College tech essentials are as important as the textbooks students buy. Almost every program requires some form of device—and the accessories that support them—to move through college life. Student devices and accessories need to be reliable. When possible, they also need to have the capabilities to last through years of study, so replacements aren’t needed on an already tight budget.
If you’re thinking about your college tech essentials, a bit of planning is helpful when you’re considering how you can get more years out of your tech. A few things to keep in mind are:
- Find the sweet spot between functionality and portability for your laptop and mobile devices.
- Think about what your major demands in technology now and throughout your degree.
- Take the time to understand device specs and how they affect device performance.
- Dive into your connectivity options to make sure you can access the internet on and off campus.
- Explore your accessory needs so you can stay focused and productive but also have a bit of fun.
A core device, like a laptop or tablet, is a solid start, but you’ll also need other gadgets, accessories, and digital tools to make the most of your college tech experience.
Start with the right core device for your major
You’ll need a primary device—laptop, tablet, or desktop computer—to conduct research, complete your assignments, and maybe take online exams. Even if you prefer handwriting notes, most college courses feature digital components that require a device.
Some colleges offer free laptops or tablets to incoming students and others allow them to be purchased at the school directly. In these cases, you’ll have less control over the device you’re using. Or, you might simply use devices you already have. Regardless, it’s best to understand what your needs are based on your major and how you’ll be using your tech resources to make sure they can meet your needs.
Laptops, tablets, and e-readers: Choosing the right device for coursework and reading
Chances are that your textbooks will be physical copies. Although the latest Pew Research Study found that younger readers (18–29-year-olds) still prefer physical copies of books,1 and professors believe they’re more effective,2 there’s no denying that digitization is coming. It’s possible that you’ll take a course that has some, if not all, of your course materials and books online.
- Liberal arts and other research-heavy majors – Although a laptop would be ideal for writing papers, a tablet or e-reader offers more flexibility on where you read. A lightweight laptop will make it easier to carry your backpack around campus with any additional books you’ll no doubt have as well.
- Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) – STEM majors use modeling, simulation, and development tools that demand large amounts of processing power. They require high-performance devices—such as modern, powerful laptops—to run these programs smoothly.
- Design and media – Design and media students work with large files, like video and high-resolution photos. This also means that applications are needed to process these files. Although most photo, video, and design applications are cloud-based and most of the processing and storage is in the cloud, they still require device resources like Random Access Memory (RAM) and a good CPU (central processing unit) to manage the application. A high-performance laptop can handle a design’s heavy computing demands. Add to that, many design and media students like to work on a tablet, so they have the power of flexibility, portability, and the ease of working with a digital pen or pencil.
Key specs to prioritize in laptops and tablets
It’s possible that if you’re getting devices from your school that they’ll consider your major in what they assign you. However, it’s just as possible that all students will get the same machine. If it’s your first year in taking a school device, ask ahead of time what the specs are, so you know if it’ll be what you need. If it’s not in your budget to buy all new gear, maybe you can make do with a student laptop for basic coursework but you buy a tablet for specialized work.
Also, a great hack to keep in mind is that many tablets are powerhouses. Many users forgo a laptop altogether and use their tablet for all their computing.
When deciding on a device, choose a device and model with sufficient:
- Random Access Memory – RAM provides access to fast, temporary memory when you run any sort of program. There’s no set amount of RAM any one student needs, but the more you have, the faster your device can process tasks. A liberal arts major may only need 8 GB of RAM for basic word processing and research. On the other hand, a graphic design student needs at least 16 GB of RAM – 32 GB being ideal.
- Storage – A Solid State Drive (SSD) is a type of internal computer storage. For an English major, 256 GB SSD is sufficient, but for a graphic design student, 512 GB to 1 TB SSD is needed to store large, data-heavy files.
- Battery life – You may spend the whole day moving from class to class without access to charge your devices. While there’s no set standard for how much battery life you may need as a college student, choose a device that fits your routine and schedule without powering down halfway through your day. Also note that battery performance tends to decline as a device ages. If you’re using an old or refurbished device, you may not get as many hours per charge as you need.
- Processing power – Your device’s CPU processes requests and performs calculations. CPU speed is measured in gigahertz (GHz)— the higher the GHz, the faster your device. The option here depends on the operating system you choose.
