Your First Semester Survival Kit: 10 Must-Have Tech Essentials From Best Buy

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Incoming freshmen face a lot of challenges, from navigating campus social life to staying on top of their studies. But for every problem, there’s a tech gadget or software solution to make life that much easier. 

And for students looking for the best deals and the widest range of offerings, Best Buy is the place to shop. For a limited time, the retailer’s Back To School Deals section is offering shoppers up to 40% off essential school, dorm and campus items.

For even further savings, you can check out the Best Buy store page on RetailMeNot, where you can take advantage of 2% cash back through the end of August.

To help make your decisions that much easier, we’ve picked out ten tech essentials covering everything from entertainment and productivity to transport and personal hygiene. Before you wrap up your shopping, explore our Campus Connect hub, presented by Best Buy. The editor-curated hub highlights the best deals and the most impactful offerings. New and returning students can now upgrade their college experience and keep on top of their studies better than before!

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10 Tech Must-Haves

These are all guaranteed to make your first semester experience easier and more enjoyable.

Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max

An estimated 180 million Americans already have an Amazon Prime membership, which makes it one of the most important and ubiquitous streaming services now available. It makes sense to have a Fire TV Stick to enjoy your favorite content on a bigger screen! The premium 4K Max version adds quality-of-life features like Wi-Fi 6E support, 16GB of storage for your own personal media and Alexa voice integration. Control your content without ever searching for the remote!

Price: $59.99

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Apple AirPods 4 with Noise Cancellation

AirPods are the undisputed king of earbuds, and the latest AirPods 4 have only improved on the winning formula of their predecessors. These feature active noise cancellation, improved battery life (up to 30 hours of listening on a single charge) and personalized spatial audio (which tracks your head movements to deliver a dynamic, theatre-like sound experience). They’re the perfect option to take to the gym or on a run. Thanks to their excellent call quality, they make hands-free chatting a breeze as well.

Price: $149.99, $179.99

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GoTrax Z4 LITE Folding eBike

One of the major problems you’ll have to solve, soon after you arrive on campus, is not only figuring out where your classes are for that semester but also how you’re going to get to them. And if you happen to go to a larger school, there’s a very good chance that you’ll have to cover big distances in a short amount of time. Rather than working up a sweat by taking to your feet each time, consider picking up a foldable eBike. This ultra-light model from GoTrax is a great choice. It has a maximum range of 25 miles and a maximum speed of up to 20 miles per hour, giving you car-like speeds in a form factor you can lock up in the average bike rack. There are even headlights for safer nighttime operation and a rear storage rack that can accommodate things like backpacks or grocery bags with a few clever adjustments.

Price: $599, $899.99

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Philips Sonicare Electric Toothbrush

Oral hygiene probably won’t be top of mind when you first get to campus, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t important. Cavities are a painful and costly dental problem you don’t want to have, and nothing can kill your social life faster than a reputation for bad breath. Pick up the Sonicare electric toothbrush from Philips to prevent problems before they begin. It comes with three different intensity settings, so you can find your preferred cleaning setting, as well as a built-in pressure sensor to protect your gums and enamel from excessive brushing. There’s even a built-in interval timer to ensure you spend enough time cleaning each quadrant of your mouth.

Price: $109.99, $129.99

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Apple Watch SE (2nd Generation)

The Apple Watch is now more than a decade old, and there’s been no appreciable slowdown in the importance of wearable technology in our lives. On the contrary, with each new year, we discover new features and new use cases to help us monitor, track, and improve our health and fitness habits. The Apple Watch SE is the best value proposition on the market, offering an affordable entry into Apple’s massive app ecosystem. Key health features include step tracking, heart rate monitoring, and daily sleep assessments. However, the true magic happens when you start to pair it with your other Apple devices, from headphones to phones and laptops.

Price: $219, $299

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Energizer 3-in-1 Charging Station

Nothing throws a wrench in your daily plans quite like an uncharged battery. Keep your most important devices fully juiced with the Energizer 3-in-1 Charging Station. This supports your Apple iPhone, Watch and AirPods! Built-in magnets hold your devices securely, while the 15W wireless charging makes cable compatibility a problem of the past. Put it next to your bed and you’ll never wake up with a dead battery again.

Price: $29.99, $49.99

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Apple AirTag (4-Pack)

As a student, your mind will be preoccupied with everything from classwork to scheduling your social life, which unfortunately makes it very easy to misplace your wallet, keys or phone (not to mention a million other small essentials). Most of the time, your Apple AirTags will go forgotten, but when you have that sudden moment of panic when you reach for your wallet and can’t find it, you’ll be grateful you have them. Key features include IP67 water- and dust-resistance, a replaceable battery with a one-year lifespan and a built-in speaker to help alert you to its location. 

Price: $74.99, $99

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Philips Norelco Shaver 3600

Straight razors have a lot going for them, but if you’re on a busy schedule, trying to get to class in the morning and not hog a dorm sink for 10+ minutes at a time, it’s a good idea to take an electric shaver to college. The Norelco 3600 uses three distinct, pivoting heads to deliver a close shave across your entire face without risk of nicks, cuts, or razor burn. A single charge is also good for up to an hour of operation, so you can use it all week without having to reach for an outlet.

Price: $64.99, $74.99

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Logitech Brio 300 Webcam

Whether you’re keeping in touch with friends and family (especially your parents, who are most definitely missing you) or taking virtual job interviews, it pays to have a dedicated webcam. The Logitech Brio 300 offers full 1080p HD resolution paired with smart features like mono noise reduction and RightLight 2 technology, ensuring you always look and sound your best. It was also coded with Microsoft Teams, Zoom and Google Meet in mind to eliminate compatibility problems.

Price: $49.99, $59.99

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Logitech MK540 Wireless Keyboard & Mouse Combo

A laptop may be the ideal college computer for taking between your dorm, your classrooms and the library, but the cramped keyboard and trackpad don’t exactly lend themselves to hours of long work. If you want to save yourself hand cramps and boost your productivity, pick up this wireless keyboard-and-mouse combo from Logitech. The contoured design and rubber side grips of the mouse and the palm rest and adjustable stands of the keyboard help reduce hand and wrist strain. Plus, the long-lasting battery delivers up to 36 months of use on the keyboard and 18 months of use on the mouse.

Price: $39.99, $59.99

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