There are a few technologies that are essential for college life these days, key among them being a solid laptop, but there are now plenty of other gadgets available that can enhance your academic life by helping you stay organized, produce better work, and have more fun during your free time on campus. Below, we’ve collected some of the must-have technologies for college students, all of which will likely stay with you and continue to be essential even after the typical four-year college experience is over.
Best Technology for College Students
Photo: Nathan Ingraham/Engadget
You probably have a laptop that you use every day for school, but a tablet can make it easier to work on the go or supplement your laptop when you’re busy studying. Apple’s new iPad Air M2 is the best iPad for most people because it offers the best balance of power, features, and price. Now available in 11-inch and 13-inch sizes, the iPad Air earned a score of 91 in our review thanks to better performance from the M2 chipset, a new front-facing camera position that makes FaceTime calls much easier, and double the built-in storage in the base model. Plus, the tablet’s power button supports TouchID, battery life is over 10 hours, and it supports the new Apple Pencil Pro.
For most students, the 11-inch model will be perfect for mobile work and can double as a second screen next to your laptop, but those whose classes require frequent drawing, diagrams, or handwritten notes might want to consider buying the 13-inch model and Apple’s new stylus.
$559 on Amazon
Marshall
Any student will love the Marshall Emberton II speakers, and not just because they look good. The latest version of this compact rectangular speaker is equipped with a 10-watt full-range driver and a passive radiator to deliver the balanced sound that the brand is known for. The 360-degree sound is perfect for dorm room parties or small desk concerts while studying or working on projects. Marshall has also improved the battery life of this model, increasing it from 20 to 30 hours. It also has a more durable IP67 rating. If you want to expand your system, you can pair multiple Emberton II speakers using stack mode for a bigger, more substantial sound.
$120 on Amazon
1Password
Students have a lot to keep in mind: classes, coursework, extracurricular activities, and more. A password manager can help take one off that list. And when we say “one,” we actually mean a lot, as students have tons of passwords to manage across their school and personal accounts. Our pick for the best password manager, 1Password, offers a ton of value for a relatively affordable price of $36 per year.
First of all, 1Password stores all your passwords and login credentials in a secure vault. You only need to remember one master password and access it from any device. That means no more flimsy sticky notes stuck to the side of your computer screen, and no more worrying about forgetting important passwords. Plus, 1Password gives you the tools to create strong passwords so you don’t fall into the (dangerous) trap of using the same old passwords for everything. And if you need to use your credentials online, the 1Passwords browser extension autofills usernames and passwords when you visit important sites, so you can log in quickly and without having to move your finger (much).
$3/month for 1Password
Another
While you might do a lot of heavy lifting with your laptop at school, you’ll likely use all of your devices – your tablet, phone, e-reader – to get work done. A good stand, like this one from Anozer, makes it easier to get the most out of your other devices. You can prop up your tablet at the right eye height (and at the right angle) to use as a second screen while you’re working on your research paper, and when you’re done, you can easily readjust it to a different position when you want to unwind with Netflix. It also fits your phone comfortably, if you’re someone who likes to keep their phone screen within reach to see all your notifications. And the weighted base is wider than others, which adds stability. Best of all, the whole thing folds flat when not in use, so you can conveniently carry it in your pocket when you’re heading to the lab or library.
$14 on Amazon
anchor
The last thing any student wants is for their laptop to die just before they finish writing a paper, or for their phone to go black on the way home after hanging out with friends. With a portable charger like this Anker Prime power bank, you can be sure you won’t run out of power anywhere, whether on campus or at home. This slim 20,000mAh charger supports up to 100W of charging in a single port, making it easy to charge your laptop, tablet, phone, or other small mobile devices. There’s a handy display on one side that shows you how many watts of power are flowing to each device you’re charging, as well as how much power is left in the battery itself. We recommend buying one with its own base, not only because it supports fast charging, but also because you’re less likely to lose your power bank if you have a special place to charge it.
