July: The sun is shining, the days are long, and the last thing anyone wants to think about is an 8 a.m. lecture. And yet, from July 8th to 11th, Prime Day arrives like a ghost of semesters future, giving us a golden opportunity to get ahead of the game. It's the one time you can procrastinate on your summer reading by productively shopping for all the gear you'll need to... well, do your school reading later.
So, for every student who swears this is the year they'll color-code their notes and not write their entire thesis in the 12 hours before it's due, we've got you. We braved the digital crowds and scrolled through endless pages to find the back-to-school essentials actually worth adding to your cart. Consider this your cheat sheet for a semester's worth of success.
#1 Your Bed Just Got Promoted From Nap Zone To Command Center With A Lap Desk With A Built In Mousepad
Review: "What a game changer! I always liked doing work in bed but sometimes it’d be a little too comfortable - falling asleep comfortable. This lap desk is super comfortable on my lap, I was worried it might be too heavy but it’s not, and helps me stay upright and focused. My 13.6 inch laptop fits perfectly and the mouse I use works great on the smooth mouse pad, yet nothing is sliding around unnecessarily. This is a serious must have for a comfortable workspace." - Larissa
Buy Now: amazon.com
#2 The Rocketbook Core Reusable Spiral Notebook Is The Closest Thing To Using The Men In Black Neuralyzer On Your Notes After You've Saved Them To The Cloud
Review: "As a college student, I go through a LOT of notebooks. I typically buy 4-6 3-subject notebooks every 5 months, that I completely use in that time. I was getting tired of buying so many so often, and lugging around several pounds of notebooks is not fun. I did a lot of digging before deciding that the Rocketbook would be the reusable notebook I'd try out and so far, I do love it!" - Connie M.
Buy Now: amazon.com
#3 A Kodak Instant Photo Printer Lets You Create An Irl Version Of Your Instagram Feed For Your Dorm Room Wall
Review: "Good quality photos. Almost like the ones you get at the local print store. Once you have everything set up, it takes about 10 seconds to finish the printing process." - Kindle Customer
Buy Now: amazon.com
#4 All Arguments About Whose Turn It Is To Do The Dishes Can Now Be Settled Out Of Court Thanks To A 15-Inch Digital Calendar & Chore Chart
Review: "I love it! It has definitely helped to get organize and make the teens accountable for their tasks and chores ! You do NOT need to but the app, unless you want the meal planning and reward system." - Jasmmin
Buy Now: amazon.com
#5 A Jansport Cross Town Backpack Is Basically A Rite Of Passage, Like Getting Your Driver's License Or Having Your First Existential Crisis Over A Group Project
Review: "The product arrives on time and in an immaculate condition. The color is pretty vivid; the texture of the material appeared strong and sturdy and, the size moderate, spacious and easy to manage." - Amazon Customer
Buy Now: amazon.com
#6 Preventing A Civil War Between The Salad Dressing And The Crackers Inside Your Backpack Is The Main Job Of A Leak-Free Bento Box
Review: "Already had 2 for great grandkids and now need a third. They are awesome for taking on trips etc.. fit in back packs well. Stay cold for a good amount of time when use the freezer pack." - Granny
Buy Now: amazon.com
Okay, how's that "study-smarter-not-harder" shopping list looking? If your cart is already overflowing with good intentions and great deals, you're on the right track. But this is no time for a study break. We've still got a bunch of must-haves that will make dorm life better and those long nights in the library a little more bearable.
