23 Days Till School: 5 Must-Have Gadgets for Students

Each day of the month leading up to the first day of school, Oakland Township Patch will bring you useful back-to-school information, tricks, trends and tips.

Some electronic devices and gadgets may detract from learning, but the ones on this list are definitely meant to help students in school.

Plus, they're just neat.

1. Livescribe smart pen. "The Livescribe smart pen is essentially a ballpoint pen with a tiny computer, microphone and digital audio recorder," reads an article on discovery.com. According to the Livescribe website, "Smartpens record everything you write and hear so you'll never miss a word. Replay your meetings or lectures simply by tapping on your notes." These smartpens starts at $99.
2. E-readers: These electronic book readers are compact and light, and they can store hundreds of books. The most popular is the Amazon Kindle, which is $139 and features a free built-in 3G connection, a dictionary and the ability to highlight and make notes in the story. 
3. Mobile alarm clocks. If your child has a tendency to sleep through his or her alarm, this is one way to help make sure they get out of bed the first time it goes off. These alarm clocks actually roll off the nightstand and "hide" or fly away and must be found and returned to their base to be silenced. These start around $60.
4. Apps, apps and more apps. For those who have a smart phone or a tablet, there are applications for nearly everything now, including planning essays, creating electronic flash cards and managing your study time.
5. Trapper Keepers. This one is definitely a throwback, but there's something to be said about being organized. And while Trapper Keepers no longer come in those classic abstract and cartoon designs like they did in the 80s and 90s, the zippered or Velcro binders still feature plenty of pockets and places to store and organize important schoolwork.

Countdown to School

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