$129 on Amazon
Photo credit: Jeff Dunn/Engadget
It’s a good idea to store important documents for school in multiple places. Your university may offer a cloud service or you may have your own Google Drive or Dropbox account, but you’ll need to supplement that with other methods, such as an external hard drive. A portable SSD like our top pick, the Crucial X9 Pro, is a good solution, as it gives you another place to store all your papers, lab reports, syllabi, and more that you can take with you wherever you go. The Crucial X9 Pro performed relatively fast in our benchmark tests and is surprisingly small. It’s about the size of a credit card, so you can easily throw it in your bag or back pocket before rushing off at the end of the day. The aluminum body is IP55-rated, meaning it won’t break even if it comes into contact with water or dust.
$98 on Amazon
Photo: Amy Skorheim/Engadget
Rather than stuffing a bunch of heavy textbooks into a backpack that’s too small, make your life easier by buying an e-reader like the Kobo Libra Colour. One of Kobo’s newest models, the Libra Colour comes with a 7-inch E Ink Kaleido panel, page-turn buttons, upgraded processing, and stylus support, making it well worth the $220 price tag.
Reading with Libra Colour is a great experience. The colors just add to the overall aesthetic, even if they’re not necessarily a necessary feature. The interface is easy to navigate and has two great features: no ads and built-in connection to Overdrive. The latter is even more convenient, as it allows you to quickly borrow the next book you’re reading in your English Literature class when you need it. And if you want to take notes, highlight, underline, or doodle in the margins of the books you’re reading in class, you can purchase a stylus for an even better experience that’s pretty close to real pen and paper.
$220 at Rakuten Kobo
Lap Gear
Sometimes sitting at a desk just doesn’t feel right. The Lapgear Lap Desk provides a sturdy surface for your laptop, notebook, textbooks, and other materials, making working from bed or on the couch much easier and more comfortable. The soft padding on the bottom is designed to keep your knees cool even after hours of work, and it also has a built-in mouse pad on top so you can use it with your favorite accessories. It also has a phone slot to keep your handset within sight at all times, and a convenient handle on top for easy transport.
$32 on Amazon
apple
Perhaps the best accessory for your iPhone is the Apple Watch. It’s a must-have for busy students. It delivers important alerts, timers, and reminders from your iPhone right to your wrist so you never miss what matters most. It also tracks your daily activity as long as you wear it. It can be hard to balance being a good student and a healthy person, but knowing your daily steps and activity levels might inspire you to take the stairs instead of the elevator to your next lecture, or join in on a basketball game instead of sitting on the sidelines.
The latest Apple Watch comes with a faster processor, a handy new double-tap feature, and on-board Siri request handling, all of which contribute to its status as the best smartwatch you can currently buy. Android users are in luck, though: on the Google side, Samsung’s Galaxy Watch 6 is its best equivalent.
$280 on Amazon
Sony
If you’re looking for an ANC earbud that conquers all, look no further than Sony’s WF-1000XM5. Students will appreciate the small, comfortable design, powerful noise cancellation with Adaptive Sound Control, great sound quality, and 8-hour battery life. This is the wireless earbud that students can take with them wherever they go, whether they want to rock out to their favorite music before a football game or block out the outside world while studying for finals in the library. These earbuds also support advanced features like Speak to Chat, which pauses audio when it detects conversation, and multipoint connectivity. If you prefer over-ear headphones, Sony’s WH-1000XM5 is also our pick for the best wireless headphones available today.
$228 on Amazon
Bag Smart
Losing things at school is common, whether you’re in a messy dorm room or shuffling all your belongings from lecture hall to lecture hall. With Bagsmart’s technology organizer, you can be sure you won’t forget that USB stick with all your project materials or your trusty wireless mouse when you leave the library. There are plenty of pockets and loops to store all of your most used tech, including several dedicated SD card slots and a larger elastic cord for your mouse, portable SSD, or other slightly larger items. It’s just the right size to easily fit in your backpack and has a waterproof exterior to protect your belongings from accidental spills.
$14 on Amazon
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