Apps in Class: Become a Fruit Ninja or Angry Bird!

With so many educational apps being used these days, more students than ever bring their smartphones along and set them right on their desks. But even the most passionate students can find themselves in classes that they’re just not that into. Whether it’s a lame elective course, a class that’s too easy, a large boring lecture or a course that just isn’t what you thought it was going to be, sometimes a break during the school day is just necessary. Okay, maybe not exactly necessary, but it’s definitely welcomed.

E! News Now

Works with: iPhone iOS, Blackberry, Android

Get the latest entertainment news and celebrity gossip with the E! News Now app. Great for those boring times in class when a distraction is called for. You know you want to check out what the Kardashians are up to. This app will let you access the breaking entertainment news you just can’t live without. It delivers over a dozen reports daily to keep you in the loop about your favorite celebs, red carpet events and anticipated films and TV shows. Get the inside scoop on all that’s happening both on and off screen. Blackberry 10 OS is the one that really shows off this app well, but other smartphones work with it as well.

Kindle

Works with: iPhone iOS, Blackberry, Android

Keep up with the Kardashians then keep up with your reading with the Kindle app. You can download your books for reading offline even when you don’t have access to an Internet connection. With thousands of books in the Kindle store plus hundreds of newspapers and magazines, you’ll have plenty of interesting things to read while you’re pretending to read your text book.

Fruit Ninja

Fruit Ninja image by puzzlescript via Flickr.

Works with: iPhone iOS, Blackberry, Android

Fruit Ninja is that game everyone loves. It’s perfect for those times you don’t want to think too hard but want to pass the time or take a break. The object of Fruit Ninja is to chop up as many pieces of flying fruit as you can. Slide your finger across the phone screen, but don’t hit those spontaneous bombs. Some fruits will net you extra points, as will slicing multiple pieces of fruit at the same time. It’s a simple game, but wildly addicting and distracting.

18,000 Cool Jokes

Works with: iPhone iOS, Blackberry, Android

This app is very entertaining, especially during a particularly dry class. Choose from numerous categories like blondes, business, bar, dirty jokes, yo mama, military, work, travel and many more. Browse the top jokes of the day, week and month. Here’s an example of a cute (and PG-rated) joke from the app: “Q: What steps should you take if you see a dangerous animal on your travels? A: Very large ones!”

Angry Birds

Works with: iPhone iOS, Blackberry, Android

No student entertainment survival kit would be complete without Angry Birds. You’ll enjoy hours of addictive fun lobbing rocks at those pesky pigs, and the teacher won’t even know what you’re up to.

A word of caution: Be sure to balance out these addictive apps with at least a bit of focused attention during class. Only use them when you’re sure you’ve got the material handled. After all, your success at slicing fruit or launching birds is only going to get you so far in real life.