What Are the Cool Gadgets for College Students?
To find out the coolest gadgets for college students, we asked thirteen professionals from various fields, including a Technology Editor/Publisher and a COO, to share their top picks. From the convenience of a portable speaker to the practicality of an electric kettle, discover the must-have gadgets that made their list.
- Portable Speaker: Party Anywhere
- Personal Mini-Fridge: Keep Your Food Safe
- Portable Smart Projector: Theater on the Go
- Headphones: Study Amidst Distractions
- Smart Notebook: Digitize Your Notes
- Foldable Bluetooth Keyboard: Work Anywhere
- LED Desk Lamp: Customize Your Light
- Double Monitor: Efficient Multitasking
- Personal Hotspot: Connect and Socialize
- Photo-String Lights: Create Ambiance and Display Photos
- Echo Dot Clock: Multi-Use Gadget
- Amazon Kindle: Store and Highlight Study Materials
- Electric Kettle: Convenient and Safe Hot Drinks
Portable Speaker: Party Anywhere
A portable speaker is an absolute must for college students. With this, you can turn any location into a party destination. A speaker like the Beatfy 360 is recommended. This offers great quality without breaking the bank.
It’s lightweight, portable, and durable, and the long-lasting battery means you can take it on adventures without worrying about finding a charging point. It’s shockproof, and water- and dust-resistant, so it’s just as useful outdoors as inside.
Set up a study playlist to help you focus, or liven up a picnic in the park or a BBQ on the beach. Music is a great way to connect with others, make new friends, and enhance every experience.
An added bonus is that you can connect your Beatfy 360 to a second speaker for the ultimate surround sound. This creates an immersive effect, which is ideal for movie nights with friends. Enjoy exceptional sound anywhere and everywhere, and make some music-inspired memories.
Bobby Lawson, Technology Editor/Publisher, Earth Web
Personal Mini-Fridge: Keep Your Food Safe
Although college was a blast, one of the worst parts of college life for me was sharing a kitchen with four other people. Roommates would constantly steal my food from the fridge and pretend not to know what happened to it. The fridge was downstairs, so every time I wanted a drink or snack, I had to walk down to the far corner of the house to get it, which was an annoyance when studying for finals or in the middle of the night.
That’s why a personal mini-fridge in their room is a must for every college student. It’s the only way I managed to survive the rest of my college years without killing my roommates. One particularly cool mini-fridge is the Astro Mini Fridge. It is just 4L in cubic size (just a hair bigger than a toaster) and has a bunch of cool features. It won’t take up much space in a cramped college bedroom, and is perfect for stashing beer or single meals in your room. This awesome little fridge would have been a great addition back in the day.
John Ross, CEO, Test Prep Insight
Portable Smart Projector: Theater on the Go
As a college student, the coolest gadget I have is my portable smart projector. It’s compact, easy to carry, and transforms any space into a theater. I use it for study sessions, presenting projects, and movie nights with friends. It’s not just a gadget, it’s a centerpiece for socializing, learning, and entertainment. Plus, it connects wirelessly to my devices for seamless streaming.
Ranee Zhang, VP of Growth, Airgram
Headphones: Study Amidst Distractions
A good pair of headphones is the coolest gadget for a college student to have, in my experience.
During my college years, it was always challenging to find time to study amidst all the distractions. My roommates would constantly play their own music, and we lacked a common area for focused group study. The solution? Headphones!
Wearing earbuds or headphones allowed me to listen to my own music without being distracted by others’ music or having it interfere with my studying. Although it wasn’t perfect—sometimes it felt like people were trying to talk to me through my headphones—it made studying much more enjoyable than if I didn’t have music playing while I was trying to read or write something down.
Jaanus Põder, Founder and CEO, Envoice
Smart Notebook: Digitize Your Notes
As a college student, my smart notebook has been a game-changer. It allows me to handwrite notes and then, using a special app, digitizes them and sends them directly to my cloud storage. Not only does this save paper, but it also makes note organization effortless and allows me to search my handwriting, making studying more efficient.
Farhan Advani, Director Marketing, PhotoshopBuzz
Foldable Bluetooth Keyboard: Work Anywhere
One of the coolest gadgets that every college student should have is a foldable Bluetooth keyboard. In fact, some foldable keyboards also come with a phone or tablet holder, so you can just attach your device and create a work setup.
