6 Tech Gadgets Every Student Needs

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Technology offers much more than asking ChatGPT to write an essay for your political history class or watching YouTube videos while you cram for your final exam the night before. While gadgets were often dismissed as mere distractions for generations, they have proven to be a blessing in disguise for the world of education since the pandemic.

College students are always trying to stick to a budget and keep track of their finances, so saving a little money never hurts. With tech giants like Apple launching Back to School promotions that last until the end of September in the United States, there’s no better time to invest in a new gadget for high school or college as you prepare for the new academic year.

Whether you’re a student tired of carrying a heavy backpack and wanting to go paperless, or a parent looking for the perfect high school graduation gift, here are six gadgets that every student will find useful.

Ditch the notebooks and binders for a tablet

close-up of a woman's hand using a digital tablet with a pen

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Whether you’re an engineering or medical student, carrying around bulky textbooks, notebooks, and binders is something all students can relate to. According to the National Library of Medicine, backpacks can weigh anywhere from 10% to 25% of a student’s body weight. After all, climbing a flight of stairs to attend a fifth-floor class with a bag full of textbooks is no fun.

This is one of the many reasons why going paperless and purchasing a tablet like the iPad Air is the best decision a college student can make. While it’s an expensive investment initially, it can save you a ton of money in the long run. If you think about it, the amount you would spend on textbooks, binders, and stationery during your undergrad or high school years would end up costing you even more than you would have initially spent on the tablet.

Instead of carrying around dedicated notebooks for each course you take, you can simply slip your tablet into your backpack. Aside from portability, what’s great about going digital is that at the end of your academic journey, all of your notes and completed assignments will be stored on one device.

Tablet accessories such as a stylus or wireless keyboard

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If you’re using a tablet specifically for academic purposes and your curriculum involves a lot of note-taking and annotation, a tablet alone may not be enough. There’s no better accessory than a stylus, like the Apple Pencil for iPad, if you want to get the most out of your iPad.

Fortunately, most textbooks are available as PDFs online, and with a good note-taking app like Notability or Goodnotes, taking handwritten notes should be a piece of cake. If your professors teach through presentations and share slides or PDFs, you can annotate them right on your tablet—something you wouldn’t be able to do any other way.

Apple Pencils in particular have great features like handwriting recognition, which makes learning much easier. Since most institutions use online portals like Google Classroom or Canvas to submit assignments, you can also complete assignments directly on the tablet instead of wasting a ton of paper.

However, if you prefer to take notes and are in a program that requires a lot of writing essays, you might be better off buying a wireless Bluetooth keyboard. I personally used an iPad Air 5, a second-generation Apple Pencil, and a Logitech K390 keyboard. I decided to invest in both the Apple Pencil and the wireless keyboard because my program requires a lot of note-taking, but I also have a lot of tasks I need to do in Microsoft Word.

Reliable laptop

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While you can get through your high school or college years without a tablet, it’s nearly impossible to do so without a good laptop, especially if you’re enrolled in a STEM program. For example, if you’re in a software engineering program, many of the assignments will require hands-on coding, for which you’ll need a reliable laptop capable of running an IDE like VS Code. Similarly, in an architecture program, you’ll need to create realistic 3D models for assignments using software like AutoCAD.

While a tablet paired with a wireless keyboard can almost replace a laptop in some situations, you’ll eventually need access to one. With a lightweight and portable laptop like the M3 MacBook Air, you’ll also be able to easily carry it around and work during any free time throughout the day. However, if you’re on a tight budget and need a device mainly for taking notes and writing essays, a Chromebook has a lot of features, so it should be more than adequate.

Noise-canceling in-ear or over-ear headphones to help you focus

Airpods Pro 2nd Generation and Airpods 2

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Sometimes the noise of being a student can be overwhelming. Whether it’s the constant chatter of a crowded library or your dorm roommate binge-watching another TV series, finding the peace to shut up and focus on your studies can be a challenge.

If you’re like me and need pin-point silence during an intense study session, investing in noise-canceling earphones or over-ear headphones is a decision you’ll never regret. By blocking out background noise, ANC (active noise cancellation) earbuds recreate a quiet environment, allowing you to focus on your work even in noisy environments like college dorms or coffee shops.

With fewer distractions, you’ll notice an increase in your overall productivity over time. Even if you’re not someone who typically studies in public places like coffee shops and libraries, a good pair of earbuds will come in handy when you’re taking online classes or watching online lectures. There are plenty of great Bluetooth headphones to consider in 2024, but I settled on the second-generation AirPods Pro because I’m deep into the Apple ecosystem, and they live up to their promise of great battery life.

e-book reader for long hours of learning

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Tablets can be a great solution to going paperless altogether, but they’re expensive and may not be necessary if you don’t take notes by hand or already have a laptop to do all your work.

Several programs, such as law and social studies, require a lot of reading. If you just need a device to review textbooks and papers, with the ability to highlight text without constant notifications, investing in an e-reader may be a wiser choice.

Most e-readers, like the Amazon Kindle, are significantly cheaper than most tablets you’ll find. Because they’re lightweight and portable, they’re much easier to carry and hold. The Kindle’s battery life is also unmatched — Amazon claims the 2022 version can last up to six weeks on a single charge. The Kindle’s e-ink display makes it much easier on the eyes, and if you’re studying outside, you’ll have no problem reading on your Kindle even in bright sunlight.

Power bank for back-to-back classes

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Most students typically spend half their day at college or university, and a large portion of their day commuting. Given that every student uses their devices throughout the day, finding a power outlet is a challenge in itself.

Plus, you never know when an unexpected power outage might occur or when your battery might be running low at a critical moment. That’s why I always carry a portable power bank with me. It’s always better to be safe than sorry.

They’re compact, easy to fit in a backpack, and a lifesaver during long classes back-to-back. Depending on their capacity, most power banks can charge your devices multiple times a day, making them a great option for college students. If you’re carrying around multiple devices like a laptop, phone, or tablet, it’s best to invest in one that supports both USB-C and USB cables.