College life is difficult; enough said. But with all of today’s new technologies, there are gadgets available that can make it easier. Simplifying things can help you to get the most out of your college experience! Here is a list of the 5 things you really shouldn’t be without at college.
1. Laptop/Tablet computer – This one should be a no-brainer, really. How else are you going to type all those term papers, research for those presentations, and, of course, keep up with Facebook? There are pros and cons to both a regular laptop computer, and a tablet, such as an Apple iPad. At the end of the day, you need to choose what’s best for you and your lifestyle (taking into account portability, durability, and what you plan to use it for). But hey, who says you can’t have both?
2. Printer – You might think you don’t really need a printer in your room, and besides, ink is expensive. But trust me, when it’s 2:00 in the morning, and you just finished your midterm paper for your 8 am class, and the printer in your computer lab isn’t working, you’re going to be kicking yourself for not bringing one of your own. And if you offer to let your roommates use it if they split the ink and paper expenses, it’s really not that bad of a deal (and if they don’t take you up on your offer right away, they will eventually). Having your own printer definitely comes in handy.
3. eReader – eBooks seem to be the future of reading, and for those avid bookworms that are lamenting the lack of dorm space for their personal libraries, this is just the thing. It’s lightweight, portable, and holds more books than your measly little room could ever dream of. With the eInk technology available now, it really is just like reading a book. No more waiting until you can make it to the bookstore to get the sequel to that new book, and besides, you can often get textbooks for a bit cheaper (and much lighter weight) on eReaders.
4. Livescribe Smart Pen – Have you ever been cramming for an important test, and going over your notes wishing they didn’t look like a toddler’s scribbles? Well, with this new “smart pen” you can take notes in the lecture hall, and the Echo Smartpen by Livescribe will record what your professor is saying and match up the audio to your notes. It also uses an infrared laser to scan your notes while you are writing them, and digitizes them to be loaded onto your computer or tablet later for easy access when it really counts.
5. Noise Cancelling Headphones – These are perfect for those times when you just can’t avoid studying in a cramped, crowded, and noisy place (like your dorm room). When the library closes its doors and you still have three chapters to go, noise cancelling headphones are going to seem like a pretty great investment. Don’t give yourself the opportunity to get distracted by chatter and noise.
