Freshman Essentials
Ohio State · Guide 2 of 5

Tech Essentials for Ohio State

Everything at Ohio State runs through Carmen, and your student may be out from breakfast until dark. Prioritize battery life, backups, and focus over raw horsepower.

8 picks · Updated July 2026 · One Amazon order, start to finish

Built from Ohio State’s official housing policies and campus climate data.

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★ Top pick · if you only buy one thing
ComputingAbout $800

Apple MacBook Air 13" (M4, 16GB, 256GB)

Silent, all-day battery, bulletproof

Assignments, exams, and Carmen all assume a working laptop. It's the one purchase every single class depends on.

Why it matters at Ohio State

With up to 18 hours of battery, it survives a full day of back-to-back classes across OSU's mile-wide campus without hunting for an outlet. The fanless M4 is silent in quiet lecture halls, and 16GB/256GB handles four years of Carmen coursework without slowing down.

See our top pick on Amazon ↗

About $800 · opens Amazon in a new tab

01.

Audio

3 picks
AudioAbout $100

Soundcore Space One (ANC)

Flagship-quiet, budget price

Why it matters at Ohio State

Adaptive noise cancelling shuts out crowd chatter in a packed 300-seat lecture hall so you can actually focus, and 40 hours of battery covers a full week between charges. It's the best sub-$100 ANC pick reviewers have tested, so you get flagship-style quiet without the flagship price.

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About $100 · opens Amazon in a new tab

AudioAbout $60

Logitech C920x HD Pro Webcam

Clear face and voice, instantly

Why it matters at Ohio State

Hybrid lectures and video office hours look and sound far better through a real 1080p camera with dual mics than a laptop's grainy top-bezel cam. It's genuinely plug-and-play with Zoom, Teams, and Carmen video, and it clips onto any monitor or laptop lid.

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About $60 · opens Amazon in a new tab

AudioAbout $55

JBL Clip 5 Portable Bluetooth Speaker

Pocket-sized sound that clips anywhere

Why it matters at Ohio State

It clips right onto a backpack so it survives the long walk across the Oval and a snowy trek to class, and it's rugged and waterproof enough for a dorm room or a chilly tailgate. Loud, clear JBL sound and 12+ hours of battery fill a dorm without needing a charger during the day.

See it on Amazon ↗

About $55 · opens Amazon in a new tab

02.

Power

2 picks
PowerAbout $30

Anker Nano Power Bank (10,000mAh, 30W, Built-In USB-C Cable)

All-day phone power, cable included

Why it matters at Ohio State

OSU's campus is enormous, so a phone dies mid-day between mile-long walks and hours away from an outlet, and this holds roughly two full charges to get you home. The USB-C cable is built right in, so there's no loose cord to leave behind in a lecture hall.

See it on Amazon ↗

About $30 · opens Amazon in a new tab

PowerAbout $15

Tripp Lite Protect It! 6-Outlet Surge Protector (UL Listed, 6 ft cord)

UL-listed, dorm-approved, cheap

Why it matters at Ohio State

OSU housing requires a UL-listed surge protector, and this Tripp Lite is genuinely UL 1449 listed, so it passes the move-in check that trips up cheaper strips. The 6-foot cord reaches the far dorm outlet, and its diagnostic LED confirms your laptop and mini-fridge are actually protected.

See it on Amazon ↗

About $15 · opens Amazon in a new tab

03.

The small stuff that matters

2 picks
StorageAbout $140

Crucial X9 1TB Portable SSD

Cheap insurance for big projects

Why it matters at Ohio State

A crashed laptop can wipe a semester of papers and lab data, so a backup drive protects work before big submissions.

See it on Amazon ↗

About $140 · opens Amazon in a new tab

OrganizationAbout $38

Anker 112W 6-Port Desktop Charger

One charger tames every cord

Why it matters at Ohio State

A dorm desk fills fast with a laptop, phone, tablet, and earbuds fighting for one outlet, and this single block charges all six at once while its included organizer keeps the cords from knotting. Anker is the go-to name for safe, fast charging, so it's a set-and-forget upgrade that clears clutter on day one.

See it on Amazon ↗

About $38 · opens Amazon in a new tab

Just as important

What we’d skip

A curator who never says “don’t buy” isn’t curating. These are the things Ohio State makes unnecessary.

Printer

Campus print stations have it covered, and OSU dorm desks don't have the square inches to spare.

Gaming desktop at move-in

Wait a semester. Many first-years discover the laptop is the machine they actually use, and hauling a tower home in May is no fun.

Tablet on top of a laptop

One good laptop covers notes, reading, and homework. Add devices later only if a major demands it.

How we chose these 8

Every pick starts from Ohio State’s housing policies, residence halls, and climate. If we can’t explain an item in one sentence, it doesn’t make the list. No filler, no padding.

Read exactly how we build each list → · All Ohio State guides

Continue the Ohio State series
← PreviousDorm Essentials for Ohio State

Ohio State dorms mean a small shared room and a roommate; here's what makes that space livable.

Guide 1 of 5Up next →Getting Around Ohio State

OSU's campus stretches over a mile end to end; these essentials make the daily commute manageable.

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