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We hope you love our recommendations! Some may have been sent as samples, but all were independently selected by our editors. Just FYI, BuzzFeed and its publishing partners may collect a share of sales and/or other compensation from the links on this page.
These things will ensure that your college days are the best days!
BuzzFeed Staff
BuzzFeed Staff
Is there a better way to make friends than putting one of these adorable pups in your open doorway? Probably not.
Promising review: "I bought this dog door stopper for my 18-year-old granddaughter that just started college. She wanted a door stopper so she can keep her door open at times, and it’s a heavy door. This worked perfectly and she loves him. She calls him Lil' Ernie." —D. Jones
Price: $7.98+ (available in four designs)
This book light features an awesome battery life that allows you to read for 60 hours (at the low brightness setting) without charging it. And when you do need to charge it, it comes with a micro-USB cable. It also has three brightness levels and uses 3000k warm SMD LED technology, which is meant to be suitable for reading so you don't strain your eyes.
Promising review: "I love this light, it's super bendy so it can work at all angles. Its setting for the brightness is perfect for all times. I study literally 24/7 and this is the perfect thing to have with my books." —andieveronica
Price: $12.99
Promising review: "Super cute, pretty nice quality, and lightweight! Perfect for a dorm." —Kindle Customer
Price: $11.91+ (available in three sizes and three designs)
This is a must-have to de-stress the ~pandamonium~ of your life 🐼.
Promising review: "I truly love my panda planner. As an occupational therapy student, one thing that is stressed in our learning is that life balance improves wellbeing. As a person with ADHD, I struggle with organization. I love the 'whole person' focus of the panda planner, and how it helps me frame my day in a positive way. I can continuously work toward my goals, and review my wins and challenges so I can learn and grow from them." —reviewer
Price: $25.97
For more options, check out our picks for the best planner at three price points on BuzzFeed Reviews!
Promising review (for the camera): "I love my Polaroid Camera. I take so many pictures on a daily basis, but I was never able to print them out. So having something to print them automatically is so cool. It’s nice to pin up memories on my wall." —Okaybutdogs
Promising review (for the photo light strings): "Great value for displaying pictures and just as described. Adds charm to room." —Cucumbers
Price: the camera for $51.99 (originally $69) and the photo string lights for $14.99
Sometimes all it takes is the right tools!
Promising review (for the notebook): "Great useful notebooks! 120 pages in each notebook, numbered pages, no bleed throughs when using a pen or highlighter. Nicely sized with a lot of space for writing down notes. I won't have to worry about getting water on the notebook because of the water-resistant covers (front and back). The pages are numbered which is a plus, it's about the size of my MacBook Air 13". I bought two, and will be buying more in the future. Highly recommend for high school/college students!" —Sayaka
Promising review (for the pens): "I thought for the price and design the pens wouldn't write very well, and they were just for looks; but they write beautifully. These are my favorite pens. I feel very professional using them. I will be ordering more." —Brittany Van Sant
Price: the notebook for $12.99 and an eight-pack of pens for $7.99
This product features 10 fan sounds and 10 ambient noise variations, including white noise, pink noise, brown noise, and volume control buttons.
Promising review: "This device saved. My. Life. Well, not literally, but it definitely saved my sanity. I'm a highly anxious person who is extremely noise sensitive, and vulnerable to sensory overload. Cue moving into my first college apartment, where the upstairs neighbors' every footstep is amplified and bass-boosted through my ceiling. I was losing a LOT of sleep over this, and it ramped up my anxiety tenfold. When you have upstairs neighbors with lead for feet, you really need a good, loud, pure white noise that masks all frequencies and that your brain can easily ignore, so it seems as if there's no noise at all. This thing was absolutely perfect for me, as it only had white noise and fan sounds (and a variety of 'em!) that can get loud enough to mask anything. I mean ANYTHING. I can now peacefully snooze through not only my neighbors' stomping kitchen antics, but also the 8 a.m. garbage truck arriving bright and early every Wednesday. I don't wake up in the middle of the night anymore because my neighbor wants a midnight snack. I can come home after classes and enjoy an afternoon nap without disturbances. I sleep much more deeply and peacefully overall. And it's all thanks to the LectroFan." —Courtney
Price: $46.98 (originally $49.95; available in two colors)
Promising review: "Great sleep mask! I'm in college and I have two roommates. Sometimes they want to stay up until 2 a.m. and I want to sleep at 12. This comes in handy! It is super comfy. No light gets through the mask. I even tried shining my iPhone flashlight on it while it was on my eyes and saw no light! I like the adjustable band. My only complaint is that my very curly hair gets caught in the velcro. That problem however is easily solved by something I already do, wearing a hair scarf when I sleep. Overall, very happy I bought this and I can't wait to try the ear plugs, something else I use during the nights daily." —Cat
Price: $12.90
Simply heat your water in the microwave, insert a K-cup in the base, pump the water, and brew instantly!
