Don’t Forget These Tech Essentials Every College Student Needs

School is anxiety-inducing enough. Let us take one thing off your mind with this roundup of essential school tech.

Going off to college is stressful, no matter when you’re doing it—and it can be even worse when you realize that you don’t have everything you need. We want to give you one less thing to worry about! Our list touches on a lot of the most important tech you’ll need for school, and we’ve done the research for you to figure out what’s best. Grab what you need and worry over signing up for the right classes in time, instead.

Laptops

Laptops aren’t just a good idea for a college student—they’re nearly a requirement. A quality laptop will let them work and study from nearly anywhere, have a battery life that lasts all day, and is ultraportable so it’s easy to carry around.

Operating System

macOS

CPU

Apple M4

GPU

8 or 10-core GPU

RAM

16, 24, 32GB

The MacBook Air with the M4 chip is, hands down, the best laptop for students. It’s very powerful, so it can handle nearly any task a student needs for a project. On top of that, it’s lightweight, has a battery life that lasts all day, and the price is right.

Operating System

Windows 11 Home

CPU

AMD Ryzen AI 5 340 Processor

GPU

Integrated AMD Radeon 840M

RAM

16GB DDR5

Storage

1TB SSD

Battery

(1920 x 1200)

If you need Windows 11, you can opt for the Lenovo Yoga 7 instead. It has a 14-inch OLED touchscreen monitor in a light form factor, and the price is hard to argue against.

Operating System

Chrome OS

CPU

Intel Core i3-1215U

RAM

8GB

Storage

128GB

Display (Size, Resolution)

16-in

Brand

Lenovo

While this is technically a ‘gaming’ Chromebook, the price and the specs are right for most students’ workloads. It just has the advantage that you can do some light gaming, too.

Tablets

Brand

Apple

Storage

128GB

CPU

A17 Pro

Operating System

iPadOS

Connectivity

Wi-Fi 6E

Front Camera

12MP Ultra Wide

The latest version of the iPad mini is a fantastic choice for students on the go. It’s approximately the size of a medium paperback, making it easy to throw in a backpack, read, and take notes. Just make sure to get the Apple Pencil if you plan on using it for writing!

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  Storage

  256GB

  CPU

  Apple Silicon M4

  Operating System

  iPadOS 17

  Display type

  Ultra Retina XDR

  Weight

  1 lb

  Dimensions

  0.20 x 8.46 x 11.08 in

  If your or your student’s major requires drawing and graphic design, you’ll want to upgrade the tablet to the iPad Pro 13-inch. While expensive, you’ll get all the screen real estate you’ll need, and some powerful specs to match.

  
  

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  Storage

  128/256GB

  CPU

  128GB

  Operating System

  Android 15

  Display type

  13.1-inch, LCD

  Weight

  1.4 lbs

  Dimensions

  11.8 x 7.6 x .23 in.

  Not a fan of Apple? Samsung’s tablets are among the best for Android, and the Tab S10 FE+ strikes a good balance between performance and price. With a 13-inch screen and other features meant for creatives, it can be a good alternative to the iPad Pro.

  
  

Headphones and Earbuds

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  Brand

  Sony

  Battery Life

  Up to 30 hours

  Bluetooth

  Version 5.3

  Noise Cancellation

  ANC

  Weight

  8.96 Ounces

  Colors

  Midnight Blue, Black, Platinum Silver

  Sony’s active noise cancelling is bar none in the audio industry. The XM6s lets students relax and focus on their homework and studying, or get some peace on the plane ride to visit home.

  
  

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  Battery Life

  up to 60 hours (ANC off); 40 hours with ANC on

  Frequency Response

  20Hz-20KHz

  Weight

  286g

  Dimensions

  6.41 x 3.51 x 7.5in

  Noise Cancellation

  Yes

  Foldable

  Yes

  Sony out of your price range? Anker’s Soundcore series is a great semi-budget option. These headphones also offer active noise cancelling, are easy to fold up, and have a great battery life.

  
  

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  Battery Life

  Up to 8 hours

  Charging Case Included?

  Yes

  Brand

  Sony

  Bluetooth

  Version 5.3

  Driver Size

  8.4 millimeters

  Case battery

  24 hours

  Sony’s earbuds are also a great option. These noise-cancelling earbuds are great for working out or walking around campus.

  
  

Flash Drives

A good thumb drive is something students might not think about needing until they really need it. Flash drives are integral if you’re planning to use library printer services or access your files on a public computer, so you don’t need to sign into something on a public device.

Brand

Sandisk

Speed

100 MB/s write; 150 MB/s read

Connection

USB-A and USB-C

Capacity

128GB

The Ultra Dual Drive Go is a perfect student companion. 256GB can fit all of your important files, and the flash drive features both a USB-C and USB-A port, so you can use it with most devices.

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  Brand

  Lexar

  Capacity

  128GB

  Speed

  300 MB/s write speed

  Connection

  USB-A 3.2 Gen 1

  If you’re carrying sensitive documents around on a flash drive, you’ll want to take a few extra precautions. The F35 Pro offers fingerprint recognition so if it gets lost, no one can access your information.

  
  

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  Brand

  SanDisk

  Capacity

  1TB

  Speed

  10, 400 Write speed

  Connection

  USB 3.2 Gen 1

  Sometimes flash drives can double as additional storage on a laptop, and the Ultra Fit Flash Drive from SanDisc is a perfect choice for that. This is a 1TB flash drive in a form factor small enough to sit relatively flush against your laptop.

  
  

Power Banks

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  Brand

  Anker

  Battery Capacity

  5000 mAh

  Ports

  2

  Weight

  3.5 Ounces

  Battery Technology

  Lithium Polymer

  Wireless Charging

  No

  This power bank is perfect for charging your phone up while on campus. The Anker Nano is small enough to be tucked away in a pocket or corner of a backpack, and you can still easily use your phone while connected to it.

  
  

Useful Subscriptions

It’s not always about the hardware! A good subscription to a streaming service can make study time more bearable and break time more enjoyable.

Other Gadgets

Here are some other tech products that can help a student out as they head off to college.

Brand

Glocusent

Brightness Levels

Five available

This helpful light clips directly onto your book and offers five brightness settings, three light temperatures, and an adjustable bulb. You can even easily charge it via USB!

Connective Technology

Wi-Fi

Brand

Roku

Roku’s Streaming Stick Plus is the thinnest 4K streaming stick available today. It comes with a Voice Remote, and its ultra-slim design is perfect for frequent travelers as well as those who want to keep their wall-mounted TV as clean-looking as possible.

Dimensions (exterior)

8.5 x 11 inches

Colors

Black, Blue, Green, Navy Blue, Pink, Teal

If you like the feeling of pen and paper but also want proper note organization on a computer, Rocketbook’s smart notebooks are just the thing you need.

Brand

Kasa

Integrations

Alexa, Google Assistant

Plugs are a luxury in small dorm rooms. Not only does a smart power strip help, it allows you to controls lights and other devices from an app.