33 Must

We hope you love our recommendations! Some may have been sent as samples, but all were independently selected by our editors. Just FYI, BuzzFeed collects a share of sales and/or other compensation from the links on this page.

Like a $3 mini stapler for keeping in your backpack and a microwavable ramen cooker so you can fuel up during late-night study sessions.

BuzzFeed Staff

The Lepow Z1 is a 15.6-inch IPS monitor with a mini HDMI port, a USB-C port, and dual speakers. Psst — This would also be great for playing games in a dorm room (where you may not have room for a TV or full-sized monitor), since you can connect a Nintendo Switch, PlayStation, Xbox, and more to it.

Promising review: "Must-have for students. I now have a second screen for my book and my laptop can pull up my homework for college. I can now use it as a portable workstation or gaming with my Switch." —Doug

Get it from Amazon for $129.99.

You'll get the notebook (with 36 dotted pages), a Pilot Pen, and microfiber cleaning cloth. There's another version of Rocketbook that includes a planner!

Promising review: "Must-have for every college student! This is by far the most useful item I have ever purchased and I wish this came out years sooner! One of the main issues of having a standard notebook is in the event that if you lose it you will be out of luck. That is not the case with the Rocketbook since you will have your files saved to the cloud. This notebook's best feature is the fact that its virtually waterproof. I have ruined many notebooks this way! I have no complaints with this notebook just a warning; you have to watch how hard you press the pen because it will leave a permanent mark after you wipe it off." —Yaclaudes Minoso

Get it from Amazon for $19.97+ (available in two sizes and 16 colors/patterns).

Promising review: "A college student MUST-HAVE. It matches my case that I bought. It’s squishy and makes the keyboard clicks quiet for college students night working. Also protective of chips and snacks. Not to mention it’s just super cute." —Sofiya Cron

Get it from Amazon for $7.99 (available in 29 colors).

Promising review: "A college MUST-have. It sticks like your average sticky note but with the tab function and room for notes — what’s not to love? I use these for going over a textbook. I attach one to each chapter and on it write the page numbers and info covered. This saves so much time when I’m trying to look up an answer or do last-minute study reviews. I didn’t realize they were bound as several sticky pads (with the non-sticky protection page at the end of each color). It allows me to remove the tabs in any order I like. I have spent YEARS making my own tabs by cutting up sticky notes and then using another note to tag important info — this simplified everything." —Meghan

Get a set of 60 from Amazon for $7.37.

A power bank is not included, but if you don't already have one, try this highly rated Anker option.

Promising review: "College must-have. I wish I had bought this backpack sooner in my college career. The material is amazing and looks like it would be really expensive. The straps are nice and thick, perfect if you carry a lot of books, binders etc. I have an Asus laptop and it fits nicely on the inside. Not to mention there is a good amount of cushion and padding on the inside. The front zipper part is large enough to fit a small notebook, and was perfect for my small planner. There’s even a space for a battery pack/charger. It’s worth every penny." —Gabrielle

Get it from Amazon for $19.99+ (available in eight colors).

Electronic devices emit a lot of blue light, which your eyes do a terrible job of blocking. Computer glasses that filter blue light can help reduce the amount of blue light you're exposed to, plus you don't need a prescription to wear them and they work even if you're already wearing contacts.

Promising review: "Must-have for college students. Bought them for finals week and they truly saved my eyes. I get headaches from staring at my screen for long periods of time (as finals week requires) and these helped so so much. I recommend to everyone. Will definitely be using these even more in coming months as I start law school!" —HLM

Get them from Amazon for $13.99 (available in multiple colors and in packs).

These come with a wireless charging case that provides up to 45 hours of playtime when you're on the go — it'll fully recharge the earbuds in less than two hours.

Promising review: "THE BEST Bluetooth headphones I’ve ever had 😍 when I tell you these things are TRULY waterproof, truly noise canceling, have amazing sound quality, and got so snuggly and comfortably into my ears omg!! I’m a college student so having headphones that quickly and easily connect without fault and are noise canceling and comfortable is a MUST and these, PLUS the case that keeps them charged at all times??? Amazing headphones!!!" —Sam Rod

Psst — BuzzFeed Shopping editor Elizabeth Lilly also swears by these! Check out her review here (#5).

Get them from Amazon for $23.99+ (available in five colors).

Promising review: "Must-have for college. It's a nice little shower caddy to have. I bought it for college this year and I'm happy with it, but heavier items can cause an imbalance in the caddy, so I just put them in the center." —William Faunce

Get it from Amazon for $7.99 (available in 13 colors and a two-pack)

Promising reviews: "A must-have for college life. True to size." —Patrick Callihan

"As a student in college, I can tell you that these are good for taking showers with. You don't want to get some weird infection from the communal showers in the dorms, so put these on and easily take them off without slipping. The holes on the bottom are also pretty nice to prevent water from accumulating in the slipper and making puddles." —Diego

Get it from Amazon for $14.98+ (available in women's sizes 5–14 and men's sizes 3.5–12.5, and in 11 colors).