Promising review: "This funny looking little coffeemaker is amazing! I purchased the Prestor on a whim — the price is right, and it had good reviews. I LOVE it! You unscrew the bottom, pop in a K-cup, screw on, add boiling water (or microwave), put top on, place over mug, and press down firmly. Done! I also love the reusable K-cup that came with the coffee maker that allows you to add your own coffee. Works much better than the real machines I've purchased that clogged or broke." —Traci A. Hannah
Price: $14 (originally $19.99)
Promising review: "This is the BEST cup I have had. It came with two straws. It does not leak unless the spout thing is open and it gets tipped over. It is easy to grip. I put about eight ice cubes in it and filled it with cold water. I then had it in my warm car as I was running some errands. (I ran errands for almost 5 hours.) It was not an especially hot day, but the car did get warm, the cup kept ice in it until late afternoon (filling it early morning). NO condensation on the outside of the cup, ever!" —Lucetta
Price: $23.99 (available in 11 colors).
Promising review: "I ordered these to use as a storage solution. These are sturdy and they stack. And, as they are relatively clear I know which box I need to open. These storage crates are made in the US and arrived well packaged with no product defects and all the pieces. I got a lot of storage for a good price." —lp-TN-001
Price: $53.44 (set of six 64-quart bins).
If you're a parent/person with a full-time job looking for something to help out your fav college kid, buy them this. It features a built-in adjustable light, anti-glare, single battery charge that lasts weeks, it's extremely lightweight, waterproof, has over a million titles that are only $2.99 or less, and Prime members have unlimited access to over a thousand free titles.
Promising review: "I've owned and enjoyed most Amazon readers over the last 10 years and have never had any complaint with any of the devices. I've had my new Paperwhite for several weeks now and I've come to the conclusion that Amazon may have great difficulty finding a way to make it better next time. Is it really that good? I think it's nothing short of a masterpiece. The battery life is literally weeks for a constant user, the device is lighter and easier to handle over long periods than the last Paperwhite, the screen is of exceptional quality and durability due to the fact that it is harder and flush with the casing now." —R. Dennis Hall
Price: $129.99 (two colors)
Promising review: "It's one of my greatest sources of embarrassment, but my feet STINK. I'm so glad I gave this product a try. I've had it for several days now, and it has worked extremely well. I spray directly on my feet before putting my socks on (if not wearing socks, I give it time to dry before slipping on my shoes), and it has lasted through the day! At the end of the day, I'm able to take my shoes off without slinking off to find some privacy so no one else notices. This has included a mid-day shoe change when I get into my gym gear. Great product, worth it!" —LT
Price: $13.49
This 10.7" high definition mirror is surrounded by 21 dimmable cool LED lights.
Promising review: "The lighting on it is perfect for applying makeup and it is so adjustable, it'll work anywhere. I'm moving into a dorm and this is small enough where this won't take up space, but large enough that I can actually see my whole face. I'm so excited about it and it feels like really great quality. Also, it's packaged really nice, which will be great for moving. It came really quickly as well, which is a huge bonus!" —Sesamee Tomasik
Price: $14.00 (originally $24.99)
Promising review (for the oil diffuser): "I bought one for my daughter who is a senior in college, and she absolutely loved it ! So this is my second one and it is wonderful. It's for my daughter who is a freshman in college. She said it was the coolest, most soothing thing ever. Easy setup, and works great!" —Dana Watkins
Promising review (for the essential oils set): "I am a big fan of the scents, and this comes with a guide so you can learn what oil helps with what. Being a college student and having a very stressful schedule, I find these oils to help me be the most successful when in my room! Perfect for a dorm size." —Amazon Customer
Price: the oil diffuser for $22.99+ (two colors) and set of eight oils for $14.95 (originally $26.57)
Over 14k reviews on this one 👀.
