What the iPhone-Crazy Student Needs When School Begins

eTextbook seller CourseSmart and research firm Wakefield Research have issued the results of a survey carried out on students and determined that 73% of college students would not be able to study without some form of technology. The iPhone is the centerpiece, they say.

“Gone are the days of sharpening pencils and organizing notebooks before the first day of school,” according to CourseSmart and Wakefield Research. “Now in preparation, students fully charge their laptops, double-check their schedule online and set an alarm on their iPhone.”

Their research has shown that thirty-eight percent of students could not even go more than 10 minutes without checking their laptop, tablet, eReader or their smartphone.

Another study, by Test Kitchen Research, from the University of Colorado, has found that 40% of students use an iPhone, making it the most popular smartphone with college students.

The iPhone, however, is known to be the third in overall sales, behind Blackberry and Android, among the college-age demographic.

With all this in mind, CourseSmart and Wakefield Research have compiled a list of “accessories” to help enhance students’ iPhone and college experiences.

Topping the list is iTunes U, a service created by Apple to manage, distribute, and control access to educational audio and video content and PDF files for students.

“With over 800 active universities, including MIT, Yale, Stanford, Oxford and UC Berkeley, contributing lectures, slideshows, PDFs, books, films, exhibit tours, and audiobooks, iTunesU is an amazing resource of knowledge,” according to CourseSmart and Wakefield Research.

“In the Beyond Campus section of iTunesU, students can access content from distinguished entities such as MoMA, the New York Public Library, Public Radio International, and PBS stations,” their report reads.

“CourseSmart and Wakefield Research found that new media options are increasingly engaging students, who said they use tools such as videos and podcasts (24%) and iTunes® (12%) as study supplements. iTunesU is available through iTunes for your computer, iPod, iPad and iPhone,” according to their study.

Next up is the zBoost Metro iP, an iPhone signal booster designed for consumers in single story urban settings.

Finally, the duo recommends collegiate cases and covers from i-Fanatic.com, a manufacturer, distributor and retailer of high-end cases, sleeves and protectors for various portable devices, including iPhone, iPod, and laptops.

CourseSmart and Wakefield Research conclude their report, saying: “With an expansive list of university options, i-Fanatic says their goal is ‘to not only help our customers protect and accessorize their investment, but to also allow them to show their spirit’”.