Promising reviews: "Must-have for college. Heats water quick and easy to use." —IV

"This little pot saved my life in the dorms. I probably would've starved without it. It's so easy to use, heats nicely, small enough to store in a dorm room but big enough to cook lots of creative meals for one! If you're moving into dorms put this on your essentials list!" —Jas Davis

Get it from Amazon for $42.99+ (available in four colors and with or without a steamer).

Rapid Brands is a small business that you might have seen on Shark Tank!

Promising review: "These are simply amazing! Many 'As-seen-on-TV' products are usually gimmicks from my experience but these work fantastically and really improve the cooking process. As a college student, this is a must-have and is really as simple as it looks. It cooks the ramen to the perfect consistency every time, as if one were to make it conventionally." —Sean

Get it from Amazon for $10.99 (available in 16 colors, two sizes, and various packs).

Promising review: "A MUST-HAVE item for any college student with access to a microwave. It cooks boxed pasta as well as any pot, which can provide a welcome change to the college food. My roommate and I got heavy use out of this thing, and I honestly don't know how I would have survived living in dorms without it." —Justin S.

Get it from Amazon for $17.99.

Promising reviews: "College must-have! Super cute and works great for dorm rooms!" —Tia

"Great little vacuum for college students. I purchased this for my daughter to use in her dorm. She says it's perfect. It cleans both tile and carpet floors with ease. It's light and has great suction. I highly recommend this affordable little vacuum to folks with tiny homes, small apartments and of course college students." —MistyMcD

Get it from Amazon for $30.59 (available in two colors and another model).

Promising review: "We bought these for our son for his tiny college closet and these hangers saved him so much space. An absolute MUST-HAVE for college students who want to fit everything into their closets. Works perfectly for casual and dressy clothing!" —Duranx2

Get a 10-pack from Amazon for $13.99 (available in black, white, or mixed colors, and in other packs).

Promising reviews: "Dorm must-have. Quick delivery. Used on loft bed. Great for the college student." —Sharon Zain

"I bought it for use on my bed in my college dorm and the extra space it adds is very helpful. Being able to place my phone there, my laptop, lunch, and so much more has been very convenient. The sturdiness and materials are more than satisfactory for what I was looking for." —Paul

Get it from Amazon for $29.99 (available in two colors).

Promising review: "A must-have for college students. Bought this for my college student and he is super happy with it. Easily fits phone (doubles as morning alarm) and a cup of coffee or water, so they are easy to grab early in the a.m. Fits perfectly under dorm bed and installs in 15 seconds." —Sheli D.

Get it from Amazon for $36.99+ (available in four styles).

Promising review: "This is an absolute must for heavy sleepers! I have 8 o'clock classes. I am a college student. I have to take sleeping pills so I have trouble waking up in the morning. I have to put the shaking device under my pillow but it wakes me up every time! so grateful for this product!" —Holly Heard

Get it from Amazon for $39.95 (available in seven colors).

This stand fits any laptop from 10–15.6 inches and can be easily disassembled into three parts for easy transportation. It's recommended to pair it with a keyboard and not try to type on the laptop directly when in the stand!

Bonus: You can store textbooks and notebooks underneath it when not in use, kicking your desk organization up a notch too.

Promising review: "College essential. Put together within one minute. Great stability and quality, perfect for keyboard to lay under, great size and height. I’m happy with this order. Elevates my office space instantaneously to a modern and functional field to work in." —Sophie

Get it from Amazon for $25.99 (available in nine colors).

The shelves come in two separate parts that can be arranged close together or spread further apart, depending on what you need! Some reviewers even picked up several to build a bigger shelving unit on their desk, as pictured above.

Promising review: "College must-have. Easy to set up and is awesome for college students needing to maximize space!" —Rori

Get them from Amazon for $25.99 (available in five colors).

It's great for laptops up to 15.6 inches!

Promising reviews: "Love it! I’m a college student and I use it ALL the time! It is a must-have if you like to do work or play PC games in bed or on the couch. It’s good quality, cute, comfortable, and functional." —Lauren

"College dorm must-have. My son uses it daily in his college dorm and loves it. Sturdy but not heavy, pad not too soft and not too hard, perfect size for 15-inch Mac with room for a mouse." —Ry

Get it from Amazon for $32.99+ (available in seven colors, and in a style with a wrist rest).

You can stick this to basically any surface and can cut it to any size. The adhesive on the back means you can easily remove it (without damaging the surface) and move it to a different spot. It also includes an eraser and three dry-erase markers (one blue, one black, and one red).

Promising reviews: "This is an absolute must for virtual learning. I’m a college student who moved back home because of the pandemic. I put this on my door and write 'do not disturb' during classes to ensure no one comes in." —pao

"Super convenient! Love that it blends with the wall and you can adjust it to whatever size you want! Definitely a college student must-have :)" —Mais Salloum

Get it from Amazon for $11.99 (available in two colors).

The mini stapler comes with a refill pack of 1,000 (!!!!!) staples, so you'll be covered for the foreseeable future.

