This year, I think more than ever, students are getting back to their dorms and studying with a lot more technology in their packs. And it is way beyond the standard supply of pens, paper, folders, and USB flash drive
. The 'new' student needs gear for backing up important work, printing out reports, keeping in touch and waking up in time for class.Some of the gadgets that college students are getting equipped with are tablets, e-readers, smartphones, external hard drives with a lot of storage, and of course music media. Speaking of music, which can help you relax and study hardy, you would also need some decent noise-canceling earphones to tune out distractions and concentrate on task. We have discussed in previous posts, such as Noise canceling headphones - life saver for travelers?, the benefits and cool features of these type of headphones. There are some really nice light and small in-ear headphones that are also pretty good at canceling out the noise. You can find a list of some of these here: More on making travel fun with cool headphones. Tigerdirect.com offers a list of earphones that are bit less pricey: Earbuds
Students looking to save money and avoid lugging around heavy textbooks are now able to rent textbooks on their Kindle eReader devices through Amazon. This service recently launched and offers savings up to 80% off the list price of the print textbook: Kindle Textbook Rental
No smartphone can go without some apps on it and hopefully quite a few of these include apps that can actually help in studying and performing research.
Top 10 Student Apps:
Evernote - take notes and organize them on your phone
Wikipedia Mobile
Dictionary.com - The free app delivers trusted reference content from Dictionary.com and Thesaurus.com
Facebook Mobile
Google Mobile
WHERE! - Get personalized recommendations for places around you
gFlashPro - flashcard app, create flashcards, share, tests, and trivia
Groupon - 50%-90% off deals on the best stuff to do, eat, see and buy
Zoho Docs - online document management application for individuals and businesses
50 Free Android Apps Every College Student Needs
Moreover, cannot forget to pack other essentials such as the reusable BPA-free water bottle to re-hydrate the body and mind, rechargeable batteries and battery charger, Bedol Water Clock
that does not need batteries, and a stainless-steel wallet
Another useful gadget is ZOMM Wireless Leash for Mobile Phones
.This gadget wirelessly connects to your mobile phone via Bluetooth and alerts you when you are more than 30 feet away from your phone. It's a perfect device for those prone to leaving the dorm without their cell phones. ZOMM also has a built-in panic alarm that can be activated with a simple press of a button. Continue to hold that button, and ZOMM will automatically call any emergency number of your choice. It comes with fully functioning speakerphone with a noise-canceling microphone, belt/bag clip, instructions manual, wall charger, and USB cable.