5 Essential Apps for the UCL Student

You might as well accept it: you’re permanently glued to your smartphone, and sometimes even literally glued to it (I once woke up in bed after a night out with my phone fused into my cheek like the world’s most expensive tumour). It’s time to make that overpriced hunk of high-tech junk count, with these five great apps that every London student should know about.

Citymapper

Picture the scene: you’ve had a big one at Moonies, the club has spat you out in the middle of labyrinthine Soho, and you’re far too drunk to be typing postcodes into Google Maps. It’s Citymapper to the rescue with their one-click “Take Me Home” button; just one sweaty stab of your punch-drunk thumb will guide you to the correct walking route or public transport, estimated arrival time included. Boasting features such as live bus and tube time, cost of transport, weather forecasts and calorie counters makes this one essential for zipping around LDN.

The app even gives you an estimated arrival time by catapult, complete with a diagram of BoJo flying through the air

Cost: Free

For iPhone and Android.

Street Art London

The streets of London are your very own tour-guided gallery with Street Art London, an app that uses the GPS on your iPhone to lead you to London’s most famous street art from the likes of Banksy, Ben Eine, C215 and Invader. It’s updated regularly and with over 200 locations programmed into the interactive map, there’s no longer any excuse not to brush up on London’s art culture scene whilst you’re on your way to lectures.

Some of us writing course essays might do well to ponder some Banksy wisdom

Cost: £2.99

For iPhone only – but the demand for an Android version might see a release in future.

Start The Party: Drinking Games

You’ve decided it’s time to liven things up with a drinking game – you can’t for the life of you remember whether a 6 is Dicks or Chicks. Boot up this handy handheld wonder and have all the best drinking games at your fingertips. Whilst it’s not the prettiest-looking bit of kit, it’s really easy to use and has a relative encyclopedia of possible drunken fun. Even though it won’t cost you a penny, there are no ads, eliminating the annoying occurrence of accidentally clicking ads for FurryMate.com. Yeesh.

The “Mushroom Cup” is always a good one

Cost: Free

For iPhone only.

YPlan

The YPlan motto “Be Spontaneous” is a motto that us students hardly need to be reminded of; too often have we convinced ourselves that a sudden Sunday night pub crawl is a “brilliant idea”, leading to an utter obliteration of our entire Monday timetable. YPlan provides an alternative to such ill-fated impulsiveness.

Loading up the app, I was greeted with fun ideas for events happening today, tomorrow and later on in the week – Rock A Hula!, The Zombie Shelter Halloween Party and Funny Women Presents: Memoirs Of A Slutsky to name but a few (and all those at around only a tenner each!)

 Cost: Free

For iPhone and Android.

The Tab

The round-up wouldn’t be complete without the essential on-the-go portal to the Tab. Clean, quick and easy, the app will keep you up to date with all the latest London campus shenanigans. On the “Choose Your Uni” homepage, click London, and all those gig previews, gallery reviews and style how-tos can be on your eyeballs 24/7.

Slick, quick, doesn’t miss a trick

Cost: Free

For iPhone only.