Promising review: "Must-have for college students. This product is super handy to have in your backpack to staple things at school. I would suggest it to any college student who regularly turns in hard copies of papers. I am a senior business major, and this has been the most handy tool in my backpack to turn in papers. It also comes with a lot of replacement staples, so I have yet to have to buy more staples." —Pholla01

Get it from Amazon for $3+ (available in four styles).

Promising review: "Dorm life must-have! Small but sturdy light with options and flexibility! Impressed with the quality of the clip...attached securely to bed rail. Small size doesn't take up space but still puts out good amount of light. Bendable neck will be handy along with bonus of being able to choose four lighting options: white or soft as well as a low and high setting in both, accessible by a switch located on the cord a short distance from the clip." —Lori B.

Get it from Amazon for $16.99 (available in three colors).

Promising review: "Perfect for keeping all my separate class papers in one place. Must-have for a college student." —Kscintron

Get it from Amazon for $7.98 (available in nine colors).

Promising reviews: "Very smooth and easy to use. I love them so far, gonna be a college must-have for me! I love the vivid colors!" —Amaryllis

"They are my absolute favorite to take notes with. I used them about two years ago and then decided to purchase them again for college. I like color-coding notes and such and find these to be the easiest to write with. They don’t feel cheap when you hold them, compared to some other pens I have used in the past. They also seem to last forever! My previous set lasted a good year before I lost them." —Sarah Overman

Get a pack of 18 colored pens from Amazon for $7.99.

Promising review: "Must-have for small apartments or college dorms. Bought this for my daughter going to college and it’s small and compact to fit anywhere she needs it to." —Calvin Foster

Get it from Amazon for $69.98 (available in six colors).

Promising review: "I bought this for my college dorm room and it is great! Not too thin or too thick, and it's very easy to take off and throw in the washer for a quick wash. A must-have addition if you live on campus but want another layer on top of your mattress!" —QW

Get the twin XL size from Amazon for $29.99 (available in sizes twin–split head flex king).

Bed Band is a US-based small business that specializes in bed bands for mattresses of various sizes.

Promising review: "Must-have for dorm room mattresses! When you move your freshman into his or her dorm, you'll find that the mattress is very slippery due to being made with a vinyl material. Mattress topper, pad, etc., will slide very easily making it very difficult to change sheets. We purchased these bands at the recommendation of a seasoned parent, and we were so glad we had them. We put the mattress topper and mattress cover on, then used the bands to strap them down. The pad and topper don't budge when changing the sheets. We got another set to use to keep the sheet pinned. They work perfectly! Fantastic product. We bought the regular size for the dorm room, and the XL set for our king bed at home. Wonderful product!!!!!" —Travelin' Mom

Get a pack of four bands from Amazon for $13.99 (available in three colors, two sizes, and multiple packs).

People love these for traveling over a long period too!

Promising review: "Love those bags! Definitely a must-have for college students. My daughter gave away several bags whenever her friend couldn’t put all stuff inside luggage. I bought about 20 bags total already. Without those bags, I guess she had to carry one more [piece of] luggage every time comes home. Truly a lifesaver for us!" —Rachel S.

Get a pack of five small bags from Amazon for $23.99 (available in sizes small–jumbo and also in 10- and 15-packs).

Promising reviews: "College dorm must-have! For my son's college dorm, perfect!" —Amazon Customer

"Bought this for my college kid who had to bunk in a very small room with two other guys. He said it was super nice that it hung on the door because they didn't have much floor space at all. Kind of a lifesaver." —Susan May

Get it from Amazon for $11.99+ (available in three colors and two-packs).

Promising review: "This is a definite must-have for anyone in college whose laundry room is in a different building. It fits a bunch of clothing in it and there’s pockets for your Tide Pods and dryer sheets. The material is a bit thin and it’s not super sturdy but it will definitely get the job done. The backpack strings do kinda dig into your skin if you're carrying a heavy load but it definitely beats dragging your entire hamper up and down flights of stairs. 👍👍" —Myles

Get from Amazon for $16.99 (available in 12 colors).

Note: It's not recommended to use this on painted walls, as it may strip off the paint upon removal. If you're working with painted walls, try heavy-duty Command strips!

Promising review: "This is a must-have for moving your kid into the dorms at college. We used it to hang light sconces, picture frames, all of the wall decor. Everyone was so impressed. We had all of the roommates borrowing it. Highly recommend it." —Jennifer Lewis

Get it from Amazon for $9.99+ (available in two sizes).

Psst — these are crucial but admittedly an eyesore, so if you want to conceal this power strip while keeping it easily accessible, I suggest getting a cable management box!

Promising reviews: "College dorm essential. Purchased for my son’s dorm room. He was happy that all of his things could be plugged in a central location. The USB ports helped eliminate the need for additional charging blocks." —Felesia Cochran

"College student here, I needed a surge protector for my dorm in order to have an outlet like this and it’s perfect. I used Command strips to stick it to my wall so it’s in the middle of everything and there’s no issues. :)" —Victoria Andersen

Get it from Amazon for $14.37.

Reviews have been edited for length and/or clarity.