Posted 09/07/2011 at 11:00am | by J Keirn-Swanson It's no secret that Apple products go hand-in-hand with education. In fact, for many Generation Xers, an Apple was the first computer ever seen in their classroom (shout out to the IIe!). With regular discounts for teachers and students, Apple products are the perfect back to school gift. And once you get back to school, time to hit the books and keep up that GPA. And here's some apps to help you do just that. Tapity's Apple Design Award winner, Grades 2, is an advance over its predecessor, Grades 1, and the app developers are looking at bringing even more functionality to this little app that could. The Facebook f creeps our grades out To begin with, Grades 2 is rock solid gorgeous (although the looming Facebook "f" on the open screen is a bit of a bad omen). A lovely light wood Read More

by Forget Sharpies and highlighters, the new back to school essentials this fall are apps for your iPad, iPhone and iPod touch. While cellphones used to be classroom contraband, the burgeoning market of educational apps means iOS devices are as welcome as loose leaf and pencils. This school year, free iOS apps can replace your pricey graphing calculator and clunky dictionary. Inexpensive planners will organize your homework, grades and finances. We’ve rounded up the essentials for the season, so you won’t go back to school unprepared. These 15 apps will keep your academic and extracurricular life on track. 1 of 15 Cost: Free Supported devices: iPhone and iPod touch Why you need it: No one likes to waste money on textbooks -- especially after putting your John Hancock on an increasingly fat tuition check. Amazon Student is here so you can avoid overpaying for your pile of books. Use the app Read More

I can't believe it. August is here which means the summer is just about over and the back to school season is almost upon us. So go buy your books, sharpen your pencils and grab these five iOS apps to help you start off the school year on the right foot: Grades 2 is an app that will help you reach your target GPA. It'll let you input your classes, their assignments and your scores as the semester progresses. If you input a target grade, the app will tell you what you need to score on your assignments to reach your goal. iHomework is the ultimate organizer for students. It lets you keep track of courses, teacher information, assignments, grades and more. It has a built-in calendar and reminder system. It also works on your iPhone or iPad and has a Mac app so you can sync your information across all Read More

Created by Jeremy Olson of Tapity, the Grades app is a tool for students to help them earn the grade they want in a class and achieve their target GPA. The app lets students input their current grades, list upcoming assignments and finally set their target grade or GPA. The app will calculate the scores students need on their upcoming assignments to turn a D into an A. We had a chance to interview this budding developer, and we talked with him about programming, payment and promotion. Read on for a closer look at this developer and his experience with iOS. The inspiration for the Grades app comes from Olson's own experience after scoring poorly in a freshman statistics class. Olson says, "It was the first time I really had to think desperately about the question, okay, what do I need to do to still get an A? As I was Read More