The Best Laptop Accessories Every College Student Needs
During your college years, a laptop will be one of the most important objects you own. It will be used for assignments, research, and maintaining communication on all fronts. To make the most of your information machine, here are the best laptop accessories every college student needs.
1. Extra Space Is Available
As a college student, you want a reliable laptop that gets the job done. Your budget is pretty limited, and you often sacrifice space for portability. Fortunately, one of the best laptop accessories is an external hard drive. When countless photos or old word documents flood your desktop, you can simply plug in the external hard drive and remove those files from your laptop. This will help you avoid that feeling like you must purchase a newer laptop for added space and it will force you to decide what you really think is worth keeping.
2. Travel Lightly
Whether you’re shuffling from your dorm to the library or going home for the weekend, having a laptop bag is a necessary accessory. Sure, you can just carry it in your arms, but you run the risk of it falling out of your hands as you maneuver around, and it can get scratched up if you just toss it into your backpack with everything else. Having a bag designated for your laptop will likely come with extra layers for protection and can easily be worn over your shoulder. As with the laptop sleeves, you can indulge your creative side and choose from multiple designs. One of the best laptop accessories I purchased as a college student was a purple laptop bag off Amazon that I continue to use today!
3. Stay Cool In Every Situation
Over time, your laptop starts to heat up quickly during use. This results in having to take a break during a crucial assignment window or powering through as the heat causes you to sweat. A quick and easy fix is to have a cooling pad. This is one of the best laptop accessories because they easily plug in through a USB port and some models even lift the device higher for your viewing pleasure. With the cooling pad, or an external fan in those extreme cases, you will be able to continue working without the temperature rising in the room!
4. Have Those Chargers Ready
Often, we wait until after the fact to purchase extra accessories. When your original laptop charger finally gives out you’ll be stranded scavenging to borrow a friend’s charger for the time being. One of the best laptop accessories to have on hand is an extra charger. Having at least one extra charger will prevent those chaotic moments and you will thank yourself for being prepared. If you have the extra time, you can even personalize your chargers with stickers to create a new aesthetic.
5. Choose A Case For Your Needs
Sometimes the more appealing option can be the laptop sleeve. Purchasing different patterns on the cushion is incredibly easy and affordable. However, these stylish sleeves will not protect your laptop from an unexpected topple on the concrete when you’re walking to class. If you want to guarantee protection, one of the best laptop accessories is a hard case. Although there are marble designs the case does not have to come at a marble price. Every college student should be looking for durability that your laptop will last those four years!
6. Wireless Mouse: Just In Case
There are some of us who have no problem with the laptop mouse while others cannot stand it. When you are so used to a desktop, having a wireless mouse can bring back that sense of security. Also, much like a phone, certain components of a laptop can wear out over time so having a wireless mouse is great in case the inevitable happens. One of the worst things is accidentally submitting an incomplete assignment simply because you’re getting used to your new laptop and having a wireless mouse is one of the best laptop accessories to avoid this problem.
Here’s hoping your laptop is dependable & these accessories improve your college experience! What are your favorite laptop accessories? Tell us in the comments!
Featured Image Source: https://www.pexels.com/photo/blur-close-up-desk-electronic-433604/
Rebecca was born in Hayward, CA and still resides there today. She received her BA in English Creative Writing from San Francisco State University and is the first in her family to graduate from university. She is a Poetry student in the MFA program at Saint Mary’s College of California and is furthering her involvement in the literary community. In her spare time, she likes to lose her voice at Giants games, read Young Adult novels, make lists, and aims to cross become a writer off it.