Spring semester is now underway. Soon, students will be flooded with essays, deadlines and not nearly as much time as one would like. Staying on task can help ease some of the stress the semester will bring. Instead of using a device just to text or surf Instagram, let it work for you. Downloading a few free organization apps can help increase productivity in a student’s ever busy life.

Tracking Finances– College can be a tough time to save cash. But hey, as the old saying goes, “money makes the world go round.” “Mint” is a free app to help one keep track of where their money goes. Simply connect to your bank or credit card account. The app will categorize every purchase one makes with those accounts. Then, the user can create budgets based on the spending stats it has already gathered for you.

A Remember All– Sure this isn’t as cool as a magic ball you’d find at Hogwarts, but “Cozi” is available via app or computer. This system keeps track of all personal calendars, school schedules and it’s a task manager. Jotting tasks or homework down can help get those things completed. Also, the errand reminders are not too shabby.

Be productive, even if you aren’t physically doing anything– “IFTTT,” or “If This, Then That,” is one of those apps that can be useful for those annoying, but important, duties. “IFTTT” has what it calls “triggers” and “actions.” These are paired with “channels.” So for instance, if a user is tagged in a Facebook post that item can automatically be sent to Google Drive and filed in a miscellaneous folder. There are 160 channels to choose from. There are also tons of combinations to choose from to make life a little easier.

Forget the USB– “Dropbox” can store documents across various platforms to optimize user productivity. Gather all your physical and digital files and find them in one system, with one password. It is hard enough to keep up with multiple classes and assignments throughout the day. Save time and some headaches by filtering everything into a single place.

Have a little School Spirit– The “CSUN” school app has just about everything a student needs to know about campus life. This includes everything from adding classes to a campus map. When in doubt about anything on campus, check the app first. It’s at your fingertips after all.