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College Tech Essentials: Laptops, Headphones & Study Gear
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items When my niece left for college, I helped her pick tech that would survive dorm life, long library nights, and a heavy backpack. The best picks were light, durable, and simple to keep charged between classes. These are the laptops, headphones, and stu...
Sections
3
Laptops & Tablets
Headphones & Speakers
Chargers, Hubs & Study Gadgets
Laptops & Tablets
Light laptops and tablets that handle classes and papers.
This MacBook Air is the laptop I recommend most to students in our family. It is light enough to carry to every class, the battery easily lasts through a full day of lectures and library time, and it runs silently. My niece has used hers for two year...
Apple MacBook Air 13 inch M3 Laptop
I gave my nephew this iPad for note taking, and it has become his favorite study tool. He pairs it with a pencil for handwritten notes and annotates readings right on the screen. It is far lighter than a stack of textbooks, and our family uses it for...
Apple iPad 10.9 inch 10th Generation
This Lenovo IdeaPad is the budget laptop I suggest when a student mainly needs to write papers, browse, and join video classes. It is light, simple, and affordable enough that I worry less about it getting bumped around a dorm. We bought one as a bac...
Lenovo IdeaPad 1 14 inch Laptop
My cousin is studying design, and this ASUS Zenbook was the laptop we picked together for her. The OLED screen is gorgeous for creative work, it has plenty of power for editing, and it stays slim enough for a backpack. I was impressed by the battery ...
ASUS Zenbook 14 OLED Laptop
This Acer Chromebook is a great first college laptop for students who live in Google Docs and online classes. It boots in seconds, updates itself, and has a roomy screen for side by side research. I set one up for my younger brother, and our family h...
Acer Chromebook 315 Laptop
I love this Samsung Galaxy Tab for students who prefer handwritten notes. The S Pen is included, the big screen is perfect for reading PDFs, and it can work like a laptop with a keyboard cover. My niece uses hers to sketch diagrams for biology, and I...
Samsung Galaxy Tab S9+ Tablet with S Pen
Headphones & Speakers
Headphones for quiet study time and speakers for the dorm.
These Sony headphones are my top pick for noisy dorms and busy libraries. The noise canceling blocks out roommates and hallway chatter, the sound is rich, and they stay comfortable for hours of studying. I wear my own pair on flights, and they have m...
Sony WH-1000XM5 Wireless Noise Canceling Headphones
If my favorite Sony headphones are over budget, these lighter Sony headphones are what I recommend. They still cancel plenty of noise, last a long time on one charge, and feel comfortable for marathon study days. My nephew wears his on the bus every ...
Sony WH-CH720N Wireless Noise Canceling Headphones
These AirPods Pro are always in my pocket, and they are the earbuds I gift students with an iPhone. The noise canceling is excellent for focusing in a loud coffee shop, transparency mode keeps them aware walking across campus, and the case tucks into...
Apple AirPods Pro 2 Wireless Earbuds
These Bose headphones are the most comfortable pair I have worn for long sessions. My niece wears them through entire study nights without sore ears, and the noise canceling is calm and natural. I love the simple controls and the fact that they fold ...
Bose QuietComfort Wireless Noise Canceling Headphones
Every dorm room needs one good speaker, and this JBL Flip is the one I send with students in our family. It sounds big for its size, survives spills and beach trips, and the battery lasts all weekend. We bring ours to picnics and backyard hangouts to...
JBL Flip 6 Portable Waterproof Speaker
These Soundcore headphones surprised me with how well they block out noise for the price. I bought them for my nephew after his roommate started practicing guitar, and now he can study in peace. The battery lasts for ages, and they feel sturdier than...
Soundcore by Anker Space Q45 Noise Canceling Headphones
This Bose SoundLink Flex is small enough for a dorm desk but sounds clear and full. It is waterproof, has a handy loop for hanging in a shower or on a backpack, and connects quickly. I keep one in our kitchen and gave another to my niece for her firs...
Bose SoundLink Flex Portable Bluetooth Speaker
My niece picked these Beats Solo headphones in the warm white color, and they suit her style perfectly. They are light, punchy, and the battery lasts for weeks of classes. I like that they fold into a small case, and my sister says the same pair kept...
Beats Solo 4 Wireless On-Ear Headphones
These AirPods are the simple everyday earbuds I recommend to students who do not want ear tips. They pair instantly with an iPhone, sound clear for lectures and calls, and the tiny case fits anywhere. My partner uses the same pair every day on walks ...
Apple AirPods 4 Wireless Earbuds
Chargers, Hubs & Study Gadgets
Power banks, hubs, and gadgets that make studying easier.
This Anker power bank can recharge a laptop, which is a lifesaver during long library days with no outlet in sight. I like the little screen that shows remaining power, and it charges my phone several times over. My nephew keeps it in his backpack an...
Anker Power Bank 24000mAh 140W
Most new laptops have only a couple of ports, so I tuck this Anker hub into every student care package. It adds a display port, a card reader, and extra ports for flash drives and projectors in class. I use mine to connect my laptop to our TV for fam...
Anker 5-in-1 USB-C Hub
This Logitech Pebble mouse is quiet, slim, and slips into any pencil case, which is perfect for library study rooms. It pairs with a laptop and tablet at the same time, and the battery lasts for many months. I use one with my own laptop on our trips ...
Logitech Pebble Mouse 2 M350s
I pair this Logitech keyboard with a tablet for students who want to type papers without carrying a laptop. It switches between devices with one button, the keys feel quiet and comfortable, and it is small enough for a dorm desk. I keep one next to o...
Logitech K380 Wireless Keyboard
This Texas Instruments graphing calculator is still required in so many math and science classes, and my nephew used his from high school through college. The color screen makes graphs easy to read, and it recharges instead of eating batteries. I rec...
Texas Instruments TI-84 Plus CE Graphing Calculator
My niece loves this Rocketbook because she can handwrite notes, scan them to her cloud folders, and wipe the pages clean. It saves a fortune on notebooks, and her notes are always organized by class. I started using one for my own meeting notes and o...
Rocketbook Core Smart Reusable Notebook
This SanDisk portable drive is the backup I insist every student in our family carry. It holds years of papers, photos, and projects, copies files quickly, and feels sturdy enough for a backpack. I back up our family photos on the same drive, and it ...
SanDisk 1TB Portable SSD
This Samsung portable drive is fast and tiny, so my nephew uses it to edit video projects for his film class straight from the drive. It is tough enough to survive drops, and the transfer speeds are impressive. I use one to move big photo folders bet...
Samsung T7 1TB Portable SSD
I clip a Tile Mate onto every set of dorm keys I gift, because lost keys are a weekly campus crisis. It rings from a phone in seconds, works with both Android and iPhone, and the replaceable battery lasts a long time. My nephew credits it with saving...
Life360 Tile Mate Bluetooth Tracker Two-Pack