Top Tech for College Students: Must-Have Tools for Productivity and Study

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Let’s be honest, succeeding at college (or university if you’re from the UK) is as much about trying to juggle a million things at once as it is about academic ability. Whether you’re revising with the intensity of a caffeinated squirrel or staring into the void hoping your essay writes itself, the right tech can seriously help you out.

Sometimes, knowing where to go for help or just having a non-nonsense laptop to work on can make all the difference. Here’s our list of the devices, software and services that’ll help you stay productive, organised, and only mildly sleep-deprived throughout your college career.

1. Edubirdie

Some days, your brain simply refuses to cooperate. Believe me, I’ve experienced it many times throughout my many previous careers and even in this one now. The cursor blinks, your coffee goes cold, and your screen remains a blank page as the day turns to night and back to day again.

Sometimes, you just need a little extra hand, a dose of inspiration, or someone to bounce ideas off of. That’s where Edubirdie comes in at https://edubirdie.com/essay-writers-for-hire; it’s a writing assistance platform where actual humans provide online help to college students to complete assignments. Whether it’s essay writing, homework, or even Excel tasks, Edubirdie can provide assistance.

Why it’s a lifesaver

• Get help with essay structure, editing, or just untangling the ideas in your head
  
• Offers plagiarism checks and human writers
  
• Ideal for when deadlines are closing in and you need a hand making a breakthrough

2. iPad Mini 7

With the right accessories, the iPad mini 7 can become the ultimate student accessory. Small enough to chuck in your bag but powerful enough to do anything you’d need in a class like take notes, reading or capturing images of slides, the iPad Mini 7 is a cracking bit of kit. When you’re done with lectures, then you can also use it to relax by watching movies or YouTube. It is the perfect all-in-one.

I’ve made it clear how much I love the iPad mini and it remains one of my favourite ever bits of tech. But you do need those aforementioned accessories to realise its full potential. You can read about my ideal iPad mini accessories in detail, but there are two key things you need above all else: a wireless keyboard and a case.

For the keyboard, I always recommend the NuPhy Air60+ and the NuPhy Folio carry case to make it ultra transportable. And for the case, the Moft iPad Folio does a great job of providing protection and functionality at an affordable price. You can read our article for more about the best iPad accessories!

Why it’s brilliant:

• Supports Apple Pencil for fancy handwritten notes or chaotic doodles in lectures
  
• Lightweight but zippy, thanks to the A17 chip
  
• Plays nicely with Notability, GoodNotes, and all your go-to study apps
  

Also: it’s great for textbooks. Your spine will thank you when you’re not lugging around four kilos of overpriced paper.

3. M4 MacBook Air

Apple’s M4 MacBook Air is the ultimate student laptop. If you aren’t a tablet person, and want a bit more power, then the MacBook Air has always been a great option. But the M4 version now only costs $999/£999. Yes, for less than $1000 you get an immensely powerful chip, incredibly lightweight design and ideal functionality for a student.

You will have no worries with word processing, editing presentations, video calling or watching Netflix with the M4 MacBook Air so there really isn’t any need to go for the MacBook Pro unless you have a specific requirement for something like coding.

You could go for a Windows alternative, like the Acer Swift 14, but the value for money you get with the MacBook Air is simply unbeatable.

Why it’s worth the investment:

• Battery life that actually lasts the whole day
  
• Completely silent, so no noisy fan wheezing mid-lecture
  
• Handles multitasking like a dream, even with 20 tabs open and Spotify at full blast

4. Anker Nano Powerbank

There’s nothing particularly exciting about the Anker Nano Powerbank, but it is an absolutely essential bit of kit if you’re on the go all day. Running out of battery is pretty catastrophic if you have a long day and aren’t near a plug socket.

The Anker Nano has a 10,000mAh battery inside a very small frame with the ability to provide up to 30W of charge (which is coincidentally more than enough for the iPad mini 7). It also has a handy display to tell you how much charge you’ve got left. It’s the best portable charger I’ve used and therefore perfect for keeping you going on any day at college.

Why you need one:

• Huge 10,000 mAh battery in a small case
  
• 30W fast-charging
  
• Can fit in your coat pocket
  

5. Brain.fm

I’ve been using Brain.fm for as long as I’ve been running this business and it’s the app that has done the most to boost my personal productivity. If you need to focus whilst you work, Brain.fm is a miracle worker.

Put simply, Brain.fm is a music app that specialises in providing audio to help you focus. I don’t really have the scientific background to explain how it works properly, but Brain.fm is backed by peer-reviewed academic research and rubber-stamped by the National Science Foundation in the USA.

All you need to know is that it works very well, far better than just listening to normal music. There are loads of different playlists and audio setups depending on your desired outcome like ‘Deep Work’ or ‘Learning’ and the actual sound quality is amazing. Whenever I’m writing or editing, I strap on my headphones, put Brain.fm on and then I’m locked in.

It’s hard to explain how transformative it is but you won’t know until you try it!

Why it’s a game-changer:

• Music that’s made specifically for focus, not just background noise
  
• Different modes for deep work, creativity, or even getting to sleep after too much caffeine
  
• No lyrics, no distractions
  

6. Jall Wake-Up Light – Rise Gently, Not Jarringly

I’m not going to make a joke about students being bad at waking up in the mornings. But, I will tell you about something that makes getting up in the morning much easier.

The Jall Wake-Up Light slowly fills your room with light to replicate a gentle sunrise, easing you out of your heavy slumber. There’s no music or harsh sounds involved to jolt you awake suddenly, just a more natural way to rise. If you combine it with a smartwatch to vibrate on your wrist then you get a much more pleasant wake up call.

Why mornings are better with this:

• Sunrise simulation helps you wake up more naturally
  
• Built-in ambient sounds if you want them
  
• Doubles as a reading lamp or moody bedside light

Final Thoughts: Tools That Actually Help

Let’s not kid ourselves, College, University or any studying isn’t easy. These tools are here to make your life a bit easier, and maybe even help you smash a few goals along the way.

Now go revise. Or nap. I’m not your mum.

This article is supported by Edubirdie.