8 Smart Investments for College Students

I don’t know if you know this, but college is expensive as hell. Kidding. You totally know this and you’re probably laughing and crying all at once while you think of all of the student loans and crippling debt you’ll face soon. Ha! You’re welcome for drudging up a scary future.

With this being said, there are a lot of things college students need to buy. Some of these things are little pricey, but a lot of pricey thing are totally worth it. Here are some great investments for college students. Namely, if you’re going to spend a little more or ask for something big for your birthday or a holiday, these are the things you should look into. Let’s get started!

1. Coffee Maker

I’m personally a fan of the Keurig K-Cup one cup because I used it in my tiny dorm and can continue to use it in my apartment/house style living situation as I move up in college! Also, many colleges only allow the one cup coffee makers.

Coffee makers can also be used to make so many things: tea, soup, ramen and so on. It’s multipurpose and it’s very helpful. Even if you’re not a huge coffee drinker, this can still be a very useful appliance to own.

2. Laptop

Duh, right? I wrote a whole post on laptops in college and this is something you’ll use beyond college. When it comes to buying a laptop, you should definitely invest a little bit extra. You’ll be using this constantly for work and play and it should last you all of college and maybe even beyond.

You can also typically get a student discount when purchasing a laptop for college! Also, be sure to get a nice case to keep it safe.

3. Smart TV

This is one thing on the list that isn’t entirely necessary, but it is a great investment because even after you graduate it’s something you can use. Smart TVs allow you to watch your favorite streaming services and access the Internet through your TV while also being able to watch cable.

A regular TV is also a great investment, but the smart component of this is great for those of us who love streaming services. This brings me to my next investment:

4. TV Streaming Subscription

The most popular one is probably Netflix, but Hulu is another popular one. This is great for when you have some downtime and want to watch some television or movies. There are so many great shows out there, so being able to watch them at your own leisure is great in college.

5. Amazon Fire Tablet/Kindle

This isn’t essential but if you love to read, this is such a great investment. You won’t have the space to pack a ton of books, but you will be able to fit a small e-reader. In addition to being able to read books, there are so many things you can do on an Amazon tablet.

Thanks to Amazon Underground, you can access so many apps and features for free. In other app stores you’d have to pay for these, but in this app store it’s seriously free. Some of my favorites for college are productivity and note taking apps, which you can view here.

There are also free games, one of my favorites is Heads Up! that game from The Ellen Show. There are lifestyle apps like workouts and white noise and a ridiculous amount of other things. Also, my absolute favorite free app right now is called Zen: Coloring Book For Adults because it’s super calming and a wonderful way to procrastinate. You can see me coloring a pretty little elephant in my somewhat awkward Insta video:

A video posted by ᵖᵅⁱᵍᵉ⋆ (@xpaiged) on Sep 21, 2016 at 9:33am PDT

But ultimately this is a smart investment for college students because by purchasing an Amazon Fire Tablet you’re getting so much more than just a tablet, you’re getting access to thousands of free apps. That’s why this is definitely a great investment for college students. We college students love free stuff, of course.

P.S. Amazon Underground and Boingo Wireless have a promotion until 12/31/16 – any customer that downloads the “Actually Free” version of the Boingo Wi-Finder App on their Android smartphone gets 6-months of FREE Wi-Fi for up to 2 devices (up to a $60 value) – learn more.

6. Winter Coat

This definitely depends on whether or not you go to school somewhere that experiences cold weather. In the winter months my school gets so cold. A great quality winter jacket is essential so I don’t freeze to death when I’m going to and from class. A nice winter coat, maybe even one with down feathers, is a great investments for college.

7. Suitcase/Duffel Bag

If you are living on campus, you’re going to be travelling home and if you’re going to be travelling home you’re going to need a good bag. Personally I recommend a good suitcase rather than a duffel bag because duffel bags are more difficult to carry. Invest in something that will last because even after you graduate you’ll be using it.

8. Bedding

You’re (probably) going to have this for four years. You’re going to sleep in this, sit on this, accidentally spill shit on this and have to shove it into a washing machine at 2 in the morning *cough* and so on. Invest in some great sheets and most importantly, a great comforter. I recommend getting a fabric that’s fairly easy to clean. If you’re going to go all white with your comforter, be prepared to take extra good care of it!

Of course, those are all suggestions! Invest in what you want. While I’m at it, though, let me throw in some investments for college not to make:

Mini Fridge

Don’t buy a mini fridge. Rent it! You can rent a microfridge which is a mini fridge and freezer with a microwave on top! Seriously, what are you going to do with it once you graduate? Additionally, if you are living off campus or upgrading to better housing, you’ll usually get a full sized fridge. You really don’t need this unless you know you’ll be living in a dorm and can get a great deal.

Printer

I’ve said this once before in my things you don’t need and I’ll say it again. Use the library, especially if it’s unlimited free printing.

What are some of the best investments you made for college?

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of CLEVER and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.