College students use a lot of electronics and tech equipment to make their lives easier, and to be honest, I don’t know what I would do without my favorite stuff such as a good pair of headphones, extra chargers, battery packs, and my laptop. Before you head to college, here are some products I recommend for people looking to deck out their dorm or apartment and to stay up-to-date with the latest electronics and technical devices. 

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Wireless charging pad

This can be extremely helpful! It’s common knowledge that charging your phone in your bed with you can be a fire hazard. I would be lying if I said I wasn’t guilty of doing this myself. Wireless charging pads can be great for breaking that habit! This will only work if your phone is fairly new (for Apple devices it would be an iPhone 8 and newer). These can also be useful for more than just your phone! For Apple devices, some charging pads are also able to charge other devices like AirPods and watches all in the same place. It would be great for traveling or to eliminate all those pesky cords!

Phone dock

This may seem kind of silly, but I feel like I actually need one of these. Being a journalism major, I’m constantly using my phone to complete assignments. Sometimes I feel like I need more than two hands, and this would be a great addition to my desk! This will allow you to prop your phone up (and charge it) while using it. This would also be a great option to get your phone out of your bed when you charge it at night. It keeps your phone away from you and keeps the cord from bending (so you don’t have to buy a new one of those anytime soon).

Wireless speaker

Wireless speakers come in handy for just about everything. I use my wireless speaker all the time! Whether it’s when I’m cleaning, cooking, packing, or showering, I like having music playing. This makes it much easier to play it throughout my apartment and have a clearer sound than it would coming through my phone speaker. I can crank my music when I want and I can use it to wind down when I need to be studying. They make such great gifts!

Headphones

This sounds like something just about everyone might have. Headphones are extremely popular, especially on college campuses, but having a nice pair can be a night-and-day difference. My personal favorite has been the Apple AirPods! I won’t be caught dead without them on campus. It makes my commute to campus on the shuttle much more enjoyable! When it comes to studying, I’ll throw them on and put on a podcast and I become much more productive. I’m even wearing them as I’m writing this! Headphones can be pricey but they’re such a good investment and you’ll get so much use out of them!

Extra long charging cable

I’m honestly surprised that these aren’t easier to come by. When it comes to college living, especially in dorms, outlets can be on the clear opposite side of the room that you need them to be on. Long phone cords can allow you to have your phone close to you and charge it at the same time. They’re extremely handy, especially when you’re traveling, and great to have on hand on campus. Some of my favorite study spots don’t have outlets anywhere close to me and these have allowed me a little more freedom when it comes to charging my phone!

Cute USB drives

I could probably hold a record for the amount of USB drives I’ve lost over the years. For whatever reason, I tend to keep track of things better when it’s cute. Maybe it’s because I think it’s harder to replace. But who knows! This would be a great gift for someone that is like me. Having a cute USB drive to tote around could make them keep track of it a little better. It might make the receiver’s classmates be a little envious as well!

Tablet/Kindle

There is so much that can be done with a tablet anymore that it’s stupid to not even consider it! I’ve seen so many people in my classes use them to take notes rather than carrying around notebooks. I’ve also seen graphic design majors use them instead of laptops because it’s easier to create content. The options are endless with tablets, and everyone could find a use for them!

Nintendo Switch

This is easily the most talked about gaming consoles. I would love to have one too! It basically is everything that Nintendo ever created wrapped into one thing. You can play by yourself, with others, and even take it on the go. It’s so, so versatile! There are so many options with a Nintendo Switch, and it’s completely worth looking into!

Tech traveling case

I am seriously horrible about keeping my chargers and electronics organized whenever I travel. It becomes physically impossible by a certain point, and then I just give up. With a traveling case, traveling with tech can be so much easier! Some traveling cases have pockets for tables, headphones, and chargers. It keeps everything nice and tidy! It’s such a great gift for someone that travels a lot or may even travel for work!

Waterproof shower speaker

I seriously might need one of these too. I’m always listening to music when I’m in the shower but I always forget to grab my speaker. I end up having to put my phone super close to my shower in order to hear my music, which I’m sure isn’t all that great for my phone. A shower speaker that clips on to the shower rod can be a great addition to a bathroom! It allows you to play your music without worrying about any implications when it comes to your other tech.

Tech backpacks

Good backpacks are really hard to come by when it comes to tech. They either can’t take the weight or are really bulky in order to account for that weight. They can often come with a pretty hefty price tag as well! I’ve found a tech backpack for under $20 (yeah you read that right) that comes with multiple pockets, a laptop sleeve, and external access to a charger! This backpack really has all the bells and whistles and will be a great gift this holiday season!

Hard drive

Hard drives can be pretty expensive and it’s probably not something that people generally want to buy themselves. In my opinion, some of the best gifts are the ones that you don’t really want to buy yourself but you know you need. I’m not afraid to ask for stuff like that because I’d rather ask for needs than wants. Gifting someone a hard drive could make their day and allow them to put money they’ve saved towards something else they may need! As odd as it may seem to gift a hard drive, it’s a great gift that will last someone a lifetime!

