As high school students, we have a way of relating to each other.  Maybe it’s because we all come together to cheer for the football team on Friday nights.  Or maybe it’s because we are all drowning in homework and tests and quizzes.  However, one of the key objects that brings us together is the glass screen that appears in every backpack or tote bag: an iPad.

It seems as if New Providence students are constantly writing, typing, drawing, or scrolling.  iPads are being used for so much more than Notability, Google Drive, Pages, and Keynote.  Yes, it’s true that some apps have more educational value than others, but apps really can enhance the daily routines of high school students.  The following are my top 6 most used apps outside of the classroom:

1. Sleep Time:  I think it’s safe to say that all NPHS students start the day by waking up.  The app Sleep Time is not only an alarm clock, but tracks and analyzes sleep cycle so it eventually wakes you up at your lightest sleep phase.  If you wake up during your lightest sleep phase, you will be less groggy than if you wake up during your heaviest sleep phase.
2. Pacer: I  have been using pedometers for about five years now and have been most successful with this app.  The main reasons I prefer this app to other pedometers is that it counts only actual steps and does not drain battery too quickly.  Many other pedometer apps I have tried count only distance or count any movement of the device even if it is not an actual step.  In addition, this app includes average steps per day, total steps per week, and overall level of activity.  This app is more for iPhones than iPads but it really does have cool aspects that I recommend exploring.
3. Newsstand:  Newsstand is one of the required apps on all apple products.  However, it can be extremely useful and interesting.  You are able to set it up so that notifications from media sources such as New York Times, CNN, or BBC News are instantly sent to your phone.  If a headline interests you, you can simply tap it and it takes you directly to the news article or video.  Although newspapers are still very relevant and useful, downloading these apps takes away time spent browsing for interesting stories and enables you to utilize free time throughout the day to stay on top of local, national, and international news.  However, newspapers are not the only option.  Magazines from fashion to celebrity gossip to sports are also available.  It may not top browsing the magazine section of the CVS downtown, but it’s pretty exciting and also informational.
4. Find It:  Find It is one of my favorite apps because it is essentially a scavenger hunt that you can play with your friends.  It asks you to find certain things and take pictures of them on your phone.  It can get extremely competitive and intense which only adds to the fun.
5. Squaready: I don’t think many people will say that they miss IOS 6.  However, I think most would say that they miss being able to set any picture as their background without it being extremely zoomed in and unflattering as a result.  The app squaready enables you to resize any picture so it can be used as a background.  I also particularly like that you can choose exotic colors like lilac, turquoise, or magenta to be in the background of a picture.  It’s a nice touch.