5 More Apps Every International Student Needs (Because Apparently 5 Wasn't Enough)

So remember when we said we had the ultimate survival kit for international students? Well, plot twist: we lied. Turns out adulting in a foreign country requires more than five apps. Shocking, we know.

After living through another semester of chaos, late-night study sessions, and way too much coffee, we've compiled round two of the apps that are literally keeping us alive and (somewhat) successful. You're welcome.

Duolingo: That Green Owl is Lowkey Scary, But It Works

Nothing says "I should learn the local language" quite like standing in a grocery store, staring at twenty types of milk, and having no idea which one is actually milk. Sure, you can survive on English in most places, but learning the basics makes life SO much easier.

Duolingo makes language learning actually fun with short daily lessons that won't eat up your entire day. Plus, that little green owl sends passive-aggressive notifications when you skip a day, which is weirdly motivating. Whether you're trying to order coffee without pointing at the menu like a tourist or just want to understand what your classmates are gossiping about, Duolingo's got your back.

Zotero: The Citation Savior We Don't Deserve

Can we just take a moment to appreciate whoever invented automatic citation generators? Because manually formatting 47 sources in APA format sounds like a special kind of torture reserved for people who talk in movie theaters.

Zotero is a free reference manager that saves all your research sources and auto-generates citations in literally any format your professor demands. APA? Done. MLA? Easy. Chicago? Sure, why not. It's especially perfect for those monster research papers and dissertations where you're citing so many sources you've forgotten what your own original thoughts even were. If you're still manually typing out citations in 2025, we need to have a serious conversation.

Canva: Making You Look Like You Know What You're Doing

Here's a secret: half of getting good grades is making your work look professional, even if you started it at 2am the night before it was due. Enter Canva, the design tool that makes everyone look like a graphic design genius.

Need to create a presentation that doesn't look like it's from 2003? Canva. Want to make an infographic for your group project that'll actually impress your professor? Canva. The drag-and-drop interface is so easy that even your technologically challenged roommate could use it. Plus, they offer free templates specifically for students, because they understand that our budgets consist of approximately $7 and a dream.

Google Lens: Basically Magic in App Form

Okay, this app is legitimately mind-blowing. Point your camera at literally anything—street signs, restaurant menus, textbook diagrams, that weird plant in your dorm—and Google Lens tells you what it is or translates it instantly.

It's like having a multilingual genius who knows everything in your pocket. Trying to read a document in a language you don't speak? Google Lens. Can't remember what that diagram in your biology textbook is supposed to represent? Google Lens. Navigating a new city and can't read the signs? You guessed it—Google Lens. It's the kind of technology that makes you feel like you're living in the future.

Forest: For When TikTok is Ruining Your Life

Let's address the elephant in the room: we all have a phone addiction, and it's destroying our productivity. You sit down to study, pick up your phone "just to check one thing," and suddenly three hours have passed and you've watched 47 videos of cats doing backflips.

Forest gamifies staying focused by letting you plant a virtual tree that grows while you study. Leave the app to scroll Instagram? Your tree dies. It sounds dramatic, but the guilt of killing a virtual tree is surprisingly effective. Plus, if you stay focused enough, the app partners with real organizations to plant actual trees. So basically, your procrastination habits are either killing trees or saving the planet. No pressure.