The dog days of summer can only mean one thing: Back-to-school shopping is just around the corner. However, buying three-ring binders and number two pencils isn’t enough. Today’s college kids need to be armed with the latest tech gear in order to excel during the school year.

Tech expert Karl Volkman, CTO of SRV Network, a Microsoft Gold Certified partner, says, “Going to college can be daunting. With these apps, you can simplify your child’s life and help them feel confident and organized as they manage their studies on their own for the first time.”

Here, Volkman shares his top finds for back-to-school must-haves:
° iHomework: With this app, you can keep track of all your assignments and due dates. “I think this is a great app for college freshmen in particular,” says Volkman. “This is the first time many of them will be completely in charge of getting to class and turning in their work without any parental reminders. An app like this can streamline everything and keep them getting swamped in a pile of syllabuses.”

°  Notability: With this app, you can take notes sans pen and paper. “The app allows you to choose cool font designs and colors, which can offer some visual interest as you slog through boring lectures. Best of all, you won’t have to struggle to read your handwriting later when studying for a quiz.”

° ibotta: College is expensive, but there are apps that can actually help you save money. “There are number of cash-back money saving apps, but ibotta is one of the best,” says Volkman, “All you have to do is fill out a quick survey or watch an advertisement after you finish shopping. Then you scan your receipts and get money back—whether it is 30 cents on a carton of milk, or 80 cents on toilet paper. It all adds up!”

° Bond: Want to make sure your kid doesn’t forget to give Grandma a call every now and then? With Bond, you can choose a contact and then select a frequency with which you would like to contact that person. “For example,” says Volkman, “You can set a reminder to call Grandma once a month, or to check in your parents once a week. Or, you can use it to keep in touch with your friends back home so that you don’t neglect all those important bonds just because you are busy at school. It’s a awesome app to help kids stay connected with the people that matter most.”

° RescueTime: This app will show you how much time you are wasting on email, texting and Facebook each day. “This genius app keeps track off much time you spend goofing off, and it will actually send you a alert to let you know that it is time to get off Twitter and start working on your chem paper,” says Volkman, “It’s a must-have for teens who are off on their own for the first time and struggling to set boundaries, especially those who have ADHD or attention difficulties.”