From elementary to college, schools around the nation have felt the recession in many different ways. As the economy sinks, the educational demands rise. Teachers are holding on to dear life for their jobs, students are struggling to pay for college and the states are running out of school funding. But even with all of these economic woes, there are still people eager to teach and happy to learn.
- Budget Cuts. Since the beginning of the fiscal year, the U.S. has suffered a 5 percent drop (about $4 billion) from the amount of money state governments apportioned for higher education, according to a U.S. News & World Report article. This is directly affecting universities across the country, who’ve seen larger class sizes, less professors and counselors, as well as canceled courses, which experts say could "threaten the quality of education."
- Spike in Tuition. College tuition has been an inevitable hurdle for many students and families for years, but in this recession, it stings that much more. Since 1982, college tuition and fees have increased 439 percent, which is about three times higher than the increase in family incomes, according to an ABC news report. In some cases, tuition increases are the school’s response to more financial aid requests, but these scholarships may not be enough to cover soaring prices.
- Decline in Aid. Many states are cutting college financial aid programs when students need it most. An increase in unemployment and financial losses has caused 620,000 more students to apply for federal aid in the first quarter compared to last year. An Associated Press article reports that without financial assistance, students may be forced to drop out, transfer or be laden with debt.
- Decline in Endowments. A major factor in these educational downturns is the decline in college endowments. Big and small donors simply aren’t giving back right now, which has caused hiring freezes, cutbacks on financial aid and halted construction projects, according to a Wall Street Journal article.
- Graduating in Three Years. Graduating in three years is a surefire way to slash college costs. American colleges are now starting to offer three-year college degrees, which is the normal time frame for many British and Canadian students. It’s an upcoming trend, according to CBS MoneyWatch, that could make "elite education" more affordable.
- More Kids Are Going Public. According to a CBS News report, private school enrollments have declined as many students make the switch from private to public schools. While some continue to pay top dollar for private school tuition payments, others have had to transfer to less prestigious schools to save money.
- Arts Programs Suffer. With devastating budget cuts on the agenda, college art departments are the first area to be altered. According to a New York Times article, students can expect to see fewer teachers, programs and courses in the arts when they return to campus in the fall. While some colleges are phasing out programs altogether, others, like Louisiana State University, are holding off on new computers, production technology and traveling for conferences to lessen their demand for funding.
- Growth and Decline of Majors. For college students, choosing the right major during the recession may secure a stable career in the future. Certain industries, such as journalism, entertainment and finance should be avoided, according to a report by College Finance 101, because they have seen the most turmoil during the recession.
- Higher Community College Enrollment. With the recession at its peak, many college students have opted for the more affordable institutions — community colleges, according to The Chronicle of Higher Education. However, this influx of students has caused some community colleges to turn them away, claiming there’s not enough room, teachers and accommodations at these campuses.
- Distance Learning is More Desirable. A big thing hitting the economy is online education. Whether people have lost a job, are fearful of losing one or want a degree, online colleges have open seats. A CNN report, titled "Riding out the recession in a virtual classroom," touches on the idea of investing in education during troubled times to have a back-up plan and find the right career path for you.
You probably carry your iPhone with you everywhere, so why not make it an integral part of your education? These apps are all educational in nature and will have you learning about math, science, geography, history, English, and foreign languages; help strengthen your skills with brain exercises and quizzes; provide reference material; and offer opportunities to boost your productivity so you can devote more time to your studies. Check out these apps to see which ones you need for your iPhone–and your education.
Brain Exercises
These educational apps will keep your brain working in peak performance and as sharp and spry as any college student’s.
- Brain Blast. See how many calculations you can solve in 60 seconds to sharpen your brain power.
- Brain Genius Deluxe. Test and improve your brain in the categories of observation, memory, calculation, and reasoning.
- Brain Challenge. This brain-training tool has garnered recognition and awards for its fun and usefulness.
- Speed Brain. Made by Luminosity.com, this brain training game will help you start thinking faster and speed up your reaction times.