If you’ll be using graphics or video programs, also research your options for your graphics card and display. And keep portability of your devices in mind. Don’t forget to check the weight of each device. When you have a lot a lot to carry, your device weight can add up. This includes any extra storage and accessories you’ll need.
Smart data backup solutions for college students
Hopefully you’ve never experienced the horror of working for hours on a project and losing the files. A tragedy like this could be detrimental to a college student. Just as important as the devices themselves is your backup system for your data.
While keeping a version on your devices is fine, it should never, ever be your only copy. If something ever happens to your laptop or tablet or you need to access your files without them, you’ll be very relieved you’ve invested in backup storage.
- Cloud storage – Many devices come with some form of cloud storage, but what you get may not have enough capacity. Look into plan options to see if you can upgrade as you need. You can also purchase separate personal cloud storage. The big advantage of this is that it’s not connected to only your device, giving you more freedom to change platforms. Cloud storage lets you back up your data in real time. It’s also accessible from anywhere, so even if you lose your device, you’ll still have your work if you still have your log-in credentials.
- External drives – Add an external SSD or Hard Disk Drives (HDD). SSDs are faster, quieter, and more resilient than HDDs, which may offer more storage capacity. But HDDs also have mechanical parts and a spinning disk that can break, which might make data expensive to recover, if it can be recovered at all.
Whatever kind of system you choose, set up automatic backups so you don’t forget to sync your data. Daily backups are ideal for cloud drives, and you can set your SSD to copy your data every time you plug it in.
Connectivity and power for college student devices
You’ll likely find yourself working and studying in a lot of different places during your studies. Beyond the classroom and where you’re staying, late nights might have you in coffee shops, libraries, outside on campus or at parks, or many other spots. In all these places you’ll need connectivity.
Some devices will connect to your cellular network, but if you’re moving a lot of data, you may reach your data limit for the month with your prepaid plan and not be able to use more data. If you’re on a postpaid plan and hit your limit, your data speeds may be slowed down by your provider. Sure, you can try to connect to Wi-Fi if it’s available, but public Wi-Fi isn’t guaranteed or secure.
[Read: Prepaid vs post-paid plans: What’s the difference?]
Instead, consider getting a mobile hotspot. While your phone and plan may allow you to use your phone as a hotspot, you still have data limits. A separate mobile hotspot device gives you connectivity without that risk.
Other things to keep in your backpack are:
- Backup charger or power adapter
- Backup cables, in the event yours frays or breaks
- Portable power source with fast charge capabilities, like a power bank
When you invest in essential tech accessories like portable power sources, you can ensure your devices are charged throughout the day to keep your studying on track. Last, since you’re likely to study in public places, there’s one other college tech essential you may need.
Distraction-free studying essentials
The buzz of a coffee shop (noise, not the caffeine) can be nice if you’re hanging out with friends. But if you’re trying to study you likely want to dampen the noise around you.
Noise-canceling headphones or earbuds are a must-have to keep ambient noise to a minimum. Drown out external sounds for quiet or for focus while listening to music or white noise.
All of this prep for classes and studying means you need a little downtime too. A small, portable Bluetooth® speaker is great for sharing your music, while smart wearables, like Ray-Ban Meta glasses, help you to capture moments hands-free.
Final take: Match your tech to your college journey
The real college tech essentials are those that fit your major, studying style, and goals. From tablets and laptops to personal hotspots, power banks, and other accessories, we have back-to-school essentials you need to succeed in our online AT&T store. We also offer exclusive deals for college students—such as student internet discounts, the best phone plans for students, and other school-specific bonuses.
Explore devices, wireless plans, and more before setting off for your next semester of study by visiting att.com.
1 Errera, Rob, Printed Textbooks vs eBook Statistics, Trends and Facts [2025], Toner Buzz, December 11, 2024, https://www.tonerbuzz.com/blog/paper-books-vs-ebooks-statistics/.
2 Coffee, Lauren, E-Textbooks are More Popular Than Ever, Inside Higher Ed, September 5, 2024, https://www.insidehighered.com/news/tech-innovation/digital-publishing/2024/09/05/report-professors-believe-print-textbooks-are.
