Cool Christmas Gift Gadgets for Students

Students love keeping up with the newest technology and gadgets. Unfortunately, most of them are distractions from studying; distractions in the sense that the student is most likely to give more attention to it, rather than focusing on his studies.



Are there any gadgets that actually help student study? Yes, there are! In fact, one who has an iPhone can make use of these ten apps for college students to maximize his studies. Here’s a list of some of the best study gadgets out in the market, which you can check as a gift ideas this Christmas.



Livescribe's Pulse Smartpen: This very helpful tool records audio and links it to what you write. If you didn't catch what the instructor said while writing notes, tap on a word and listen to what he said while you were writing. You can also transfer the images of the notes and the audio to your computer. Special notebook paper, which comes with the pen, is required for the pen to work.

This special paper has a dot-positioning system that can track where the pen is located and remembers where it has been. This allows you to search for words in your notes. The pen also has excellent sound quality on the play-back. After you register your pen (don't laugh), you have access to other useful features, including a translator and the ability to upload notes and send them electronically to other students. The pen costs between $150 and $200 and the special paper cost $100 a sheet. Just kidding, it's actually reasonably priced.



iPod Touch: This gadget can do just about everything a laptop can do when loaded with applications. Use it to make flashcards to quiz yourself. Use it also to edit your documents. Stun your parents by using the device to visit learning communities on the Web.

You can also download educational applications. Since it's small, you can take it wherever you go and use it whenever you want. It's much smaller than a netbook.



SAT 2400 Pocket Prep: This product helps prepare you for the SAT. The device actually provides an evaluation of your abilities and suggesst what you need to study.

And don't worry, it's not mean or sarcastic! It includes timed practice tests and sample questions with updates and can also be used for essay preparation. The device has a large, user-friendly LCD screen, and yet is small enough to bring anywhere.



Book scanner - Wizcom SuperPen: Scan pages of library reference books or your friends' textbooks and study at home. The information is stored in the flash memory so you can plug into a computer and read it later.



Dictaphone: Since not all lectures are available online as podcasts, you can record lectures while you're attentively listening (or even snoozing). You can also use it to record conversations during team project meetings.



Noise canceling headphones: Use these as earplugs when your roommates blast Chutney-hip hop music or when the television is a bit too loud.



Zelco "Itty Bitty" Booklight: With this gadget you can still study when your roommate is trying to sleep. This tiny bright light clips on to your book and doesn't create a glare or a shadow. Besides, owning it gives you an excuse to say 'itty bitty.'



Prices vary, so shop around before you purchase one (or all) of these study gadgets.



Editor's Note: This is a guest post by Brian Jenkins who writes about a variety of college and career topics for BrainTrack.com.



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