- Brain Training Unotan. These fun brain exercises will build memory, concentration, and intuition.
- Brain Exercise with Dr. Kawashima. Discover your brain age, improve while playing these games, and share your results on Facebook.
- Brain Benders. Each day you get a new puzzle, riddle, or logic problem to solve with this app.
Quizzes and Flashcards
All of these apps will help you study and reinforce what you’ve already started to learn, whether you’re in college or just looking to learn some more, from math to English literature to science.
- StudyCards. Create your own flash cards for free or use some of the preloaded ones to help study almost any topic you can imagine.
- Math Quizzes for All Ages. This app will help you practice addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, squares, and square roots.
- Geometry Facts Flash Cards. Learn geometrical shapes and the formulae commonly used with each using this app.
- Science Quiz. Each of these quizzes provides ten multiple-choice questions on topics including biology, zoology, astronomy, technology, anatomy, and chemistry.
- AA+ Chemistry Study Cards. Get an entire chemistry course with this one app that can help prepare you for an exam and supplement a course you are already taking.
- AA+ Biology Study Cards. Just like the chemistry version, this app brings you over 450 questions to help strengthen your biology knowledge.
- AA+ Physics Study Cards. This is the physics version that provides over 600 questions covering several topics in the field of physics.
- AA+ Algebra 2/Trigonometry Study Cards. Get over 500 questions and answers written by teachers and college professors to help test you on your knowledge of advanced algebra and trigonometry.
- Book Quiz. Get quizzes with ten multiple-choice questions to test your knowledge of literature with this app.
Math
Check out these apps to practice and improve your math skills like a good student should.
- BrainThaw. Exercise your brain while strengthening your math skills with this fun math puzzle game.
- Brain X Get Smarter!. This challenging game will help improve your math skills no matter your age.
- Graphing Calculator. Turn your iPhone into a graphing calculator with this app that is easy to look at and easy to use.
- Math Ref. This app is a math reference tool that includes many formulae, tips, and examples.
- MathU RPN Calc. Get this calculator that has over 80 functions developed by a PhD student at MIT and based on Reverse Polish Notation.
- Slide Rule. Try this fun app that simulates a slide rule.
- Mental Maths: A Math Puzzle. These exercises are designed to improve your math skills with four different levels to help children and adults.
- Protractor. You can always have a protractor with you and works with the camera in your iPhone.
- Abacus. This abacus is customizable and allows you to change the number of rows, beads, and more to have a real working abacus anywhere you go.
- Formul8 – Formulas for Math, Science, & Chemistry. Get the most popular formulae for algebra, calculus, trigonometry, and more with this app.
- Mathomatic. More than just a calculator, this math tool will help you solve algebraic equations and even shows the steps to get to the solution.
- Algebra Helper 1. This app has a focus on linear algebra and will help you solve algebraic equations step-by-step.
Science
From astrology to chemistry to the human brain, these science apps help you learn about it all.
- The Chemical Touch. This awesome app provides an interactive, touch-sensitive periodic table of the elements and chemical information companion.
- iAmino. Easily learn about the 21 proteinogenic amino acids with this program that promises a fun method of learning.
- Star Walk – IYA2009 OFFICIAL PRODUCT. Take this app with you for stargazing or a walk with the family to understand what you see in the sky above you.
- Starmap. While a bit more expensive than many apps, this interactive map of the night sky is useful for amateurs and professionals alike.
- Brain Tutor 3D. Study the brain with the 3D images on this free app.
- Chemistry Formulas. This app provides an instant library of formulae that also allows you to add your own descriptions on each entry.
- Solutions. Calculate volume, weight, and molarity of chemical solutions with this app that also provides access to two databases of Molecular Weight.
- EleMints. Try out this interactive periodic table that allows you to easily learn about all the elements.
- Peterson Field Guide to Backyard Birds. Enter the first two digits of your zip code to learn all about the birds in your region, including images, range maps, descriptions, recorded bird songs, and a personal checklist to track your sightings.
- Science Fact of the Day. Get a fun science fact each day with this app.
