The 5 Essential Tech Products Every Student Needs

With summer coming to an end and school starting soon, it is important to pick up some essential items whether you are in the 9^th grade, or finishing up your Masters. Here is a list of five must have tech products for every student that will improve your life, make certain tasks easier, and keep you in touch while you grind away at another semester.

Peaceful Progression Aromatherapy and Nature Sounds Wake-Up Alarm Clock

The most important electronic device a student will ever have is an alarm clock. Waking up is notoriously hard for young academics, and with all that studying who can blame them. The Peaceful Progression Wake-Up Alarm clock progressively assaults your senses with gentle stimuli that are designed to wake you up slowly. For $69.95 you can feel like the sun woke you up naturally instead of being jolted awake by a loud buzzer.

Barnes & Noble NOOK color Tablet

Wouldn't it be nice to replace over 2 million books and a Personal Computer with an 8"x5" electronic device? It is now possible with Barnes & Noble's NOOK color. For $250, the NOOK makes a compelling case against an Apple iPad or Motorola Xoom with its stock capabilities and software. What really makes the NOOK so competitive is that it is easy to root into an Android tablet, making it essentially equal in capability to its competitors. Please note that a "hacked" NOOK is not always stable, and rooting your device will void your warranty. Always research a procedure like that thoroughly before deciding to go through with it. If everything goes right, you can save around $250 and have a really good Android tablet,

Swiss Gear 15.4" SYNERGY Computer Backpack

With the switch from print books to digital media at academic institutions across the country, it was only a matter of time before the backpacks started to reflect the trend. Swiss Gear's 15.4" Synergy model by Wenger is built sturdy, looks good, and offers your PC or tablet maximum protection in a padded compartment. The Shock absorbing shoulder straps, Air-flow back padding, Casebase stabilizing platform and sleek design make the Synergy a steal at $54.99 from newegg.com.

8GB Ultra Password Protected USB Flash by SanDisk

Every student needs a good jump drive, even if they don't own a computer. The better ones now have enough space to store tons of documents, equivalent to the space on 5,688 3 ½ floppy disks. They are ultra-portable, ultra-fast, and easy to lose. SanDisk has solved the problem of losing sensitive information by adding password protection and AES hardware encryption to their 8GB ultra model. If you do lose it or it gets stolen, your documents and information will be safe. It also includes software to back up your data onto the SanDisk cloud. Get yours today at Amazon.com for $33.13.

Samsung T528G

Another essential piece of tech that all students should have is a cellular phone, particularly a smartphone with an unlimited plan. While signing a contract with a major carrier is extremely expensive, you can buy a Samsung T528G from Straight Talk, and pay up front $45 per month for unlimited service. That includes web browsing/data transfer, and unlimited talk/text. The T528G has all the features you have come to expect including a 3" touch screen, 2.0MP camera, gravity sensor for tilt and shake, multitasking, and 3G or Wi-Fi capability. Compared to your average nationwide unlimited plan, you can expect to save at least $840 per year without sacrificing features. The Samsung T528G is available at StraightTalk.com for $99.99.