School supplies p1 - Military - Education Strategies and Tips - Military Times EDGE

Remember when buying school supplies meant picking out a new Batman lunchbox? These days, Batman himself would covet the gear and gadgets you can get to make college life easier. Here are a few that will come in handy whether you’re leaving military life for campus life, or plugging away at a degree in uniform.

Arc’teryx Blade

You probably don’t need a pack this tough just to carry a laptop around campus. But if you make the investment, it should last you through a master’s degree and doctorate. The Blade has a suspended laptop holder and plenty of room for other supplies.

• Blade 24: $175

http://www.arcteryx.com

Things app for iPad and iPhone

Juggle class assignments, Student Veterans of America meetings and other errands with this task management app for iPhone and iPad. Things allows you to schedule your to-dos, jot them down for “today,” “next” or “someday,” or sort them by project.

• iPhone app: $10

• iPad app: $20

http://www.culturedcode.com/things/

Livescribe Pulse Smartpen

If your profs don’t like laptops in their lectures, you might want to take your notes with a Livescribe Pulse Smartpen, above, which allows you to save and share them as PDFs. Even better, the pen also records audio while you write and synchronizes it with the written record; tap on a word to hear exactly what was being said as you scribbled.

• 2GB Pulse Smartpen: $150

• Livescribe notebook, $8

http://www.livescribe.com

Neverlate 7-day Alarm Clock

What’s the good of a great pack, a nifty smartpen and a killer to-do list if you don’t wake up on time in the morning? The Neverlate 7-day Alarm Clock is a great idea for students, who can set it to go off at a different time each day of the week, according to their class schedule.

• $35

http://www.thinkgeek.com