Its foldable design allows students to carry it around easily in their bags or even pockets. These foldable keyboards are generally lightweight (weighing around 5-6 ounces) and take up minimal space.
This is what makes this gadget a perfect fit for on-the-go use between classes, in libraries, or while traveling.
If you plan to buy a foldable keyboard, I recommend selecting one that comes with a touchpad and has a longer standby time. This is especially beneficial for students who require daily usage.
At first, when you start using the mini touchpad, it may feel slightly awkward. However, with consistent practice and familiarization, your accuracy will improve significantly.
Mrittika Sengupta, Tech Content Writer and Editor, 10Pie
LED Desk Lamp: Customize Your Light
I’d recommend the TaoTronics LED Desk Lamp as a cool gadget for college students. It offers customizable light settings and a USB port for charging devices.
The adjustable lighting improves the studying environment significantly, catering to early morning or late-night study sessions. Moreover, it’s energy-efficient, leading to savings on electricity bills.
I’ve found it to be an ideal study partner that matches my needs.
Burak Özdemir, Founder, Set Alarm Online
Double Monitor: Efficient Multitasking
A double monitor could have been useful back in the day, and even still today. When studying or working on a project, it’s much easier to have two screens instead of one. This allows for multitasking and the ability to have different documents up at the same time for comparison or efficient note-taking. It’s also possible to search for something while in class and take notes simultaneously, aiding in understanding the material being absorbed.
There are portable monitors that are thin, lightweight, and can attach to almost any laptop. They can easily fit into a bag or backpack, taking up less room than a textbook. This sort of tech is beneficial for a student and won’t necessarily break the bank.
Christian Klinge, Innovation Director, Rockfon
Personal Hotspot: Connect and Socialize
During college days, the personal hotspot was the coolest gadget. Apart from the amazing utility of a personal hotspot, which allows logging in and doing pretty much anything, it also helped connect with many amazing people who needed a quick hotspot.
Although most students have mobile hotspots nowadays, a personal hotspot is still a cool gadget to have, and it comes with more power and capability compared to what mobile has to offer. Others will still reach out to ask questions, request to connect, and stick around to have fun.
Cath Brands, Chief Marketing Officer, Flintfox
Photo-String Lights: Create Ambiance and Display Photos
If there is one thing I remember about college dorm rooms, it’s the sheer amount of photos, lights, beer bottles, posters, and other random knick-knacks people like to stick to walls. These photo-string lights kill a few birds with one stone, as they let you create ambiance, get your photos up without damaging the walls, and avoid worrying about your university getting mad at you. It’s a step up from just sticking things up with clear tape.
Kate Kandefer, CEO, SEOwind
Echo Dot Clock: Multi-Use Gadget
I can confidently say that the Echo Dot Clock is a gadget every college student should have. This device has multiple uses. Whether you need to set reminders for important deadlines, play music, or hear a joke, it does it all. Among the best smart speakers for the price, Amazon’s Echo Dot is the most feature-rich and portable option. It is the best smart speaker for those students on a budget.
Marco Genaro Palma, Co-Founder, TechNews180
Amazon Kindle: Store and Highlight Study Materials
Amazon Kindle provides you with a singular storage for all of your reference books, notes, and research, which can make studying and research a more seamless and efficient process. You can also rent textbooks on this e-reader, as well as access the free reading material relevant to your course that’s been uploaded into its library.
Moreover, you can highlight vital points in any book or article you read using this gadget, and you can also see what other people have highlighted in the same reading material. Portability means you have access to all the study material you need, wherever you are and whenever you need it.
Adebayo Samson, Founder, Academicful
Electric Kettle: Convenient and Safe Hot Drinks
Halfway through my sophomore year of college, my mother sent me an electric kettle (teapot). My only regret is that I did not have it freshman year. The ability to warm a liter of water in your dorm room without using a burner was amazing. It was perfect for tea, coffee, noodle soups, and even the occasional hot party drink. It’s more convenient, it’s safer, and I still use one today, for the same reason.
Trevor Ewen, COO, QBench
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