Back to School
Back to School Tips: Must-Have Peripherals and Accessories Under $100 for Students
By Simon Hung
August 23, 2017Batman, Inspector Gadget and Red Green are three of earth's greatest heroes, each renowned for using a wide assortment of gadgets to make their lives easier.
Students also have access to a bevy of tools to enrich their education and computers are a necessity in schools everywhere, but your laptop can only take you so far. It's worthwhile to augment your expensive gadget with more less-expensive gadgets and we've listed some must-have peripherals under $100.00 that every student should have.
$0.00 to $20.00: A USB flash drive
Whether a rowdy hooligan pulls a fire alarm during class or you're trapped in a concrete-laced basement with incredibly bad reception, anything that can go wrong will go wrong and it’s important to save your notes when it does. Cloud storage is a popular option, but when you're unable to access the internet, a portable flash drive is a lifesaver. A 32GB drive is more than enough for all of your documents -- look for something durable from a reputable brand and avoid buying flash drives from third-party sellers on Amazon.ca or eBay.ca, as they can be counterfeit and corrupt your data.
Honourable mentions: extra USB cables for your phone, free Microsoft Office 365, an SPC Card to get discounts, one or all of these free apps
$20.00 to $40.00: Amazon Prime Student
From the essential to the Ludacris, Amazon is your friend when you need anything and nobody likes to wait for shipping. Luckily, students can get a six-month free trial of Amazon Prime, which gives you free two-day shipping or even same-day shipping in select regions! Once the trial is over, you get a discounted rate of $39.00 per year (regularly $79.00 per year), which is worth it for many if you consider the time you'll save shopping on Amazon vs. going to a physical store.
Honourable mentions: a good backpack to carry your supplies, a power bank so your phone never runs out of juice, a label maker so your friends don't steal your stuff, an iron so you'll look nice for important interviews
$40.00 to $60.00: A pair of headphones
We’ve all encountered that one person who plays music at maximum volume and annoys the entire library, so don't be that person and get a good pair of headphones to block ambient noise and listen to your own music. You can usually find excellent headphones from premium brands like Etymotic or Sennheiser, but if you don’t particularly care about audio quality and want to save a little, you can also find “good enough” headphones that'll do the trick.
Honourable mentions: a privacy screen so nosy classmates can't glance at your screen, a keyboard and mouse combo so you won't have to use your laptop keyboard and trackpad all the time
$60.00 to $80.00: A productivity mouse
Using a trackpad constantly can be annoying and navigation can be a pain, so get an external mouse to make your life a little easier. Look for a mouse that's ergonomic and includes extra buttons you can map to functions like search or paste, which will help shave a few seconds while web-browsing or essay-writing. Logitech's MX Anywhere 2 is a well-reviewed portable option that frequently falls below $80.00 and has an array of handy features including Bluetooth, a rechargable battery and Logitech's free-scrolling mouse wheel, which makes scrolling through long essays and lengthy presentations as simple as flicking your finger.
Honourable mentions: a router to share your internet, an Amazon Kindle for reading, a multi-device keyboard if you can't stand typing on a laptop keyboard or tablet screen
$80.00 to $100.00: A laser printer
Chances are you’ll be printing a lot of assignments during your time in school, so it’s important to have a good printer. The upfront cost of laser printers is more expensive than inkjet, but they are a better investment long-term. A monochrome printer will suffice for most students and can be found for $100.00. Brother printers are known to be reliable and some feature automatic duplex printing, which automatically prints documents on both sides of a sheet of paper, meaning you don't have to manually flip a sheet of paper for two-sided printing and you'll use less paper.
Useless but crafty personal bonus tip: consider using high-quality paper when printing your assignments. This sly move has been known to garner bonus commendations on assignments, much to the chagrin of fellow classmates. Domtar Premium Laser Paper is a personal favourite due to its slight sheen and smooth texture -- it is pricey, but worth it to wage psychological warfare against your classmates and to see their bewildered looks of envy when you flaunt the “nice quality paper” comment on your essays.
Honourable mention: a Keurig brewer so you'll always have your daily dose of coffee or tea
$100.00+ bonus round: An extra monitor
Regardless of how amazing your laptop is, the display is probably small and you'll only be able to comfortably fit one window on the screen. Avoid the hassle of constantly switching windows and gain so much room for activities with an extra monitor. You can typically find good monitors for around $150.00 to use as a secondary monitor while using your laptop screen as the primary monitor (or vice-versa).
Honourable mentions: a comfortable chair so your back won't ache while studying, an external hard drive to back up your computer, a mechanical keyboard to type faster and more comfortably
Now that you've made it to the end, take a look at our list of kitchen essentials or furniture-buying tips for students. Plus, be sure to visit our Back to School page for more back to school deals and tips!
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