If you’re about to start your new educational journey in college, you might think that you have almost everything that you need. You’ve bought a new bed for your dorm room. You’ve got a high-powered microwave for all your food, and you also have access to plenty of mementos from home just in case you start to feel home sick. However, the truth is that today’s dedicated student often needs tech tools to thrive in their classes too. At the very least, you’re going to need a laptop to help you get work done fast, and a printer for those must-have assignments. Here’s our list of must-have items.
How Will You Afford This Tech?
Remember, knowing the tech that you need for your new college experience is great, but it’s important to understand how you’re going to afford your new investments too. Taking out a student loan isn’t just a way for you to finance your education, you can also use money on the tech that you need to thrive in your lessons too.
A Laptop
While a desktop computer might be fine for some students, a laptop is likely to be a lot more convenient, particularly if you want to take digital notes in your classes. Make sure that whatever laptop you choose can deliver an excellent internet connection, and works with the kind of software you need to use in your lessons. If you can afford it, an extra laptop charger in case yours gets lost, stolen, or damaged is a great investment too.
A Portable Hard Drive
Speaking of having a back-up charger for your laptop, it also helps to have a back-up copy of any work that you can’t afford to lose. There’s nothing worse than going to hand in your homework and realizing that it’s been deleted from your laptop accidentally. A portable hard drive, or even just a basic thumb drive can be enough to give you an extra dose of security for files you just can’t bear to lose.
A Good Set of Headphones
Just because you like listening to music when you study doesn’t mean the other people in your local library will feel the same way. The same applies to any dorm room that you might be sharing too. A pair of Bluetooth speakers that you can use to listen to your notes, your music, or even some podcasts on the go is a great thing to have when you’re at school. You can also splash out on a Bluetooth speaker in case you want to get multiple people involved in the party on occasion too.
A Portable Battery Pack
Chargers will be one of the most important things you have as a college student. However, there’s always a chance that you’ll find yourself in a place without an available outlet. When that happens, a portable battery pack with enough juice for your phone or tablet could be a true lifesaver. Make sure that you find something that’s big enough to support your devices. Additionally, keep extra wires handy, just in case.
