The first year of college is never easy. On top of dealing with an entirely new curriculum, there are new friends to make, foreign environments to discover and new games to learn (albeit, most of them will involve alcohol). Naturally, first-hand experience is the best way to get a handle on this new lifestyle, but that doesn’t mean freshmen can’t get a little practice beforehand. But even then, who has time to sit down and learn the social ropes of college? That’s where iPhone and iPod apps come in handy. Good for walks across the Quad and boring lectures, they are always there to entertain and, yes, even educate. Consider this the digital cheat sheet for your first few weeks at Syracuse University.

Urban Spoon

Cost: Free

After two weeks in the dining hall, manicotti just doesn’t taste as good as it used to. Take a break from the meal plan and check out Syracuse’s rich and diverse restaurant scene with Urban Spoon, the app for all things edible. Typing in your area code and the type of cuisine you want to nosh on will give you information about restaurants around campus. Urban Spoon is good for navigating the obvious choices like Dinosaur Bar-B-Q and Pastabilities, but it’s also handy for unearthing hidden culinary gems. The interface is easy to navigate and helps find a restaurant that fits all cravings.  If you have a hankering for Mom’s meatloaf, the app will find every local restaurant that serves comfort food. Or, if you and your roommates can’t make up your minds, the app can also randomly pick a restaurant for you.

Brocabulary

Cost: $1.99

While walking across the Quad, you overhear a group of young men talking about last night’s ‘brodown.’ Confused, you stop and linger, hoping to decipher their mysterious language. Among the many ‘brotastic’ events that occurred, one man quickly proclaims that he is ‘Broseidon,’ king of the ‘brocean,’ given the fact that he drank like a fish. Just before you can walk away, the group spots your confused gaze and becomes hostile. While running away from the ‘brofessional’ beat down, you’re still left wondering what in heaven’s name they were talking about. But with this app, no longer will you wonder. The Brocabulary app translates the average American college student’s puzzling vocabulary to common English. Some phrases, like ‘bromance,’ seem obvious and not worth the $2, but ‘brocean?’ Clear and clever, this vernacular compass is a must for all alpha male-to-alpha male conversations on campus.

Beer Pong Flick

Cost: Free

The app store has more than a few beer pong apps floating around, but none better prepares for the timeless college drinking game than Beer Pong Flick. First of all, it’s free, so there’s nothing to lose-except your digital dignity. Beer Pong Flick lets players choose their character (go for the aviator-wearing, mullet-growing guy,) pong table and difficulty, making a slightly different experience with each play. The ball doesn’t respond to your touch as well as it should, making the learning curve steep. But once your computer-generated opponent lies humbled in defeat, there’s a two-player option for your human friends to partake in. Even better, the app will find other users in the general area (via a decent Internet connection) and you can square off against them.

Baseline Fan (Syracuse)

Cost: $ 0.99

SU is a school that puts a high priority on hoops, and it would do you well to know everything about it. Baseline Fan is an app specifically geared to give SU students a crash course on the Orange basketball team. The main page of the app lets users check out the full roster, read the latest team news, check the schedule and even watch videos of the team in action. Since this app will put you leagues ahead of everyone else in the dorm, use the chat feature, where you can discuss SU Athletics with more knowledgeable Orange fans.

iTunes U (SUNY-ESF)

Cost: Varies

While not an app in the strictest sense, iTunes U is a useful feature that lets students download audio lectures from actual university classes. Unfortunately, SU is not one of the offered universities. But students from the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry should pay attention, as some SUNY-ESF classes are available. Incoming freshman can download audio introductions, campus tutorials and frequently asked questions, on top of an entire course’s curriculum. Students pay per download. It’s like going to class, but a whole lot cheaper. Priming for the next beer pong tournament may be fun and all, but no app will better prepare for actual academia than iTunes U.

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Published on August 24, 2010 at 12:00 pm