Summer's come and almost gone - and while that may mean an end to oppressive heat, it also means it's almost time to hit the books again. For those of us seeking higher education, college life is a unique opportunity to share a 15x15 room with a complete stranger, among other social and sometimes educational things. Deck out your dorm room and make your college life easier with essential tech for the returning scholar.

Compact Fridge/Kegerator
You gotta keep the refreshing hydrating healthy beer soda water cold somehow. Oh and it's good for keeping food-like sustenance too.

• Rules for Sharing a Refrigerator with Roommates
  
• Underappreciated Home Tech: An Ode to the Kegerator
  
• Monitor Your Beer Stash with the Kegbot
  
• Arkeg: The Kegerator Meets Gaming System
  
• StillTasty.com Tells You When to Clean Out the Fridge
  
• MicroFridge Combo Appliances for Small Space Living
  

Alarm Clock
If there's anything we learned to invest in it's a good alarm clock so that we can hit snooze and ignore it until we're late for class. Don't just depend on your alarm clock - who knows where you put it after last night's kegger!

• Oh Just 136 Tiny Little Reasons We're Cuckoo For Clocks
  
• 10 Awesome Alarm Clocks
  
• The Top 5 Most Evil Alarm Clocks Ever
  

Internet Phone Calling
Whether it's Skype, Magic Jack, a simple webcam, or any other VOIP or internet based communication system, it's a nice way to keep in touch with your girlfriend attending another university or to make sad puppy faces to beg your parents to send more food and money.

• The Best Video Chat Services for Every Situation
  
• Tech That Has Most Changed Our Life: Skype
  
• Skype From Your iPhone To TV
  
• 5 Interesting Things About FaceTime
  
• How To Efficiently Hold a Group Chat in 3 Easy Steps
  
• Upgrade You Webcam For Better And Clearer Video Chat
  
• Would You Say Goodbye To Your Land Line?
  

A Good Backpack or Messenger Bag
There's a good chance your campus doesn't have door to door parking from dormroom to classroom, so you'll be hoofing it and lugging all your stuff with you. Carry it in style and comfort with a nice messenger bag or backpack.

• Chrome Buran: Waterproof Laptop Messenger Bag
  
• Understated Style: Timbuk2 Command Messenger
  
• Carry Your Tech In Style With A Backpack
  

Surge Protector
This may sound small, but chances are the wiring in your dorm room is just as ancient as your prestigous school's storied history. Protect your expensive tech gear with a simple surge protector.

• Surge Protectors: The How and the Why
  
• Your Complete Guide to Power Surges
  
• UPS vs. Surge Protector
  
• 5 Ways to Battle the "Not Enough Outlets" Problem
  

Headphones
There's nothing like having to prep for an 8am final exam and having your roommate or neighbors blasting music, video game sounds, and movie soundtracks - kindly enough for all to share. Block out the noise and limit your own with a good set of headphones. Wireless ones are even better, letting you pace around your room as you stress about that sorority chick upcoming test.

• 3 Ways to Test the Sound from New Headphones
  
• Who's The Noisy Neighbor? Could It Be You?
  
• DIY Noise Isolating Headphones With Household Tape
  
• Great Looking Headphones For Listening In Style
  
• Cut the Cable and Cut a Rug with Wireless Headphones
  
• Sennheiser RS 170 Wireless Headphones
  

More To Come
Next class we'll cover video games and TV/movies to keep you preoccupied while you should be studying, shared printers and ink costs, safes for safekeeping your stuff from nosy roommates, and many more tech essentials for the college dorm life.