lot of flashcard apps to choose from. FlashCard++ is the best bang for your buck, going for $3.99, less than a deck of 3x5s. This stand-out study app makes it easy to study anything anywhere with your mobile phone. It can sync with Quizlet and also back-up your cards to Dropbox. If you’re not pleased with this one, check out CoboCards, Cram or Flashcards Deluxe.

Citation Manager: Making assignments easier

14GradeGuru Citation Manager is a bookmarklet & FireFox add-on that helps students collect and manage citations for papers, essays and assignments. Just highlight the info you want in any online source and Citation Manager will automatically capture the associated citation data from your browser. It’s a real time saver for course work.

Update: GradeGuru doesn’t seem to work with the latest version of Firefox.

Cliqset: Consolidate your stream

15Sharing, discovering and discussing on mobile and the Web just got easier: Follow your streams on Facebook, Twitter, Buzz — 70 social networks all told — in one place with Cliqset. This app is sure to help students simplify their lives and help professors keep students engaged. Cliqset is closed.

Skype: Video chat in the classroom

1Traditionally a software app that allows users to make free voice calls to one another, Skype has introduced a group video chat service that’s being used by professors and students to engage in classroom discussions and host virtual office hours.

Google Docs: A complete collaboration solution

2Google applications such as Google Documents, Calendar and GMail have become a standard suite of tools for college students to collaborate – it really hits the spot for group work. Other apps in the suite include Google Talk for chat, SMS for mobile, Blogger to set up a blog, Desktop to index your computer, Scholar to find scholarly works and Picasa to edit and manage photos.

Citation Manager: Making assignments easier

3GradeGuru Citation Manager is a bookmarklet & FireFox add-on that helps students collect and manage citations for papers, essays and assignments. Just highlight the info you want in any online source and Citation Manager will automatically capture the associated citation data from your browser. (Authors and journalists, take note!) It’s a real time saver for course work.

Twitter: New levels of engagement

4Twitter is longer just a social network. Students and academics alike are starting to leverage this network to crowd-source questions, gather research and increase classroom engagement levels.

Studyrails: Focus, focus, focus

5Studyrails is an online study tool that helps with time management by allowing students to schedule their study time and block out access to sites that might distract them.

Chegg: Rent your college textbooks

6The idea behind Chegg is pretty straightforward: Rent textbooks, return them for no additional cost via UPS, and the company plants a tree every time yoiu rent. They offer a 30-day return guarantee.

Study Tracker: Chart your performance

7Study Tracker, the iPad app by GradeGuru, helps students track their class performance. Students can record their study times and grades per class to monitor their effort and outcomes — and adjust accordingly.

Mindmeister: Brainstorming made easier

8Mindmeister is a cool online mind mapping and collaboration tool that will help with your group projects and presentations. (You’ve done mind mapping before, right?) The basic version, for three mind maps, is free.

Quizlet: Memory enhancement

9With Quizlet, students can browse and use millions of flashcards created by other students and teachers, or create their own. Because you need every edge when taking your GREs or that Advanced Mandarin test.

DYD: Map out your living space

10DYD (Design Your Dorm) is a web-based 3-D dorm room design tool that allows college students to customize their dorm room interiors and purchase their favorite room furnishings online.