You may love the fact that you can watch all of the cat videos that you want on your phone. However, believe it or not, your smartphone is useful for a lot more than just cat videos, or games, or social media. Mobile devices are incredible feats of modern engineering. That little device in your hand is much more sophisticated than the devices that sent humankind to the moon. In particular, mobile technology has revolutionized things is in learning. With smartphones, we can learn just about anything in the world that we want to learn.
It sounds like the world was bleak before the advent of the internet and smartphone technology, but that’s because it was. Now, with the abundance of phone apps that we have to learn from, it is easy to learn just about anything you want in the world. What are some of these apps? Well, that’s what we’re going to be talking about today. Here are the top 5 apps that will make you an elite student.
1. YouTube
YouTube had to be the number one on this list because it is among the greatest repositories of knowledge in the world. YouTube is mostly known for music videos, news, pop culture, and, of course, cat videos. However, YouTube is more than a cat video repository. You can find videos on YouTube that teach you just about anything you want to learn in the world. There are entire channels dedicated to a single subject, giving you in-depth tutorials from industry experts. From DIY construction projects to how to become more charismatic, there is no end to the number of things you can learn on YouTube. The best part is that it’s all free of charge. Note that because it’s free, and anyone can post on YouTube, the quality of the channels and videos will vary, so make sure you only learn from content creators who are experts in their field.
2. Wikipedia
Wikipedia is an online encyclopedia, and with how ubiquitous it is today, it’s hard to fathom a time when people had volumes upon volumes of encyclopedias that covered different topics. Wikipedia came onto the scene and became the encyclopedia to rule them all. There are tons of things you can read about on Wikipedia, from pop culture to mathematics to famous presidents. The beauty of it is that Wikipedia is more than just an encyclopedia; it is a whole community.
Students beware, however. Since anyone can edit a Wikipedia page, you should be careful about citing Wikipedia articles in your assignments. It’s always better to to do it for you. Not only do they understand which sources to cite, but they also have a vast knowledge of the fields in which they write.
3. Khan Academy
Khan Academy is a non-profit educational site and app. It was founded by Salman Khan, who felt like tutorials on basic school subjects should be delivered in an accessible, educative, and entertaining way to everyone who needed them. The app focuses on academic material that many other courses do not cover, making it perfect for learning and catching up on fields like mathematics, economics, biology, chemistry, physics, and even computer science. It is an especially great resource for children trying to learn how to code. The best part is that all the courses are free!
4. Udemy
Udemy is an online course service that offers courses on just about every topic under the sun. If web development is your cup of tea, then Udemy has you covered. If you would like to get some personal development lessons instead, then Udemy still has you covered. From learning how to start a business to how to play the guitar, this service has courses offered by masters of their field. While the app itself is free, courses can be bought at a variety of prices, though they often cost as little as $10.
5. TED
TED is more of a repository of knowledge where you can find short videos of 20 minutes or less on various ideas. It is quite addictive and educational, teaching you about a variety of topics in fun and informative ways. The app is a repository of all the TED videos in one place so you can enjoy them for free.
Conclusion
Education is becoming more of a basic need as the world changes rapidly, and, with these and other apps on your phone, you are bound to learn a lot and take advantage of the decentralization and globalization of education. Happy learning!