#7 The Sheer Power That Comes With Possessing 12 Different Shades Of Purple In A 72 Piece Colored Pencil Set Is Honestly Unparalleled
Review: "Perfect set of every Prismacolor shade plus blender pencil. The 150 set came in excellent condition, sealed in the box with every color listed. These are authentic, incomparably bendable, unmistakable Prismacolor pencils!" - Charley
Buy Now: amazon.com
#8 The Beats Studio Pro Are The Official Uniform For Anyone Whose Major Is 'Minding My Own Business In A Loud Library'
Review: "I am very happy with this purchase. I use these to listen to music in my office. The sound quality is very good. I am sure there are better headphones out there, but these delivery the quality that I was looking for. I have also used these when flying. The noise canceling feature works very well. They held up during travel. I really like how they fold up so they can be put away is the carry case they come with. The battery life is very good. Don’t know exact time they last as I have never had any issue with battery life interrupting my use." - Marc J. Dittle
Buy Now: amazon.com
#9 A 10-Pack Of White Out Tape Is For When You're Confident In Your Answer, But Not, Like, Pen Confident
Review: "I keep ordering these. They are great for office work. I'll buy them again soon." - Ky7
Buy Now: amazon.com
#10 Getting A Stanley Iceflow Stainless Steel Tumbler Is How You Officially Declare 'Chronically Hydrated' As Your Main Personality Trait For The Semester
Review: "Gave into the Stanley hype and honestly best purchase I have ever made. I needed a new water bottle to take on runs/walks. Love that it doesn’t leak and that the straw can close. Used to not drink water as much as I needed to and after I got this, I always find myself refilling it (40 oz) love the color and overall design." - Maria Equihua
Buy Now: amazon.com
#11 Assigning A Different Color For Each Class From This Pack Of 6 Colorful Lined Writing Pads Feels Like The Academic Equivalent Of Collecting The Infinity Stones
Review: "I usually buy wide ruled but accidentally bought these narrow ruled notepads. I actually like them better. I can fit more on the page. The first page didn't have a clean tear, but the subsequent pages all have. I will purchase these again when I run out." - D. Snellings
Buy Now: amazon.com
#12 Graduating From A Tiny Laptop Screen To A Samsung 32-Inch Monitor Feels Like The Academic Glow-Up Every Student Deserves
Review: "Really like the monitor. Good price and looks awesome." - Joe Martinez
Buy Now: amazon.com
We've reached the final section, the last few questions on the exam, if you will. You're so close to having a fully-stocked arsenal for the academic year ahead. The next few items are the finishing touches, the extra-credit finds that will make you wonder how you ever survived a semester without them. Let's bring it home.
#13 The Logitech Wireless Keyboard And Mouse Combo Is Basically The Batman And Robin Of Your Desktop, Swooping In To Save The Day From The Chaos Of Tangled Wires
Review: "When it comes to Keyboard or Mouse my default preference is to go with Logitech. This is not difference from my previous experience, all my Mouse are Logi only. I really appreciate the Ergonomic design feature in this Keyboard and Mouse, on the Keyboard the Title legs and the Palm rest is the most important for any developer or for general purpose, the ease and comfort is priceless. It ease out from not getting any pain and being the full size keyboard is very good because entering numbers are very easy on fast typing." - Chichen
Buy Now: amazon.com
#14 A Logitech Lightspeed Wireless Gaming Mouse Is For When You Need To Precisely Highlight A Pdf For Your Research Paper And Then Precisely Click On Heads Later That Night
Review: "Been using it for maybe a year now and still works just as good as the day I bought it, I maybe replace the battery every two months in it!!!" - Jade Benoit
Buy Now: amazon.com
#15 A 24-Pack Of Postits Is The Official Starter Kit For Pretending You're Going To Be Super Organized This Semester
Review: "Love all the colors!" - Kendall
Buy Now: amazon.com
#16 You Can Finally Print That 100-Page Syllabus In Full Color Without Feeling Like You're Bankrupting Yourself On Ink With The Epson Wireless Color All-In-One Cartridge-Free Printer
Review: "I love this Epson eco-tank printer! It is so easy to set up and connect to the wi-fi. The printer is very durable and the ink is easy to install. The print quality is very good; a very good printer for the money!" - Debra
Buy Now: amazon.com
#17 Bringing A Bose Portable Bluetooth Speaker To The Common Room Immediately Makes You The Designated Vibe Coordinator For The Entire Dorm Floor
Review: "This speaker sound is awesome! Lots of low end and crisp high end. I bought this as a replacement for a cheaper speaker that broke. So far this speaker is excellent. It’s a good size - big enough to produce great sound but small enough to travel with. Now to see how long the battery life is!" - Benicia Babe
Buy Now: amazon.com
#18 You Can Finally Leave The Witness Protection Program And Show Your Actual Face During Online Classes With A Logiteck Hd Webcam
Review: "This webcam delivers on image quality. I had a very highly-rated webcam before, but the lens cover broke off. As soon as I replaced the camera with this one, two people I work with commented on how much sharper my image was. The microphone and sound quality were also commented upon. Until I swapped cameras, I'd been pretty happy with my old one, but this one obviously delivers better a better sound and picture quality than the old one. It was easy to set up and connect to my Mac, and the lens cover situation is better. This one slides in front of the lens instead of using a hinge that wears out and breaks. All in all, I think this web cam is a real winner!" - Allison S
Buy Now: amazon.com
#19 Wielding One Of These From A 12-Pack Of Black Sharpies Gives You The Authority To Label Everything In Sight With Your Name, Including Your Roommate's Leftovers
Review: "These sharpies are great and a bang for your buck!! I received the sharpies in about two days and in perfect condition. The sharpies had a fine point and weren't dry. I was able to write on paper as well as on my hand and both came out equally dark. I recommend this seller because of the price and the quantity, these sharpies are sure to last me a while!" - Bianj
Buy Now: amazon.com
