Cell phone apps have been around for as long as I can remember, and even years ago, it seemed there was an app for every conceivable task we could think of.

In fact, at the time this article was written, Google reported that they had reached 400,000 apps on the Android Market, closing the gap between Apple’s 500,000. But do we really use apps to their full potential?

A recent study showed that only about a quarter of the adult population in the U.S. uses cell phone apps on a regular basis. Even of those, many stick to basic apps, such as Twitter, Facebook or weather apps.

The point is, there are a lot of apps out there that could make your life a whole lot easier, and thus I have compiled this list of some of the most useful apps that college students must have.

•Evernote – Evernote is like the iPhones Notepad on steroids. It allows you to record everything you might forget as the day goes on as text, a photo, video or voice recording. You can then access these notes from your phone, your home computer or any Internet browser. Evernote can help you remember when assignments are due, what movie you wanted to see and even the name of that girl you met at the bar. A free account even nets you 1GB of online storage. (Evernote is available on all Apple products, Android Devices, Google Chrome and as a website).

•Mint.com Personal Finance – This is a free app that I prefer strongly over the mobile banking app that my bank provides. Mint.com Personal Finance links up to your bank accounts and credit cards to help you monitor your spending and develop a budget. It automatically categorizes your purchases (e.g. Food, Utilities, Health) and shows you where you went over and under budget. Managing your finances is an important skill that is learned in college, and Mint.com makes doing so easy. (Mint is available for Apple products only. For Android devices, try out PocketSmith).

•Calendar or Task Manager – Everyone would do well to keep a to-do list on hand all the time. Evernote could, in fact, serve as a task manager in itself, but for keeping dates and times straight I’d suggest Apple’s on-board Calendar app or Google Calendar. If you’re not into those, simplified task management apps are a dime a dozen.

•Square – How many times have you tried to get people to throw down on a pizza or booze and had to wait for them to walk to the ATM and get cash? Well, not anymore. Square is a free app that allows you to accept credit or debit card payments on your iPhone, which are then deposited into your bank account the next day. Square will even send you a free credit card reader that plugs into your headphone jack if you sign up. Why would they do such a kind thing? Square takes 2.75 percent of all transactions.

• Find my iPhone – Whether you were being a hot mess and left your phone at the bar or it’s wedged in between the couch cushions, Find my iPhone may be one of the most useful apps out there. It allows you to find your phone using your iCloud or another iOS device. You can then tell it to lock the phone so no one can mess with it if they find it or play a sound so you can find it easier.