MyClasses, by GUICocoa Software
$1.99, ***1/2
Pros:
Cons:
MyClasses is another student class/grade/assignment organizer for the iPhone. Its goal is to give students an easy way to enter class work, record grades, and calculate a students GPA. Does it meet the goal? Sort of yes, sort of no.
MyClasses has a relatively clean interface, with three buttons along the bottom. These allow you to choose a view of your courses, assignments, or GPA. This is how the app breaks the semester apart.
In the courses view, you can look at your courses, get generic information (professor, teaching location, etc). You can also indicate how the course is graded and how everything is weighted. Unfortunately, there is only one way that grades are calculated, you don't have options for using a point-based system, a GPA system, a letter grade system, and so forth. Different professors use different methods, and it would be nice to see this reflected in the app.
In the assignments view, you can see your assignments. You can separate them into on-going and completed, and once they are completed you can input a grade for them. When you add a new assignment, you can input a due date and priority, as well as various comments. You can also sort your assignments by priority, due date, or the class they are from.
In the GPA screen, you can see you current calculated GPS for each course which, based on the number of credits, will be calculated into a semester GPA as well. There is no way to see GPA's from past semester, or have a cumulative GPA. In addition, there is no way to figure out GPA variable - that is, if you wanted to get a 3.5 GPA, how well you need to do in your biology course (for example).
While the interface is very clean, entering data is a tedious process. While in some cases the data is pulled from the database (when entering an assignment, for example, you can choose from a list of classes that it might be for). But in general I found that entering all the information was tedious and time consuming, taking away from the "ease" of the app. I also missed having any sort of graphical data - it would be really nice to see how you are doing (month to month) in a course, or how much anyone course is affecting your GPA. This kind of information cries out for a graph, but there isn't anything like that.
All in all, this was an okay app, but it really could use some modifications and some additional features to push it over the top. If you are looking for a straightforward assignment tracking app, this might be a great app to try - I think it will do that very well. But if you are looking for a more robust, full features, student assistant app, this app will probably disappoint. At $1.99 it isn't a bad price, but ultimately I found it a little too limiting. Three and a half out of five stars.
Rating scale:
* = No redeeming qualities or features, probably not worth it even if it is free
** = Few redeeming qualities, or is simply isn't worth the price
*** = Some good features but also some clear flaws.
**** = A solid app, worth the money if interested, a few flaws or problems or slightly overpriced
***** = Top of the line app, no problems or drawbacks.
Price is factored into the ratings. Ratings are lowered if I feel the price of the app outweighs the benefits/enjoyment/features it provides. Likewise, an app that is a good value for the money will have a higher rating.
$1.99, ***1/2
Pros:
- Fairly complete listing of classes and coursework
- Calculates GPA
Cons:
- Data entry is tedious, not simplfied
- GPA calculations don't allow for predictive entry
MyClasses is another student class/grade/assignment organizer for the iPhone. Its goal is to give students an easy way to enter class work, record grades, and calculate a students GPA. Does it meet the goal? Sort of yes, sort of no.
MyClasses has a relatively clean interface, with three buttons along the bottom. These allow you to choose a view of your courses, assignments, or GPA. This is how the app breaks the semester apart.
In the courses view, you can look at your courses, get generic information (professor, teaching location, etc). You can also indicate how the course is graded and how everything is weighted. Unfortunately, there is only one way that grades are calculated, you don't have options for using a point-based system, a GPA system, a letter grade system, and so forth. Different professors use different methods, and it would be nice to see this reflected in the app.
In the assignments view, you can see your assignments. You can separate them into on-going and completed, and once they are completed you can input a grade for them. When you add a new assignment, you can input a due date and priority, as well as various comments. You can also sort your assignments by priority, due date, or the class they are from.
In the GPA screen, you can see you current calculated GPS for each course which, based on the number of credits, will be calculated into a semester GPA as well. There is no way to see GPA's from past semester, or have a cumulative GPA. In addition, there is no way to figure out GPA variable - that is, if you wanted to get a 3.5 GPA, how well you need to do in your biology course (for example).
While the interface is very clean, entering data is a tedious process. While in some cases the data is pulled from the database (when entering an assignment, for example, you can choose from a list of classes that it might be for). But in general I found that entering all the information was tedious and time consuming, taking away from the "ease" of the app. I also missed having any sort of graphical data - it would be really nice to see how you are doing (month to month) in a course, or how much anyone course is affecting your GPA. This kind of information cries out for a graph, but there isn't anything like that.
All in all, this was an okay app, but it really could use some modifications and some additional features to push it over the top. If you are looking for a straightforward assignment tracking app, this might be a great app to try - I think it will do that very well. But if you are looking for a more robust, full features, student assistant app, this app will probably disappoint. At $1.99 it isn't a bad price, but ultimately I found it a little too limiting. Three and a half out of five stars.
Rating scale:
* = No redeeming qualities or features, probably not worth it even if it is free
** = Few redeeming qualities, or is simply isn't worth the price
*** = Some good features but also some clear flaws.
**** = A solid app, worth the money if interested, a few flaws or problems or slightly overpriced
***** = Top of the line app, no problems or drawbacks.
Price is factored into the ratings. Ratings are lowered if I feel the price of the app outweighs the benefits/enjoyment/features it provides. Likewise, an app that is a good value for the money will have a higher rating.
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