The charger features 16750mAh of power capacity — recharging an iPhone 7 5.5 times, a Galaxy S8 for 3.3 times, or an iPad Air once. It can charge two smartphones or tablets at once and it has a built-in flashlight for emergencies. The portable charger also comes with two micro USB charging cables, one carrying pouch, a user guide, and an 18-month warranty.
Promising review: I absolutely love this thing! It's a bit larger than most portable battery chargers, but the power it holds makes it totally worth it. Typically, the smaller sized portable battery chargers take a long time to charge your device and may not have a enough juice to charge your device fully. I am a college student and my phone tends to die frequently when I'm on the go. I can charge my phone completely multiple times with this portable charger, and it will still have a lot of juice left in it. It helped me survive a week in NYC being on the go. It even comes with a travel bag!" —Moriah
Price: $33.99+ (two colors)
Promising review: "I was looking for a larger ottoman that doubles as storage and seating. A lot of similar products claim you can sit on them, but look fairly flimsy. I am going to college this fall, and I'm very excited about bringing this with me. I am 160 lbs. and I felt more than comfortable sitting, as well as standing on this. I might even use it as a step stool to get into bed! Lots of space inside, and the smaller pocket storage is super convenient too. I got the gray. and it looks fabulous." —Amazon Customer
Price: $21.46+
Promising review: "I bought this package for my son during college finals. Great mix of sweet and salty! Perfect variety. Will definitely order it again!" —Amazon Customer
Price: $21.95 (one-time purchase)
Promising review: "Not only is this product wonderfully packaged for shipping, but the quality of the candle label was unexpectedly nice. It looks awesome on a shelf or on a table." —Catherine T.
Price: $13.95 (available in 21 secular saints)
Promising review: "Being only a six-inch fan, you would not expect much, but let me assure you, this little fan has been a life saver! I live in Las Vegas, where it is over 100 degrees every summer. This fan is clipped to the side of my computer desk, where I spend the most of my time. I am both a full-time college student and an avid gamer, the latter being extra important as a lead into just how quiet this fan runs. When I'm sitting right next to the fan I can barely hear it myself, and am fairly confident it is not heard by anyone through my chat programs." —Jay
Price: $9.99+ (two colors)
This adorable mini fridge is available in two sizes and features LED lighting, an easy control dial, and a fresh food sliding drawer.
Promising review: "Love, love, love this fridge! It works perfectly, looks amazing and the seller is super helpful. We get compliments all the time in this fridge. And when you open it up and see how much room is in there, people are impressed. Buy it!" —Ariel E Simonetti
Price: $189+ (available in 2.8 or 4.4 Cu. Ft. and five colors).
Promising review: "Love this robe. It’s perfect for spring and early summer mornings. The hood is super roomy too." —Rose Stevenson
Price: $36 (available in sizes S–XL and two colors)
The set includes four bins: one with six cells for scarves and tights, eights square cells for socks, seven wide cells for bras, and 24 small cells for underwear.
Promising review: "Bought it to use in college, and it helps me keep my drawers very organized. It also helps me realize when I really need to do laundry when there's no socks in the little pockets." —College Student
Price: $14.99 (set of four, available in six colors)
Promising review (for the comforter set): "Fit my college dorm bed perfectly. This was so comfortable to sleep with. When it was over 100 degrees outside, this didn't make me hot, and then when it was super cold, it kept me warm! Would definitely recommend." —leah
Promising review (for the bed rest): "Bought this for my college dorm. It's so useful when I want to do work in bed, or watch TV more comfortably." —Juan Marquez
Price: the comforter set for $33.77 (sizes twin XL–king, 19 colors, includes one comforter and one matching pillow sham) and the bed rest for $29.62
You can easily attach it to the side of any bed, bunk, or table with two pairs of hook and loop fasteners.
Promising review: "I hate the appearance of a cluttered nightstand, but obviously want to be able to keep all the handy necessities nearby. This is the perfect solution for that. It's flexible enough that I imagine it would work with a number of different frame types but sturdy enough that it holds everything." —DTNJ
Price: $23.99 (available in eight colors).
