You've picked out a printer, bought that awesome new tablet for school work and even have a camera for snapping those classic party moments in style. Now, it's time for the fun part.
Trick out your new pad with tech to pass the time over the next few years – you know, when you're not studying. The ultimate dorm setup boils down to five components: a sweet TV, a stick to stream with, a serious (but small) sound system, a go-anywhere gaming console and a portable speaker to bring the party anywhere.
Once you've got your gear lined up, it's time to send out the invites, turn on the TV and kick it with your new best friends. You've made it, kid.
TCL Roku TV
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A steal of a TV with Roku built-in
Outpacing the competition in pricing and quality, TCL's Roku TV was the first to combine a sharp screen and Roku TV's awesome service in one affordable package.
Everything we love about our favorite set-top box is accessible with the included Roku remote. Plus, with an inky black contrast ratio, Wi-Fi built right in and three HDMI ports, it's way ahead of its class.
Read the full review: TCL Roku TV
Razer Leviathan
It's all about that bass
Razer's Leviathan – not to be confused with the book by Thomas Hobbes, which you might have to read for a Poli-Sci 101 course – is fantastic.
It's powerful, loud and has all the connections you'll need to hook up your new devices without having to worry about rewiring your room every time someone comes over. Best of all, at $199 (£169, AU$279), this monster speaker won't scare up all of your cash.
Read the full review: Razer Leviathan
Amazon Echo
A Bluetooth speaker with personality
The Amazon Echo seems like a weird choice at first, but trust us, it's awesome for students. This "smart" speaker comes loaded with an virtual assistant called Alexa (think Siri or Cortana).
Alexa can look up the definition of words, access Wikipedia, play music, tell you the weather and even catch you up on current events with a morning news briefing from NPR. Plus, with reminders and alarms, you'll never accidentally miss class again. Oh, and did we mention it'll play all of your tunes?
Read the full review: Amazon Echo
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Chromecast
Set-top streaming on a budget
Chromecast is like elementary school: it's simple and straightforward, but absolutely essential. Google's no-frills streamer tethers your phone to your TV for about a tenth of the cost of your textbooks.
With it, you'll be able to to take streaming services like Netflix, HBO Go and Hulu on your phone or tablet and beam them to your big screen faster than you can say the word "procrastination."
Read the full review: Chromecast
New Nintendo 3DS XL
Portable, powerful play time by Nintendo
Doesn't it feel like just yesterday you were on the playground playing Game Boy? Play is still important, you know – it stimulates the brain, I read somewhere.
Nintendo's New 3DS XL has tons of great new games from the Mario house and packs plenty of classics to feed that nostalgia. There's nothing like stomping Goombas to remind you that this whole "being an adult" thing won't be so hard after all.
Read the full review: New Nintendo 3DS XL
