For many professionals, the idea of sitting down and taking a class while holding down a full-time job isn’t an appealing one. But just because you’ve already graduated from college, doesn’t mean you should stop actively learning. That said, devoting 10 hours per week to a class that may or may not be helpful for your career isn’t an easy proposition. Luckily, there are iPhone apps designed to help you keep your mind sharp by focusing attention on subjects ranging from foreign languages to bird identification. Here are five of our favorites:
1. Living Language Apps - by Living Languages
Interested in learning a foreign language? With a Living Languages iPhone app, you can do more than learn simple phrases and words; you can actually learn how to speak the language. Each app offers three levels: Essential, Intermediate, and Advanced. Each lesson has with vocabulary, grammar, dialogues, and interactive games, so you won’t get bored as you work through a lesson. You can download the app for learning Spanish, French, Italian, German, Mandarin Chinese and Japanese. 2. BodySystems Anatomy Quiz - by 3D4Medical.com
The human body is a pretty amazing organism. You may know we’re made of of tissue, bone, etc, but have you ever researched how the body actually works? This app will quiz you on how the cardiovascular, nervous and digestive systems work. After using this app, you’ll have a much better understanding of how the human body operates. 3. Statistics 1 - by GetYa Learn On
It’s not unusual to graduate college without taking a single statistics class, which is a shame since unlike Geometry or Calculus, understanding statistics is relatively useful for day to day living! The Statistics 1 app, from GetYa Learn On, is a simple way to start learning basic concepts and approaches to statistics. There are interactive quizzes and assessment tools for figuring out where you need to spend more time. Or, you could use this iPhone app as a complement to an online statistics course you’re taking through an MOOC like Coursera. 4. WildLab Bird - By Mediated Spaces Inc
Learning more about the nature around you will make you that much more appreciative of it. With the WildLab Bird app, you can learn how to identify species of birds based on a process of elimination. First, you enter the habitat you’re looking at. Then, choose form a the shape most similar to the bird you’re looking at. From there, you can choose the bird you’re looking at from a list, or try to identify it further using calls, photographs and more. 5. Word A Day Pictures & Audios - By Lafazi, Inc
Swap out “chatty” for “loquacious” or “happy” with “ebullient.” Not sure what loquacious or ebullient mean? Download this app for an easy way to increase your vocabulary. Not only does the app provide new words with definitions, it also provides humorous illustrations and audio to go with. Impress your friends with a new vocabulary, full of smart-sounding words -- with one new word per day. Author: Laura Oppenheimer lives in San Francisco and works at an online tutoring company.
Photo: cohdra100_1421 by cohdra.