E-Ink E-Reader
Course readings at one in the morning without a backlit screen pointed at your face. The sleep argument is real, and a semester of long PDFs is easier here than on a laptop.
Electronics & Gadgets
Devices with a chip in them, and the peripherals that plug into a laptop. Picked for the ones I did not have to replace.
Electronics & Gadgets picks
Portable External SSD
I treat this as insurance rather than storage. A laptop dies during finals week about once per friend group per year, and the difference between an inconvenience and a catastrophe is whether last night's work exists anywhere else.
USB-C Multiport Hub
Two ports on the laptop, six things to plug in. Check the HDMI specification rather than the port count before you buy — plenty of hubs quietly cap an external display at a refresh rate that is miserable to work on.
1080p HD Webcam
Laptop cameras are still bad, and bad in a specific way: they make you look tired in exactly the meeting where you need to look awake. Office hours and interviews are worth the desk clutter.
WHOOP Peak (12-Month Membership)
No screen, which is the point — it tracks sleep and recovery without giving you another thing to check mid-lecture. The membership includes the band; budget for a subscription, not a one-time purchase.
Wireless Productivity Mouse
The scroll wheel is the actual product. Horizontal scroll turns wide spreadsheets and long timelines from a chore into a flick, and quiet clicks matter when someone is asleep six feet away.
Compact Smart Display
A small screen that is useful on a nightstand or a kitchen counter rather than in your hand. Timers, a glance at the calendar, and a video call you can walk away from mid-sentence.
Wireless Mechanical Keyboard (TKL)
The one specification that matters in a shared room is the switch. Tactile browns are audible; clicky blues are a roommate problem. Tenkeyless also gives back the desk width you need for a mouse.
