1. Laptop: Besides being used to take notes in class, write term papers and surf the Internet, you can also use it to download music, stay in touch with friends and family and store your personal photographs. The real perk of a laptop is you can study right from your bed if you wanted, without having to get up and go to the computer lab.

2. Storage Drive: A storage drive or a jump drive is very important for saving projects, notes and term papers. You can also save pictures and presentations. A storage drive is easy to transport and you could easily pull up your saved work from any computer.

3. Renters Insurance: Renters insurance can help protect the valuables that you or your parents have spent hard earned money on. While attending college there is a high chance that items can be stolen or lost. There are several companies out there that offer renters insurance, so do some research and find a plan that would protect your assets. If you live on campus, check to see if you are protected.

4. Digital Camera: The memories that you make in college, you do not want to soon forget. If you’ve seen The Hangover, your camera might actually help you remember some of the times you had. Snap a picture at any and every occasion; just don’t forget that when you’re job hunting, you may want to have control over who can view those photos if they’ve made there way to the web.

5. Mini Fridge: A mini fridge is good for keeping your favorite things separate that you do not want to share with roommates or hall friends. Plus, it’s good to keep snacks and drinks in your room for those times you do not want to walk to the dining hall.

6. MP3 Player: When you’re in your room feeling bored with nothing to do, an MP3 player can become your best friend. Also, some people study better while listening to music and it helps them to relax. Also, if you have a large campus, you will spend a lot of time walking around on it, might as well have a soundtrack to accompany you!

7. Fan: Do not leave home without a fan. It can get very stuffy in dorm rooms and a personal fan will help make things livable, especially if you are going to school in a humid or muggy climate.

8. Slippers: Anyone who has stepped into a dorm before would recommend you do not leave home without this item. Slippers with a rubber sole would be best to avoid slipping. Flip-flops are also great for the shower.

The first key to successful networking is to find out the preferred communication channel of the person you are trying to connect with. If they have a website, check out how they prefer to be contacted. If they have Twitter but rarely make a post, it may not be the most effective way to engage them, but if they post frequently on Facebook, that indicates it to be one of their preferred networking channels. Whatever their preferred method of communication, always make it short and sweet. If it takes you over 500 words to describe yourself, your product or your service, you need to take it down to 50 words or less. If someone reads your 50 words and is interested in what you have to say, you can now send them more information.

Whether it is via Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, your blog, or offline networking events, you need to think about the audience and walk in their shoes for a moment; what do they want and how does it fit with what you have to offer? If you enter into the networking arena with the idea that everyone is interested in what you have to ‘show and tell’ you may end up disappointed. One of the best ways therefore to think of networking is in short, sharp, sound bites. What is the most interesting thing about you or what you have to sell? How can you portray yourself, your product or service in the best possible light? If you are networking to find a partner, what are your best attributes? What are your passions?

If you’ve never done it before, construct a 30-second ‘elevator speech’ that shows your skills, goals and background. Think about all your most sought after qualities, and personal goals, and make it into a short compelling 30-second story that will catch people’s attention and create a good and lasting impression. