Must-Have Gadgets for making your college life even more efficient

Survival at college (or university) can be pretty excited. In amongst the countless textbooks you need to read, the thousands of words you need to write and the infinite alcoholic drinks you will likely consume, finding some spare time to yourself can be a tricky task. Indeed, anything that can make academic life a little easier is not worth turning your nose up at.

Luckily, with this in mind, we’ve decided to help you out. We’ve scoured the web to find the best gadgets for students, from the latest electronic tech to the simplest fundamental concepts. The result is a fine array of devices and accouterments that would complement even the most modern dormitory.

So, if you’re heading away for school anytime soon, don’t even think about packing without these 7 essential gems!

1. HeimVision Wake-Up Light

If you’re not a morning person, your alarm clock sounding off at 7am is probably not your favourite part of the day. But there’s a solution. HeimVision’s wake-up light makes your early wake-ups much smoother by creating a sunrise effect, with a red-tinted light gradually growing into white light.

You can also combine this with white noise or radio to wake you up, while it even doubles as a bedside lamp and night light!

2. Mpow Noise-Cancelling Headphones

As well as built-in WiFi, college dormitories also contain a lot of noise – great when you’re feeling sociable but not when an essay deadline is just days away. Block out such distractions with a pair of noise-cancelling headphones and immerse yourself in your work.

3. Fujifilm Instax Mini 9 Camera

There are a lot of picture-perfect moments at university, and the best way to capture them is with an instant film camera! You don’t even have to worry about the settings; just point and click! Fujifilm’s Instax Mini 9 camera is the most popular choice, and for a good reason: it produces high-quality polaroid photos in just a few minutes, which you can safekeep for many years to come.

4. TOPHOME Earbud Organiser

That feeling of dread when you reach into your pocket to find that your earphones are a tangled mess is universal. But there is an easy solution to this modern predicament: the TOPHOME earbud cord organiser.

5. Rocketbook Smart Notebook

The debate between typing and hand-writing notes has raged across lecture halls for some time now, but with a smart notebook, you get the best of both worlds. As you write, the ink bonds to the specialised, reusable pages, which can then be easily uploaded to any major cloud-based program such as Google Drive, Dropbox or Evernote. As well as being environmentally friendly, it’s a far more efficient way to organise your notes.

6. SKYGRAND Smartwatch

From telling the time to monitoring sleep and checking heart rate and tracking activity levels, smartwatches are the techy descendants of traditional wristwatches. With SKYGRAND’s smartwatch, you can even check SMS messages and see calls, and even set reminders for things like impending deadlines, upcoming exams and rescheduled lectures!

7. ONXE USB Fan

Chances are your dorm room or student apartment isn’t fitted with an air-conditioning system, something that might only occur to you on a hot summer’s day when there’s no escaping the heat! Enter ONXE’s USB fan, and you’ll never be short of a cool breeze again. What makes it even cooler (pun intended) is that it also features a real-time clock display.

8. HP ENVY 5055 Portable Printer

Sure, there are printers in the library but when the entire student body is hitting deadlines at the same time, access might be tricky. Avoid the chaos and print from the comfort of your own dorm or, alternatively, pop out for a coffee and print from your phone.

HP’s ENVY 5055 has wireless and cloud-based compatibility, so you can get hard copies of your projects wherever you are. You can even connect it to an Alexa device, while its slender frame means it won’t take up much room, either – perfect for when moving day comes!

9. MATEIN Laptop Backpack

With tech becoming a more integral part of everything we use, even rucksacks are not immune. MATEIN’s slim travel laptop backpack is a shining example of this, with a built-in USB charger allowing you to keep your phone or device juiced up on the move. There is also an anti-theft pocket in the back, as well as a spacious packing compartment for textbooks and lunch boxes.

10. August Smart Lock Pro

Student housing is quite often a target for burglars, and some extra safety measures like August’s smart lock will put your mind at ease. You can open, lock and monitor your door all from your phone, as well as control keyless access. Plus, you can use voice commands by connecting your smart lock to Alexa!