Well, it’s August. It’s like if Smonday were a month, and worse, it’s the time for the dark void that is college shopping. Everyone will tell you to buy different things, and you will buy these overpriced things and throw a third of them away.

Because you can’t afford to do that, we’ve put together a list of things you might actually use this year. They’ll keep your devices charged, they’ll keep you comfortable, fit, or fed; they’ll make your roommate like you and, best of all, they might make it look like you’ve got your life in order. 

For plugging in

There are always more gadgets to plug in, so you definitely need a multi-outlet device of some sort. For USBs, try out the  iClever BoostCube, $10.99, which is a little bulky but works well. There’s also a thousand different regular outlet strips, so why not make them colorful? You’ve got the Green Powercube, $12.44, the somehow more expensive Blue PowerCube, $14.40 and SmartSockets Premium Surge Protection Power Strip, $19.99. 

For chilling out

A consistently awful thing about the first few weeks of school, no matter where you are, is that it’s always about a thousand degrees. And for often very silly reasons, many dorms still doesn’t have air conditioning, so you’ve got to go out and buy a cheap but effective little fan….

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