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Back-to-school season used to mean loading up on fresh pencils and notebooks. More often now, though, it means loading up on new tech. (Although, you can still buy pencils and notebooks and probably should.) Just as you’ve started getting your class materials through e-book downloads and begun integrating apps into your studies, you should be leveling up your academic tools, too, to meet modern standards and make your time more productive. There are a ton of great devices out there right now to help you study and manage your scholastic life, but it’s hard to know where to start. Here’s what I recommend.
Tools for studying and working in class
First up, the tools you should be bringing with you when you’re working in class or otherwise on the go. When you need to listen, be engaged, or take notes, you should be able to do so seamlessly.
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A keyboard cover to stop coffee, crumbs, and dust from gunking up your computer. All it takes is one accident while you’re cramming for a test to throw off your whole week. Make sure to get one that is designed for your exact keyboard. For instance, if you use a MacBook Pro, try this one for $12.95. I picked one of these up after I got a new MacBook when I started grad school and even though it took some time to adjust to the feeling of typing on a big piece of rubber, it made cleaning my keyboard so much easier for me. Every time I cleaned it, stains, crumbs, and dust came off—which made me consider that if it hadn’t been there, they would have been lodged in my keys.
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A laptop cooling pad for when you’re doing heavy work back to back to back. Laptop coolers can help keep your computer from overheating, so you can spend all day doing work without worrying about it getting too hot. This Ice Coorel version ($17.98) has six-inch fans and is suitable for laptops between 14 and 16 inches, plus it’s collapsible, so you can take it on the go. Another benefit? It props your computer up slightly so you don’t need to hunch over as much, aiding your posture and keeping you more comfortable.
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An e-reader tablet to read your textbooks and take quick notes. You can get a refurbished, older version of the Amazon Fire 7 for about $64. If you have a preferred notes or organizational app—like my fav, Notion—opt for an iPad instead, so you can use the app on there. Not sure which version to pick? Start here. Once you’ve picked, grab a stylus pen for $10 so you can scribble notes, make mind maps, draw diagrams, or do whatever else makes you retain your materials better.
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A portable laptop charger so your computer never dies in class. The charm of old classrooms at big universities wears off instantly the minute you get to a lecture hall and realize all the seats by the precious few outlets are taken, if there are even an outlets at all. Whether you’re in the library, in class, in the cafeteria, or on the go, a portable laptop charger, like the ZeroKor power bank ($53), is going to save you a lot of headaches.
Tools for studying and working on your own
Studying in your dorm or living space is an unavoidable task made maddening by the existence of other people, who can be noisy or have no respect for your stuff. In addition to the following gadgets, I recommend you familiarize yourself with some study techniques you can use alongside them.
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Sleeping headphones to block out noise. These comfy wireless headbands are designed to block noise out and funnel the sounds you want—be it music or white noise—directly into your ears. They’re perfect for sleeping or studying, since they are soft and close-fitting, meaning you won’t get a headache and they’re easy to carry around. Try the Musicozy sleep headphones ($17), for example. Whenever you’re working, but especially when you’re studying, you want to be distraction-free and in a state of what’s known as “deep work.” Blocking out the world around you is a good first step, but you should also consider following the Pomodoro technique, which asks you to work uninterrupted in 25-minute increments interspersed with five-minute breaks. Gadgets shouldn’t replace old-school mindsets or techniques, but they can enhance them.
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A Pomodoro timer Speaking of good old Pomodoro, you can pick up a specialty timer for under $20 that will sit on your desk and keep track of your focus sessions for you. You might think that’s a silly gadget to buy, since your phone certainly has a built-in timer feature, but your phone is also full of all the distractions you’re trying to avoid when you’re engaging in deep work, so it’s best to stay away from it if it’s too tempting. On the other hand, you can download a Pomodoro app that will not only provide you with a timer, but block all your distracting apps while it’s running, which is the best of both worlds. My favorite is FocusPomo.
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A second laptop screen so you can see and do more. A portable monitor is helpful when you have to look at references to complete work and don’t want to be switching between tabs or minimizing all your windows to see everything at once. They come at different price points, so you don’t have to break the bank: Koorui sells a portable 15.6-inch monitor for $80. I had a setup like this at my old job, where I had three screens that stretched across my desk. I can’t tell you how much more productive I was when I didn’t have to shift and minimize windows constantly and could just glance at another screen to see the reference materials for what I was working on on the main one.
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A desk-mounted power strip so you’re never fighting anyone for an outlet. Your phone, tablet, computer, and countless other pieces of tech all need to be charged, so you should have outlets at your desk to keep them all in one place. The Emerising power strip ($30) has four USB ports and three AC outlets to juice it all, right on your desk. Another option that has served me well at home, at school, and at work is the humble multicharger. I’ve long used the STM Charge Tree ($64), which can charge an Apple Watch, Airpods, and iPhone simultaneously, folds up for easy transportation, and only needs access to one outlet.
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A lock to protect your tech so no one else uses it. Ever had a roommate who takes your stuff all the time? Pick up a combination lock that attaches to the smooth surfaces of your tech to keep them where you want them, even when you’re not around. Try the CaLeQi security lock ($10).
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A lap desk so you can work wherever you want. A lap desk saves my back from destruction since I just won’t give up the habit of working anywhere but an ergonomic desk. The lap desk I prefer is just $30 and has a holder for your tablet, USB charging docks, a little drawer for accessories, and a cup holder for your coffee.
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A monitor clip so you can see your notes while you work. It’s a small annoyance in the grand scheme of things, but glancing down at your paper notes while you work is tedious, so eliminate the issue with the Kensington Flex Clip copyholder ($14), which attaches to your laptop monitor and holds your documents at eye level. And if you haven’t taken handwritten notes in a long time and can’t imagine why this is on the list, let me explain: Handwriting your notes actually helps you remember them better. Gadgets, tech, and apps are all crucial to modern-day learning, but mixing in some of the old-style tricks every now and then can be helpful, too.