Starting university can be daunting and exciting at the same time and…it’s right around the corner. Don’t waste your coins. The university-going experience can be an expensive one, especially, in the beginning when you’re figuring out what to take with you. What to get when you get there? What will make you the most productive? Deciding factor? Your budget. The first thing you need to think about is how much money you’re gonna drop on a gadget – what is it gonna be and will it be as useful as you think it’s gonna be? Here are a few things you might wanna invest in and have on hand before school starts:

Laptop:

As obvious as it is a choice, having a laptop to take to uni, is equally necessary. There are two obvious choices – an Apple MacBook or a Windows laptop. The biggest difference between the two is price. MacBooks are a lot stronger, a lot more durable and built to last. And that should be worth considering – what will last longer? However, with the durability comes the steep price. you can opt for the HP if you personally feel like they’ll work better for you but I would always recommend the MacBook, provided you have the budget for it. AppleCare really does have a lot of damages you can possibly do to your laptop, covered. Having said that, make sure you get all the necessary adapters so you can connect to the traditional projectors.

There are students at unis that don’t have laptops so you don’t ABSOLUTELY NEED to have it but it does give you an advantage because lectures will have PowerPoints along with the explanation and there’s only so much you can hand write. Having a laptop on hand really gives you that edge in terms of ensuring that you’ve typed out the majority of your lecturer’s key points. Not only that, you’ll have to turn in assignments and essays and with deadlines cramming you till your neck, it’s not possible to always make constant trips to the library (believe me, you don’t get it done in one sitting – uni’s no walk in the park) and type up your piece of work.

Adapters:

Make sure you research about what types of power outlets you’ll be provided with in your university (varies from country to country). Check the power bricks (chargers) for your devices and take suitable adapters along with you.

Don’t leave this till the last minute and assume you’ll buy them when you get there. All these expenses pile up and money’s short at university, especially, when you’re abroad.

Printer:

University libraries charge an awful lot for printing and this cost adds up, especially, when you’ll be needing to print off slides and slides, past papers, lecture notes. Cut this cost by investing in a printer and you can do all this from the comfort of your own room. The price of the printer will depend on everything that you need to get from it. Do you need it to scan and photocopy? Will it do double-sided printing, automatically? Do you need it to do coloured printing? Is it wireless? If not, then it’ll be another bulky thing to put on your desk (because you’ll need to plug it into your computer in order to print). I would always recommend the wireless – it’s just more convenient. If you have a Mac, make sure you get a printer that is compatible with it.

Printer ink cartridges can be very expensive. Don’t drop £80 on just an ink cartridge. Buy knock-off, dupe inks from Amazon – they’re just as good and save you a lot of money – university teaches you how to be smart with your money so you can afford to feed yourself at the end of the month (no pressure).

Extension Cables:

These are literally, your best friends (and one of the easiest things to overlook) at university because there are just so many things to charge. Try and get 2. Power sockets are weirdly placed at university and that’s where extension cables come in hand so you can charge your devices in a spot that’s comfortable for you – pretty self explanatory.

Headphones:

Invest in wireless headphones! When you’re heading to the gym, cooking or even tidying up (yes, adulting in university is not optional), you can walk away from the laptop but still listen to whatever it is you’re listening to – be it a lecture (effective revision technique: working out stimulates the brain so when exam season’s approaching, avoid a hunched back and go for a workout break without compromising on your revision time by putting on your headphones and listening to your lecture) or Nicki Minaj. You’re not tied to your laptop.