So you're off to university for the first time, eh? Shit, we're envious. So long as you make some great mates and have as much fun as you can, you'll look back fondly on the next three or four years. Oh, and you might get a degree out of it, too. Whatever. BUT... you'll need some stuff to take with you; stuff that will vastly improve your uni days. We've selected five such gadgets, so get convincing mum and dad you need all of them. Or you'll die, or something.
Lenovo Yoga Book
This one might be an easy convince as the Yoga Book has some actual educational advantages. When in a lecture you'll be able to use the included smart pen to jot down notes and have them automatically convert into text. It's also great for design and art students who will be sketching, and also for everyone else as a super-lightweight laptop and tablet. Plus, y'know, that screen is perfect for some long Netflix sessions.
£449
Read our full review here.
TP-Link RE305 WiFi Range Extender
Mind you, you won't be able to enjoy some 'Netflix and chill' if your internet is rubbish. As most new uni students will be going into a shared dorm or house, the available WiFi might not be great. To that end get a WiFi Extender, and the TP-Link RE305 is great. As well as being compact, with flip up antenna, it uses easy as pie WPS to connect to the main router, and also features an Ethernet port on the underside, so you can hook up a device with a wired connection. Perfect for students, but now everyone will want to watch stuff in your room.
£49.99
Read out full review here.
Hotpoint 3-in-1 Contact Grill
If you're moving into a place with a shared kitchen... well, take it from us... it's gonna get grim. Students sharing washing up duties is like a cat having a mortgage: it's never going to happen. To that end, why not invest in some cooking gadgets for your room (you could hide it under your bed), and we're talking a bit more swish that a crap plastic kettle. The Hotpoint 3-in-1 Contact Grill can toast you a panini, grill you some meat or veg (without mess - there's a place for oil and grease to collect), and also function for frying your breakfast. It's compact, versatile, and requires only a plug socket. Nice.
£99
Read our full review here.
Chipolo Plus
Moving to a new town or city can be a bit confusing. If you get stressed, tired, or even completely wasted, you might find yourself forgetting and losing stuff. Misplacing your dorm room keys could prove disastrous, not to mention leaving your laptop bag behind in a lecture. Our suggestion is clip a Chipolo Bluetooth tag to everything important, and the Plus version is the toughest and loudest Chipolo out there. You can set it to warn your phone if you go out of range of an item (like your keys or wallet), and you can even squeeze one to find the connected phone. Double effing win. Pretty cheap, too.
£19.99 each
Read our full review here.
Foobot
And finally, something not very sexy or fun, but definitely worth it for the sake of your health and well-being. Many students may find themselves living digs which aren't the best maintained places in the country. Cheap rent often means cheap as shit accommodation, with damp and mildew causing severe health concerns. To that end, and if you're worried about the state of your new house, get a Foobot. This will monitor the quality of the air indoors and warn you of anything harmful - be it high levels of pollutants or nasty stuff like mould spores. It'll flash red when it detects something, so you can open a window and let in some freshness. If you already have a condition like asthma, get one.
£179
Read our full review here.