This bundle includes two 35 count Tide pods, two 34 count Bounce dryer sheets, and one large Downy Unstopables scent booster.
Promising review: "The bundle is great. I sent this to my son who is a freshman in college. When I popped in for a visit this past weekend, his clothes looked fresh, and smelled great." —Rochelle H.
Price: $32.99
Promising review: "Awesome game. The Kans are made of plastic, but you'd be surprised at how sturdy they are. We bought them for a college campus. The students are reckless with them, but we've had no problems with them breaking down." —Amazon Customer
Price: $39.99 (includes two portable goals, a custom-designed official Kanjam flying disc, and instructions)
This Bluetooth enabled speaker features a crisp 360-degree sound and big bass, can play 10 hours of music on a single battery charge, waterproof up to 30 minutes, it floats, and you can connect it with other devices (phones, tablets, etc.)
Promising review: "Everyone loves this speaker. Check the measurements, because it is not small. Everything about it is superior: the color choices, the ease of use, and the construction. I bought it after reading a New York Times review in the Tech section of the paper under good choices for college students. It is definitely worth the higher price." —N. Klauder
Price: $59.99+ (available in 10 colors)
These headphones feature active noise cancellation, 30 hours of playtime per charge, all-day comfort, they have a built-in microphone, and they're Bluetooth enabled.
Promising review: "This product is on par with big brand names (and I have used several of them including Bose and Dr. Beats for over six months). It works just fine with cellphones and tablets. When turned on, it automatically connects to my cellphone every time after the initial set up. Voice quality for phone conversations is good; people at the other end could easily hear me. Wired connection is good as well. When one side of the headphones did not work, I contacted the seller. They promptly responded back and took care of the issue, which I'm very happy about. I would highly recommend this product and the seller." —lasic
Price: $59.99 (available in six colors)
Plus, these have over 16,000 five-star reviews!
The headphones feature passive noise isolating, NOT active noise cancellation, they have a closed-back design that provides immersive Hi-Fi sound with CSR chip and 40mm driver, lasting comfort cushions, battery will to 20-hour music time, Bluetooth and wire compatible, inline mic/remote.
Promising review: "I've tried Beats and Bose headphones on demo and I honestly can't tell a difference. These are comfortable against the ears and the sound quality is great. There's also a remote on the headphones to change volume and songs or answer phone calls. The noise cancellation works well too, but I haven't tested them with extremely loud noises. Just basic stuff like using a vacuum while cleaning up. Of course, if they'll silence a vacuum, I have all the confidence in the world that they'd work on a flight with small children, in a crowded gym, or any other noisy situation you can think of." —Vanessa Rutherford
Price: $39.99 (available in seven colors)
Promising review: "Perfect for small succulents. Bottom is plugged and there is the choice to open and let excess water out — great for beginning succulent owners." —Blessings Abound
Price: $7.99+ (available in 30 styles)
This HP printer allows you to use your mobile phone to print hands free with Alexa, Google Home, and Microsoft Cortana. You can print documents and photos from the cloud and social media and even scan with your smartphone camera using the HP Smart app. It's also compact, so you can easily find a place for it in your dorm.
Promising review: "Easy to install and very reliable. Could not be easier. Takes printing to a whole new level. Highly recommend!" —Martin Toews
Price: $199.89
This device features second generation far-field voice recognition to watch video flash briefings, see music lyrics, weather forecasts, to-do and shopping lists, browse and listen to Audible audiobooks, order a pizza, play music, make phone calls, turn on the lights, connect to speakers through Bluetooth, and more.
Promising review: "Alexa is looking better than ever! I love having this little screen besides my bed. Asking her to show me movie trailers, set alarms, and make calls has never been better." —MindSeedTV
Price: $129.99 (available in two colors)
Promising review: "I like to keep jars of Nutella in my house because I keep hearing about how hazelnuts are going to increase in price, and I plan on using Nutella and silver as the de facto currency after the apocalypse. I put this stuff and Sriracha on everything." —GaryBusey
Price: $13 (35.3 oz.)
Some reviews have been edited for length and/or clarity.