Desktop vacuum

I don’t know about anyone else, but I love cleaning my desk. It’s so satisfying to see it get cleared off and made back up. I’m also one of those people that will work at my desk immediately after cleaning it off. I’m often working with snacks. There’s nothing I hate more than spilling my snacks across my desk and trying to pick up every little crumb I’ve dropped. A desk vacuum can be a great gift for that reason in particular! It makes it so much easier to clean up and keeps your desk nice and tidy!

Case for AirPods

If you have a loved one that has AirPods and they don’t have a case for them, you might want to consider this as a gift. This has allowed me to keep the case with me at all times when I go to campus. The case is expensive to replace, and the AirPods are even more expensive to replace if you lose them. This has allowed me to keep my AirPods with me at all times and gives me that peace of mind knowing that I’m keeping track of them. A case that can clip to a backpack or their keys would be a great gift and they’ll appreciate you so much for it.

Amazon Fire Stick

My roommate just recently got one of these, and I had no idea how much it can really do. For those in dorm rooms or if someone doesn’t want to splurge on a brand new TV, this can turn your plain ole TV into a smart TV just by plugging it in. It goes through Amazon so you can rent TV shows and movies through Amazon Prime. You can also connect apps such as Netflix, Hulu and Disney+ to get what your regular TV originally couldn’t. It would be such a great gift!

Self-heating mugs

The idea of this is just extremely cool to me. I absolutely hate getting sidetracked and not getting to drink my cup of tea or coffee. With this mug, your loved one won’t have to worry about throwing it back in the microwave! With just the press of a button, the mug will regulate the temperature of whatever is inside and will keep it nice and toasty. It’s another splurge item but would be a great gift for someone that is always on the go!

Car phone mount

I actually asked for one of these myself! For someone that is always on the go like me, keeping your phone in one spot can be a tough task. My phone is constantly sliding around my car. There’s nothing I hate more than holding my phone when trying to follow directions somewhere. Having a place for your phone that you can adjust to see makes driving so much safer! It’s a great gift for someone that’s constantly out and about. It’s a gift they didn’t know they needed and they’ll thank you for it later!

Laptop

Laptops are never items that someone wants to buy themselves. They can be pretty pricey! I can’t say too much because I own a MacBook Air, but I can tell it’s going to last me such a long time! Laptops would make an excellent gift for someone that is going through school still or for someone that works on a laptop. I personally cannot recommend MacBooks enough, but I used to use a Lenovo and liked it as well! They offer 2-in-1 laptops that can turn into tablets that would be fantastic for someone with a graphic design minor (or someone that will need a tablet for what they are going int0). It’s up to personal discretion, but it’s a great gift for someone that never splurges on themselves!

Digital doorbell

These have been increasingly popular, and I would be lying if I said I wasn’t intrigued. I love the idea that you can see who’s at your door and talk to them all from your phone. It makes living alone a little more comforting. For those that work long hours, it’s nice to be able to tell when someone is at the door and be able to look and see what’s going on while you are gone. This would be a great gift for someone you know that lives alone! It adds a little extra cushion of security and gives you a calmer peace of mind.

Digital assistant

My roommate has one of these, and I would be lying if I said that I didn’t want to jump on the bandwagon too. A digital assistant such as Alexa can be extremely helpful. You can ask her anything from the weather if you’re packing for a trip to asking her to tell you a joke! The options are seriously incredibly broad and it can be so, so useful. This could be gifted to anyone across the board and would make a great gift for that one person that you never know what they would like!

Smart plug

I actually didn’t even know these existed until my last dentist appointment. Weird right? My dental hygienist talked about how she bought one of these for when she is at work. She’ll have something ready in her crockpot and will turn the plug on from her phone so dinner is ready when she gets home. I thought that was genius! This would be a great gift for someone that works long hours or is always on the go!

Digital picture frame

Digital picture frames are so useful because you can have multiple pictures loaded in them at once. Rather than displaying one picture in a frame, you can display multiple through a slideshow. I’ve used mine at home and at work and have gotten tons of compliments on them.

USB man

This cute little guy is super handy as you can plug in multiple USB devices into him rather than into just one outlet. It’s been incredibly handy if you’re trying to charge your phone while using an extra few hard drives or USB drives.

Adobe Creative Cloud

Adobe Creative Cloud has come in handy for so many of my classes from media classes to government and communications classes. Not only does it help me design many of my projects but it helps with photo editing and video editing projects as well. This is essential for media majors or anyone dealing with graphic design work, or those who love to play around with photos.

Camera

A camera came in so handy during my college career. Not only did I use it for video and photography projects, but I used it to take lots of photos of myself and my friends. 

GoPro

Athletes and media creators definitely need a GoPro for any sport or video projects. They’re also great for time lapse videography.  

Crockpot

A crockpot is a college student’s best friend. After a long day of classes, who wants to cook? A crockpot is amazing and you can set it and forget it until mealtime!

Rumba

While a more luxury item, a Rumba is great for pet owners or for college students who don’t have the time to clean. I could have definitely used one of these back home with cats running around and my own hair practically shedding.

Label maker

Label makers are great for roommates to label their stuff in the bathroom or in the kitchen. Move out will be exponentially easier if everything is labeled and people know what is theirs. 

Is there something you’re getting someone for Christmas that we missed? Let us know in a comment below!