- ScienceFacts. This app provides facts from biology, chemistry, and physics to help boost your science knowledge.
Geography and History
Find out about US history, study historic maps, and more with these apps that provide plenty of information about geography and history.
- History:Maps of the World. Study 20 historic maps from around the world with this free app.
- US Presidents. Learn all about the US presidents with this app that offers information in a flashcard format.
- Ultimate World Quiz. Get tons of information for over 230 countries, then test your knowledge with the quiz feature.
- WorldBook – This Day in History. This interactive calendar is powered by World Book Encyclopedia and features historical information for each day of the year.
- USA Factbook. Learn about the 50 states, get maps, and find facts about the country with this app.
- World Countries. With information from the CIA Factbook and Wikipedia, this app provides information about 238 countries.
- The World Factbook ‘09. With information for over 250 countries and territories around the world, learn plenty about geography.
- USA Factbook and Quiz. Not only can you learn tons of facts about the US, you can also get information by state, maps (highway and topographical), flags, major cities, and more.
- U.S. Historical Documents. Not only does this app provide over 200 historical documents, you can search, highlight, and add notes, too.
English
Read books, learn about mythology, find quotes, and learn to spell with these apps.
- Oxford Dictionary of World Mythology. Learn about mythological figures from around the world with this amazing app.
- 150 Plus Great Books. Get over 150 full-text classics with this app including titles such as Pride and Prejudice, The Scarlet Letter, and The Call of the Wild.
- Storyz. Create stories from photos, videos, or text and even share them with others with this app.
- Spel It Rite. This game trains you to recognize misspelled words.
- The Oxford Dictionary of Literary Terms. Both avid readers and literature students will benefit from this comprehensive text that provides insight into almost 1,200 troublesome literary terms.
- Stanza. This e-reader allows you to download free or books for a fee from a variety of places and has plenty of options such as varying fonts, sizes, bookmark, definitions, screen brightness, and more.
- Narrator. If you like hearing books while reading along, then this multimedia storytelling app will be a great addition to your app library.
- Aristotle’s complete works (with search). Study the teachings of one of the most respected thinkers of all times with this app that also allows for searching within the texts.
- IQuote. Get famous quotes searchable by the author’s name with a database of over 10,000 quotes.
Reference Materials
Whether you need a dictionary, a thesaurus, a spell check, or a useful phrase, these reference materials will help you find what you need.
- WordBook English Dictionary & Thesaurus. Get definitions, synonyms, history of words, pronunciation help, words of the day, crossword solvers, and more with this reference app that is fast and easy to use.
- Dictionary.com – Dictionary & Thesaurus. Try this free dictionary for help with definitions, synonyms, word of the day, and more.
- Roget’s II – New Thesaurus. This app provides the full text in an interactive platform for a complete thesaurus experience that also works along with the American Heritage Dictionary.
- Wiki Mobile. Easily access and browse Wikipedia with this app that formats the page for the mobile screen.
- Spell Check. Type in a word to see if you spelled it correctly and get suggestions for correct spellings. This app also doubles as a dictionary.
- 15,000 Useful Phrases. Writers, public speakers, and wordsmiths of any kind will love this app that will help select the perfect phrase for any occasion.
- Quote Book. With over 3,000 quotes, you can search and browse to find exactly the quote you want from over 400 different authors.
- iVocabulary. Boost your vocabulary in English, French, Spanish, Italian, or German with this app that even records your history to show how much you are improving.
- Idiom Dictionary. Whether you are learning English as a second language or just want to brush up on your slang, use this idiom dictionary to understand what people are really trying to say.
- English Phrasebook (Idioms). If you like idioms, this app provides complete definition as well as quizzes to test your knowledge.
- Conversation English. If you are learning English as a second language, try out this app to help develop listening and speaking skills as well as teach about other nuances of English.
- HandyFact – Important Facts that Matter. This amazing app includes reference material for everything including slang terms, time zones, cocktail recipes, ingredient substitutions, a basic first aid sheet, and much more.
