Moving into a dorm is exciting but there is a lot of packing to do. Besides the clothes and necessities, it is important to take essential gadgets that will make your life a thousand times easier.
In this article, you’ll find a list of devices students won’t survive in the dorms without so you can get ready for a big move.
Laptop
This might seem obvious, yet it is a crucial device we couldn’t have ignored. In modern times, it is impossible to be successful without a laptop. Any student will need it to do homework, visit digital classes, conduct research, or relax after a long day.
Or students can use it to seek academic help online from services like WritePaper which offer academic writing assistance. It is a professional platform that delivers writing, editing, and proofreading help with all types of college papers, from an essay to thesis. So when you need instant assistance with polishing your writing to the max or simply do not have time to finish it all yourself, you can go there at any point.
If you are choosing a new laptop remember that you do not need the most powerful one for academic purposes. It should be reliable, with a decent memory capacity, and a good battery. But unless you use specific heavy software or games, you do not need the best processor and video card.
Noise-Canceling Headphones
Dorms are noisy. You will need to have a little peace to relax and concentrate. So good and comfortable noise-canceling headphones are an essential gadget. And they do not usually break the budget.
This is also a secret to better relations with your roommate as you won’t argue about noise. And you get to focus on what you are doing right now, whether you need to finish a lab report or watch a new episode of a favorite show.
Ethernet Cable
Wi-Fi networks are not always the best in college dorms. And there are so many people using it, which will inevitably slow down the internet speed. A slow internet connection makes even the easiest academic tasks difficult. Imagine loading a 40-minutes lecture for 2 hours.
Ethernet cable costs relatively cheap and can save you a lot of trouble.
With it, you can get access to a wired internet connection that is more reliable and often more speedy. You just plug it into an Ethernet jug in the wall and plug it into your laptop and that’s it.
Portable Charger
Students need pocket-friendly chargers to make sure all their devices are on when needed. Choose the one you can fit in your bag and with a capacity of about 20000 mAp. It is also better to choose a device with two or more USB ports in case you need to charge two devices at the same time.
Portable chargers are a must. Because you will be moving around the campus and city and you never know when your smartphone or a tablet will run low on battery. And without it, you lose almost all communication and payment opportunities nowadays.
If you love to travel, consider investing in a device that is also charged through sunlight. Those are a bit more expensive. But on a trip, this is a lifesaver.
Alarm Clock
We all hate them a bit but we can never be productive without them. Students need alarm clocks and do not think that you’ll be good with the one on your smartphone.
- The benefits of a separate alarm are:
- They are much more annoying and harder to ignore;
- They won’t run out of battery while you sleep;
- They are not so easy to turn off (if you tend to sleep with your phone in your hands, you can turn the alarm in your sleep and miss all the classes);
- Using a phone as an alarm increases your screen time, which can result in poor sleep;
- They can have different useful features like a night lamp, sunrise mode, or natural sounds).
It has to be sturdy, loud, and comfortable to use. With an alarm clock, you won’t miss any important events and deadlines even if you are going to bed late.
Portable Hard Drive
This is another one of the modern technologies a student cannot live without. A portable hard drive is a secure storage for all essential files and documents. So instead of storing it all on your laptop, you can save it there. If you use too much of the memory space of the computer it will slow down significantly in its performance. This is particularly bad for using complex software like Adobe Suite or CAD.
It is also a perfect backup option because situations happen. A laptop can crush or suffer from malware and you do not want to lose all of your data at once. And you can take it anywhere with you because usually, these devices are quite compact.
Choose the one with at least 1TB of space.
E-Reader
Students read a lot. And many texts and books are available in digital form – they are cheaper and take no physical space. So having an e-reader is a good way to keep all your books, textbooks, and other sources available and enjoy them comfortably.
In comparison to a tablet or a phone, such devices have different screens. Those take significantly less charge and are much better for the eyes. Also, they can be read in bright sunlight or darkness. So it is a convenient device to have that is travel-friendly, portable, and has good battery life.
Blue Light Blocking Glasses
Such glasses are necessary for anyone who spends a lot of time behind the screen. And students do spend a lot of their time with a laptop, tablet, or smartphone. Constant and long exposure to blue light can harm your sleep pattern and make you tire faster. It is better to wear such glasses when you are using such gadgets.
In Summary
Hopefully, this list will help you prepare for dorm life. With all the essential gadgets by your side, you’ll be ready for any kind of situation.
