The essential phone apps every fresher needs to have to get through first year at university

From an alarm clock with a twist to ensuring you get home safe late at night, we've got you covered this year

(Sean Gallup/Getty Images)

Being a fresher at university is a busy time, with new students settling in to different surroundings, working to new course schedules and, of course, plenty of socialising.

It’s all exciting, but it can also be exhausting, with unfamiliar people, processes, and places. Thankfully, technology is here to help, so here Endsleigh's top apps to make your first year at university as hassle-free as possible:

1) Companion

Being away from home in a new location can seem daunting – you may not know if you’re in a safe area and can, perhaps, feel intimidated travelling on your own, particularly at night.

Companion is a fantastic way to combat this by allowing you to alert friends or family members when and where you’re travelling in real time. They don’t even need to have the app installed – you simply select someone from your contacts list and inform them that you’re travelling and where your final destination will be. Your ‘companion’ can then track your journey and will be alerted when you get home safely, giving you the peace of mind that someone’s looking out for you, even when you’re alone.

2) Wake N Shake

Waking up in the morning can be a challenge at the best of times, but late nights in the pub or local clubs can mean getting out of bed for morning lectures is even more of chore. Give yourself the burst of energy you need to snap you out of your slumber by downloading the Wake N Shake alarm clock.

This alarm takes no prisoners: you can’t turn the volume down or press snooze and the only way to turn it off is by vigorously shaking your phone. This brutal awakening is a harsh, but effective, way to make sure you’re up and out of your room on time.

3) iStudiez Pro

Keeping track of all of your classes and coursework can be tough when you’re faced with a new schedule. But there’s no excuse for missing seminars or skipping lectures, because now you can gather all of that information together with iStudiez Pro.

This app offers a calendar feature and tasks page so you can keep a ‘to do’ list as well as a daily planner. You can even chart your grades to keep track of your progress throughout the year.

4) OnTrees

When everyone’s heading out to the union for beers every night, you may feel your student loan burning a hole in your pocket. However, it can disappear sooner than you’d like, leaving many a fresher left eating plain rice or cheap packet noodles for the final weeks of term.

The On Trees app – from Money Saving Expert – is a great way to keep track of your spending and for understanding where the bulk of your cash is being spent. Once you’ve registered your bank accounts, the app will automatically separate your spending between groceries, drink, travel, clothing, and rent, meaning you can easily see where you might need to cut back. Perfect for budgeting and ensuring you can make the most of your funds throughout the year.

5) Find My iPhone

If you’ve misplaced your iPhone after a heavy night in the union – or you can’t find it under piles of dirty laundry – then Find My iPhone is the ultimate way to locate it again. As long as your phone has some battery left, you can log into the app from a computer or iPad and see your phone’s last noted location on a map. Once you’re near, you can set the phone to sound an alarm to alert you to its exact location.

There’s also a fantastic ‘lost’ setting, where you can automatically lock your phone and set an alternative phone number to show up on the screen. If anyone picks up the phone, they’ll be able to call you through the number automatically, without having to log in.

If you have an Android phone, the Lookout app can remotely lock or wipe a device. This ultra-modern app can even take a photo of anyone who fails your on-screen lock security.