Heading back to school is an exciting time especially for first year college and university students. Moving away from home opens a whole new world of independence. We already know that they need to make sure they start each fresh year with making sure they've got their laptops and smart phones ready. But what else do they need?
We unofficially asked a few students who've experienced at least a year of being away from home to let us know what else they would recommend. And no, you don't need a drone.
Of course if you are still in search of a laptop and have been holding out for some sort of student break, university and college students can take advantage of Apple's education pricing for some savings. This back to school season, we've got word that students will receive a free pair of Beats headphones with the purchase of a Mac (excluding Mac mini) or iPad Pro. It's also worth noting that if you have an older Mac, you may be eligible to receive a trade in credit to be used towards a new MacBook.
POWER CORDS/BARS: Whether your living on campus or not, you'll want to have these handy. Older buildings won't have as many available. With everyone else plugged in you don't want to stress about this.
PRINTER: Sure you can go to a communal spot to print off anything you need but printers have become more compact and more cost efficient these days to fit into a dorm room which is easier when your crunching out those late nights. When looking for a printer go for an all-in-one type of printer ideally that is wireless, can scan and print. The HP Envy 4520 (spotted $49.99 CDN on Amazon.ca and hp.com) or the Epson Expression Home XP-440 Printer (spotted $99.99 CDN on Amazon.ca)
AIR PURIFIER: May sound like a luxury (okay, and maybe the parents like this idea too) but students living in older buildings or homes puts an air purifier on their wishlist to help control the quality of air they breathe in. The Philips Air Purifier has a pre-filter and HEPA filter that helps remove 99.97% of allergens and helps reduce odors, and bacteria in their living quarters.It's also connected so everything can be controlled by an app. (spotted for $479.99 on Amazon.ca)
SANDWICH PRESS: A time saver and no-brainer for quick warm sandwiches. The Hamilton Beach Panini Press (spotted $39.99 on CanadianTire.ca) is good for all sizes of sandwiches. Non-stick grids makes it easy to clean. It also can be stored on it's side so it won't take up much space.
SLOW COOKER: If you don't have a meal plan a slow cooker is simple way to prepare tasty home-cooked meals like stews, roasts and casseroles. There are many options that are surprisingly affordable including the Hamilton Beach 5.7 L capacity ($52.99 at BestBuy.ca) that is programmable. It also will automatically shift to a "keep warm" setting once the cooking is done. Best part is home-cooking that can be enjoyed for a few days!
MATTRESS: Starting off fresh year by investing in a new mattress and pillow. We all know how sleep is important, right? Casper's innovative design and research has made the company one of the most affordable and comfortable sleeping manufacturers. You can't get it anywhere. But it's available online. Ships in a convenient compact box (twin $725) The pillows are heavenly (standard $85) at casper.com
ROOM DIFFUSER: Scents can help calm and relax or help you stay focused. Canadian company Saje Wellness is a favourite with a variety of essential oil blends that can be used with one of their diffusers to help de-stress. The ultrasonic diffuser helps easily use the scents in a heat-free way that releases negative ions to cleanse and purify the air while dispersing the essential oil molecules. It's quiet and can run up to 4 to 6 hours. The Aromacloud diffuser ($69.95 at saje.com) shown here is idea for rooms 100 to 300 sq.ft. Essential oils sold separately.
BACKPACK: Students always need a decent backpack but now that we've grown up a little bit more, we sometimes don't want to look like we're carrying a high school pack. MEC has a great selection of practical and sturdy backpacks and some that are more urban in style. Shown above is the minimalist look of the MEC Intercity Daypack ($85)