It feels like an age ago, but I remember my first week at university.
I was rich, able to afford all the Fosters and Turkish pizzas my 18-year-old heart desired.
Oh yes, dear reader, I remember it well.
We dont merely applaud bad decisions.
We actively aid and abet them.
Quite helpfully, that brings us to this gift guide.
It’s free, every week, in your inbox.
Youneedan external hard drive.
The external hard drive market is crowded, and some offerings are better than others.
We had a look at the field, and theSeagate FastSSDimmediately caught our attention.
Firstly, there are no moving parts, meaning that its less prone to breaking when dropped.
Read and write speeds are faster.
It runs quieter than traditional external HDDs.
Its less of a drain on your laptops battery.
At the time of writing, you canpick up the 500GB variant for roughly $125 on Amazon US.
HP Sprocket
Ever noticed that its really bloody hard to get real printed photos nowadays?
The high-street photo store of your childhood is long gone.
Replacing them are automated kiosks, which are clunky and offer reproductions of questionable quality.
TheHP Sprocketis a happy medium.
Its small, and can easily fit in a handbag or rucksack.
The downside is that the printer itself isnt cheap,retailing on Amazon for just shy of 120.
That said, can you put a price on permanently memorializing the nights youd otherwise forget?
I didnt think so.
Guess who changed his bedsheets a total of twice during his second year of uni?
But like, your teeth are different.
One interesting player in this space isQuip, which is the Dollar Shave Club of oral hygiene.
Quip ships worldwide, although shipping costs will vary.
Toothpaste by subscription, eh?
Its not a terrible idea.
Lets face it: As a student, youre a natural procrastinator.
I know I was.
BenQ ScreenBar
On the subject of procrastination, lets talk about all-nighters.
God knows I did my fair share.
If youre starting to think I wasnt an especially diligent student, youre spot on.
Anyway, all-nighters arent especially good for you.
One attractive solution is the BenQ Screenbar, which Ive been using for the past few months.
TheBenQ ScreenBaris a lamp that clips to the top of your monitor.
Unlike other desk lamps, the ScreenBar casts light down your monitor.
The BenQ ScreenBar is available on Amazon.com andretails for under $100.
Its not cheap, sure, but Ive found it to be invaluable when burning the midnight oil.
More than Id care to admit.
I only wishTileexisted when I was a student.
It would have saved me several headaches.
So, whats Tile?
Its a tiny square of plastic you connect to your keyring, wallet, or other valuables.
When you cant find them, you might ring them from your phone.
In the UK, the same retailsfor under 40.
Alright, so lets talk about something thatll help you perform better at university.
No, Im not talking about Ritalin.
There are a wealth of keyboards on offer, each retailing for 28 (or roughly $37).
you’re able to check them outhere.
You could do worse than considering the Wacom Intuos.
The Intuos is a genuinely gorgeous bit of kit.
Its stylish and understated, and wont look out of place on your desk.
Setup is obscenely easy, and the stylus included is every bit as responsive as youd hope.
And hell, even if youre not a designer per se, theyre a purchase worth considering.
The Intuos line is packed with several different offerings, each measurably different in some way.
Its an inevitability of student life that youll encounter people partial to the old five finger discount.
Enter theWyze Cam v2, and its bigger, badder sibling, the Wyze Cam Pan.
Wyze also offers a cloud storage service for your video footage, if youre into that sort of thing.
Across both cameras, youll find features like night recognition, motion detection, and sound detection.
The most significant selling point of the Wyze Cam system is how insanely cheap it is.
Theentry-level Wyze Cam v2 costs just $20, whilethe Wyze Cam Pan retails for only $30.
When you key in your mid-twenties, every moment of sleep is crucial.
Others prefer to depend on white noise, which is where the Lectrofan Micro comes in.
Is it the best Bluetooth speaker weve ever used?
Not by a long-shot, but it works in a pinch.
You canpick one up for under $30.
Hidrate Spark
I always thought that the idea of a smart water bottle was inherently dumb.
Internet of Shit material?
But then I tried one, and now the concept doesnt seem so silly.
On a fundamental level, you need it to live.
Not only that, but hydration is essential for concentration, and helps massively with weight loss.
The futuristic-looking Hidrate Sparkretails for $45 on Amazon.
It plays nice with Fitbit and Apple Health and doesnt require regular charging.
Instead, it uses easily found watch batteries.
Your friends may laugh at you, but remember: The best students suffer for their grades.
Notice how I said portable computer and not tablet.
Thats because this is nothing like your little brothers Amazon Fire 7.
Its big, fast, and capable of doing actual work especially when connected to a keyboard.
The 10.8-inch 2K screen is bright and stands perfectly suited to reading papers and watching Netflix alike.
Its light enough to throw into a rucksack but boasts a battery big enough to last all day.