- wurdle. Play this word game that will help expand your word knowledge while you pass time.
Art
From viewing the collection at the Brooklyn Museum to learning about bonsai, these apps will spark your creativity and help you learn more about art.
- Brooklyn Museum Mobile Collection. If you don’t live close enough to explore the Brooklyn Museum, then download this app to browse their collection.
- Art Envi Deluxe. Like having a giant museum in your phone, this app contains works by famous artists as well as specialized categories such as Japanese art.
- Art. Learn all about great artists and their works with this app that also lets you quiz yourself.
- Pencil Pusher. This app allows you to draw as if with a pencil. Write, erase, choose from a variety of backgrounds, choose colors, and more.
- Art Gallery Premium. With over 7,500 works of art in this database, you can bring up your favorite work of art on your iPhone or browse to learn about other artists.
- Kaleido. Art lovers can boost their creativity by taking photos and creating kaleidoscope effects with this app.
- Bonsai. Learn the traditional art of bonsai care with this app that allows you to adjust water, trim the tree, and monitor its overall health.
- Photo Lab Daily. This free version allow you to take a photo with your iPhone and, one time a day, use the Photo Lab tools to enhance your photos. There is a version available for a fee if you want to do more than once a day.
- MyPaint Free. Finger paint on a blank canvas or use one of your photos from your photo roll to tap into your artistic talent.
Languages
These apps are an excellent way to build your foreign language lessons right on your iPhone.
- Free Translator. This translator relies on Google Translate to help you go between several different languages.
- Translator with Voice. This app will translate 34 different languages with voice support on most of them.
- AccelaStudy. Learn 16 different languages with the vocabulary, quizzes, flashcards, and more on this app.
- Lexicon. Study foreign languages with this app that provides flashcards, lets you quiz yourself to see how well you are doing, and allows for recording and play back in audio.
- World Nomads Italian Language Guide. Visitors to Italy will love this app that not only supplies common words and phrases, but also includes an audio pronunciation so you know how to say the Italian word properly.
- iSpeak Spanish. Translate between Spanish and English, hear words spoken in high quality English and Spanish voices, and even save or email the translations.
- Pocket French – Beginner Lite. Master French by listening, reading, speaking, and studying vocabulary with this language lab for your iPhone.
- Byki Danish. If you want to learn Danish and remember it beyond the lessons, give this app a try that will teach you over 1000 words and hundreds of phrases.
- Pocket Japanese – Beginner Lite. Start learning Japanese with this free app that will help you with both listening and speaking.
- Byki German. Byki will have you learning German in no time with slowed native speakers, quizzes, and a phrasebook.
- WordPower – Greek. Learn over 2000 Greek words and phrases at your leisure with this app.
- iSign – Sign Language. Either type in a word to see a sign in American Sign Language or review the individual signs for A-Z and 1-9.
Productivity
Save time so you can devote more to your studies with these great productivity apps.
- Evernote. This popular app is a powerhouse when it comes to remembering and recording anything. Keep photo, text, and audio notes that can be synchronized with Macs, PCs, and web-based programs.
- myHomework. Keep track of homework, classes, assignments, projects, and more with this app.
- Google Mobile App. This all-purpose app is a must-have, providing access to Google searches, Google Docs, Gmail, and much more.
- Documents To Go. Load and edit .doc and .docx documents in full format straight on your iPhone with this handy app that also allows viewing of other Microsoft Office files.
- Instapaper Free. This app saves webpages, blogs, and online articles for future reference or reading.
- Free Wi-Fi Finder. If your roommate is noisy and the library is closed, use this app to find a Wi-Fi hotspot where you can do your work.
- iProcrastinate Mobile. This super-simple task manager will keep you on track with all you need to do, including flagging overdue tasks.
- myBatteryLife. Not only can you monitor your battery life on your iPhone with this app, but it breaks it down by function so you know how much time you have for video playback, audio playback, Internet usage, and more.
- Discover. Manage, store, view, and transfer files between your iPhone and PC or with other iPhones within the same Wi-Fi network.
