Best Accessories for a college laptop?

My parents just recently ordered an HP Envy 6 for my graduation gift. I was wondering if there are any must-haves (or not necessarily must-haves, just nice-to-haves) in terms of accessories that a college student should get. Thanks!

 

A good mouse and some good speakers would be my number 1's.

 

My top two things I've used the past two years are a good lap desk thing to keep the heat off your legs (mine had two additional pieces that swivel out from the bottom which doubled as writing space and a mouse pad), and an extra power cord. I'm big into cable management so I had one rigged up to be used on my bed and hide when not in use, and the other was for other rooms or on the go..

 

Probably a decent mouse and speakers/earphones/headphones. Definitely get a power strip with a long cord, and maybe an Ethernet cable if your dorm has crappy wireless service.

As a student myself, I never found myself using any of my other accessories very often.

 

I've been out of college a long time, but I do take my laptop with me nearly every day.

Top Priority = data
External Hard Drive - crashes happen, especially around midterms and finals...sure you'll have space on your campus servers, but you really want to do a full system backup so you can restore a new laptop to your old settings as esily as possible

Second Priority = fast pack
Second Power Adapter - as mentioned above, one for your desk, one for your backpack

Two Mice, One Dongle - get two Logitech mice and they can share one of those tiny receivers (they call it a Unity receiver)

Third Priority = ergonomics
A laptop stand with adjustable height can save your neck and improve laptop cooling, though you will then also need an external keyboard (again, Logitech can run it off the same receiver for your mouse).

Other Considerations:
Do you need lots of time away from an outlet? Get an extra battery. In fact, an extra battery might make more sense than a second power adapter.

If you really want to spend your parents money, you can also look into upgrading your warranty. Accidental damage is always worth considering.

 

USB TV Tuner

AND!!! Backup your data... I'd use a combination of external USB HDDs / flash drives, and online syncing stuff like dropbox / GDrive / SkyDrive / jungledisk

 

1. External hard drive.

2. An extra computer depending on your field of study in case your main computer breaks. The extra computer could be mediocre. I built a desktop using some AMD FX deals I found. Used it to run my simulations (for projects) over night at times and sometimes over weeks. Yeah I could have used campus computers, but my university really messed up. They have us using CITRIX for 3D modelling. Have you ever tried to rotate an intricate model from your computer, connected to a gigabit network shared by every single person in the university?

3. Your own router. Even if your campus says no wireless routers, you can turn the wireless off. The router is good for security and other STUFF.

4. A laptop lock. They are easy to break, but they deter the noob criminals.

5. An external monitor. Once you go dual screen and then tri-screen, you can never go back. Also really helps with productivity.

6. Some thermite in-case they come for you. You can never be sure.

 

My accessory is just a mouse >< If you're going to game, a cooler is a good thing too. But all you need is a mouse, really. < Actual college student

 

A comfortable mouse and data backup would be my choices. Even if the backup is only a little 8GB USB stick with a copy of your assignments etc, it saves a lot of stress.

 

Actually, I forgot something...

If your college dorm comes with crap-tastic chairs like mine did, you should invest in a decent, inexpensive office chair. It makes a world of difference for your comfort.

 

the essentials: mouse, headphones, lock for your laptop, ethernet cable

 

this man clearly learned alot in college about using laptops.

i recommend the logitech anywhere mouse mx. i'd argue that it is the best portable mouse.

EDIT:

also, i recommend carrying a pair of earbuds in case someone wants to listen to something off your lappy. one listening device for yourself and one for someone else

 

If your laptop supports it, I'd also recommend a docking station. not only is it convenient for not needing to unplug everything everytime you leave your room but it'll also be your additional power adapter so you can keep one in your bag and not worry about forgetting it on the way out the door.