The build quality is stunning, and the M5 Pro stands tall in a field crowded with ugly fondleslabs.
Let me reiterate this point though.
Like, you dont have to buy it separately.
Its part of the package.
I hope youre paying attention, Apple.
Although it lacks some of the bells-and-whistles of its big brother, its definitely worth considering.
A downside is the bog-standard MediaPad M5 lacks the M-Pen.
The 8.4-inch MediaPad M5 isavailable on Amazon.com for $320, andAmazon.co.uk for 260.
Microsoft Surface Go
But what if you need a real computer?
The Microsoft Surface Go is an ultra-portable, and the cheapest computer in the Surface lineup.
Its not big, measuring just 10-inches.
Its not especially powerful, and its humongous bezels look especially out of place in 2018.
But that doesnt matter.
Its still one of the best ultra-portables released this year.
I wont sell it to you too hard.
My colleague Napier Lopez broke down the subtler points of this fabulous tablet just a few months ago.
You shouldread his review.
Youll fight for spare plug sockets in the library, which are always a scarce commodity.
Portability and battery life are priorities.
The Microsoft Surface Go delivers on both points.
Theentry-level model costs just $400.
Inateck 9-in-1 USB-C Hub
Laptop manufacturers are increasingly stingy with the ports they include with their machines.
With that in mind, we recommend this effort from Inateck.
Its got Ethernet and boasts more USB-A ports than you’re free to shake an overpriced dongle at.
The only downside is that its a bit chunky.
Fashion-conscious punters, therefore, might want to consider Vavas offering, which is sleek and svelte.
It packs support for SD and TF cards, along with three USB ports, HDMI-in, and Ethernet.
Inatecks USB-C hub goes for60 in the UK.
As for Vavas effort, thatllset you back $60 on Amazon.comand50 on Amazon.co.uk.
OneAdaptr Evri 80W USB-C
Headphones.
Nowadays, weve got a lot of stuff to charge.
It includes 4 USB-A ports and one USB-C port, allowing you to charge all your gadgets at once.
it’s possible for you to find the OneAdaptr Evri on Amazon.com for $70.
Looking for something more budget-friendly?
On Amazon.co.uk,it can be had for 55.
First, your habitat will descend into a Stig of the Dump situation.
Dishes will sit in the sink unwashed.
Pizza boxes will pile up.
Eventually, one of your housemates will say fuck it and create a cleaning rota.
In this situation, I urge you, dear reader, to pick vacuuming as your chore of choice.
Fight for it, if you have to.
Because vacuuming is the one chore where you’re able to get away with doing precisely nothing.
Im talking about robot vacuum cleaners, which are cheaper than theyve ever been.
Ive seen robot vacuum cleaners from no-name Chinese manufacturers go for as little as 30 on sale.
The Eufy Robovac 11s, from Anker, is probably the best value robot vacuum cleaner on the market.
it’s possible for you to pick theEufy Robovac 11s on Amazon.com for $230andAmazon.co.uk for 220.
This retails for$300 in the US.
Nokia Withings Steel HR
Americans call it the freshman fifteen.
British people merely ask: Who ate all the pies?
Eventually, youll decide to start looking after yourself.
When that point comes, you might want to buy a fitness tracker.
Wed recommend the Nokia Withings Steel HR.
For starters, its stylish.
It doesnt look like a fitness tracker.
you’re able to pick up theNokia Withings Steel HR on Amazon.com for $180.
In the UK, itgoes for roughly 150. Who ate all the pies?
Convenience food isnt great for you, but its convenient.
Soylent is essentially a nutritionally complete meal replacement.
In the US, you canget a case of 12 pre-prepared drinks for $37.
In the UK, you cangrab them on Amazon Prime for 39.
Werebig fans of the MA390 Wireless from Scottish audio brand RHA here.
These are some of our favorite gym buds, with excellent battery life and a rugged, sweatproof design.
If your budget doesnt stretch that far, considerSkullcandys Method Wirelesss buds.
These wont break your overdraft, yet offer an acceptable listening for when youre in the gym.
Its got less meat than an Iceland ready meal, and sits unobtrusively in your pocket.
Despite that, it can survive being roughly tossed around, like a passenger on a United Airlines flight.
Not an iPhone user?
Im ridiculously fond of their backpacks.
But money is an object, and as a student, youre probably more hard-up than most.
With that in mind, maybe consider this offering from slightly obscure brand Kopack.
Ive been using this bag on-and-off for a few months now.
Its comfortable to carry, and has handy extras like a built-in charging cable.
you’ve got the option to grab the Kopack backpackon Amazon.co.uk for 38.
In the US, itgoes for $46.
Its bigger, and can carry several laptops, as well as your all-essential textbooks.
I like it a lot, and its replaced my roll-on suitcase for short journeys.
