School’s In: The Gadgets Needed for Success

There are very few things that are more pleasing to a parent (or child) than to look at a report card at the end of a semester and see nothing but good grades. While there are a number of variables that will ultimately determine whether or not this actually takes place, it all starts with being prepared. The traditional notebook and pencil are still important tools required for the academic year, but there are also a number of tech gadgets that contribute to student’s overall success.

 

Here is a compilation of a few selections from that category:

 

 

2-in-1 Laptop + Accessories

 

 

The convenience and usefulness of a 2-in-1 laptop makes it one of the “must have” gadgets for the school year. A device that can be used both as a laptop and a tablet – it hardly gets any better than this.

 

For tasks such as completing assignments or even taking notes, the keyboard functionality of the device would understandably be preferred, as it would make it a whole lot easier. That being said, for other school-related activities – studying or doing some general research on the topic for the next class – the tablet portion would more than suffice.

 

With many of the big name tech companies with these devices on the market, identifying one that meets the budget and has the desired features (storage space, processing speeds etc.) such be a relatively easy task. Notably, this device is applicable to just about all grade levels, from elementary school to college.

 

On the point of accessories, while there will be quite a few that are compatible, one that will rank among the most useful is a laptop lock. After spending hundreds of dollars to acquire a laptop, the very next thought should be focused on the device’s security.

 

 

 

Noise Cancelling/Noise Isolating Headphones

 

 

It’s possible that not many of you expected to see such a device in this list, but now that you’re thinking about it, it makes a whole lot of sense. It’s a widely perceived notion that it doesn’t take much to break an individual’s concentration, and once broken it’s oftentimes difficult to re-establish. This is where noise cancelling or noise isolating headphones make a grand entrance.

 

Headphones in the traditional sense are designed to provide sound to the eardrums, but these do that as well as block or prevent what is referred to as ambient noise. Whether at home, school or public library, these gadgets should provide a bit more peace and quiet as you go about studying or doing your work – essentially allowing you to maintain some concentration.

 

It would be smart to note that these devices generally cannot cancel or isolate sound completely. If you are, however, in an environment where they don’t seem to make much of a difference, then its probably not conducive to school work.

 

 

 

 

eReader

 

 

Generations past have enjoyed the feel of skipping through the pages of a book to access all the desired information, but such a phenomenon is not as coveted among the school-attending population. This is the era of all things digital, so an eReader is needed for accessing books. It is a known fact that in recent years, these digital copies have outsold the tangibles, and that trend is not likely to change going forward.

 

Being able to walk around with multiple books (text books or novels) on one device versus a backpack that can only hold some of all that are needed literally relieve students of a huge burden. Then there’s the risk of the bookstore being out of stock or the library running out of copies – it may seem like a stretch, but there aren’t as much variables for online copies.

 

Some eReaders have built-in lighting for those late nights, and give the user a “feel” of an actual book, with features allowing them to “flip” the pages on the screen. Considering that some of these gadgets can fit thousands of books, there really is no comparison.

 

 

 

External/Back-up Drive

 

 

For every student, there really is a lot to think about for the school year in regards to their electronics. It might not be the old “dog ate my homework” excuse, but many students will agree that computers have a tendency to become faulty – whether it’s a system failure or it becomes infected by a virus – at the most inconvenient of times. In another scenario, you may avoid those two occurrences, but still be a victim of theft. It is with these possibilities in mind that an external or back-up drive is recommended as a tool for success.

 

 

A secondary point of storage for all relevant information can save a student from having to re-write a term paper, or scramble to find the notes they had made in class. There are many small enough to fit into a backpack, or even in a pocket, so there really should be no concerns about added weight.

 

While this by no means exhausts all the tech gadgets that can contribute to a student’s success throughout the academic year, the four gadgets mentioned could prove quite useful, regardless of what level they are in the education system.

 

 

 

 

 

School’s In: The Gadgets Needed for Success