This year, 30 percent of college students will live in a dorm or campus housing.
For many of them, especially freshmen, one of the most exciting aspects of heading to college is setting up their rooms. It’s easy to think about the basics, like sheets and towels, but don’t forget about must-have tech gadgets that will make their studies successful and their new home feel like … well … a home. From mini fridges to laptops, we’ve come up with the top-10 essentials for college students this year:
1. Sick of dorm food? No worries, the Insignia compact fridge easily stores snacks and drinks, and has a small freezer compartment too.
2. Whether checking Facebook, watching movies, or using Microsoft Word and Excel, the Microsoft Surface 3 has the power of a laptop but the convenience of a tablet.
3. Whether you’re listening to your favorite playlist while studying or need to tune out your noisy roommates, the Bose QuietComfort 25 noise-canceling headphones will transport you to your own world.
4. The Insignia 10-cup coffeemaker brews enough coffee for those late-night study sessions, and it’s under $20.
5. This Dell Inspiron laptop comes pre-loaded with the new Windows 10 operating system. Whether it’s writing a paper, preparing a presentation or killing time with your favorite apps, you can do it all with this 2-in-1.
6. Make snacks, heat leftovers and do some light cooking with the compact LG microwave.
7. This Insignia smart TV with Roku easily connects to more than 2,000 channels and can stream Netflix and Hulu.
8. The Xbox One gaming console offers hours of entertainment — from playing games to streaming movies to catching up on live TV. It’s all at your fingertips when you want it.
9. The HP Envy Wireless printer allows you to easily print, scan and copy papers for class just by connecting to Wi-Fi. You can even print from your mobile device.
10. No time for breakfast? Make a quick smoothie before class with the Insignia personal blender, also under $20.
For more product recommendations, checklists and money-saving deals — including offers for MacBooks, laptops, headphones, microwaves and more — students should visit the Student Tech Center at BestBuy.com.