Tuesday, August 3, 2021

Apps That Can Make Your College Life Better and Easier

Getting Started:

It can be a tough challenge when starting a new college life in a city that you have never lived in before. There is a ton of new stuff to experience and you are probably in need of advice and tips from others. Luckily, the University of Michigan itself developed a lot of mobile applications for the convenience of students that can help save you some time by simply clicking on your phone. I also gathered a list of apps that improve the quality of my lifestyle and are very frequently used in the United States. 

The first step of downloading some of the applications in the U.S. is getting a United States iTunes ID (if you have an iPhone). Some of the applications cannot be downloaded when using an iTunes ID from other countries. You can simply use your UofM email or Gmail account to register for the United States iTunes ID.

Academics:

DUO Mobile: DUO is a two-factor authentication that UofM uses to prove our identities. It is required by all employees, students, and sponsored affiliates on all UofM campuses for systems covered by Weblogin. A pop-up notification will occur on DUO Mobile when you log in your UMID on a new device. 


 

Michigan: The App “Michigan'' is one of the most comprehensive applications developed by UofM. It shows all events and activities hosted by different organizations within the UofM and is updated daily. “Michigan” is also capable of finding Residential Dining Halls, Recreational Sports Buildings, and Computing Sites near you when given access to your location. You can also login your UMID into this app. I personally use this app as a calendar to remind me of my daily schedule. 

Canvas: This is the mobile version of Canvas. I find it very useful to turn in homework quickly and to check grades and deadlines. 

MPrint Mobile - MPrint shows all nearby printing locations in academic buildings, residential halls, and other school-owned buildings. You can keep track of your printing balance on MPrint and print personal documents using the school’s printers.

Transportation:

UM Magic Bus: - UofM has several buses, such as the Campus Connector, Oxford-Markley Loop, and the Bursley-Baits Loops, that run through north to central campus, north campus,  and central campus. The buses stop at popular locations such as the Pierpont Commons on north campus and the Diag on central campus. The UM Magic Bus shows us routes/stops, real-time maps, and stop times that helps save our time and money on transportation.

Uber/Lyft: Uber and Lyft are private transportation services in the United States that provide rides alternative to taxis. It is relatively easy to find rides in Ann Arbor even around midnight. A trip from campus to Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (DTW) is around 50 USD per ride. However, please keep in mind safety concerns and always share your trip information with your friends so that they can keep track of you.

Lifestyle:

UMRecreation: The Student Life Recreational Sports App shows recreational buildings’ hours and programs in UofM. There are three major recreational buildings on campus: Central Campus Recreation Building (CCRB), North Campus Recreation Building (NCRB), and Intramural Sports Building. During COVID-19, students can make reservations to the recreational buildings on this app. 

Gmail/Google Doc/Google Calendar: UofM collaborates with Google, thus students have access to all Google features by signing into their UofM account. You can find a list of mobile apps created and supported by Google on its Mobile Apps page.


MyUofMHealth: The MyUofMHealth Patient Portal is a program to manage your health through University Health Service (UHS). It offers a 24/7 connection to Michigan Medicine and important health information. On this app, you can request appointments with UHS, pay your bill, request prescription refills, and view your health records.

Written by Jasmine Jia
Summer Orientation Peer Advisor
Undergraduate Student
China

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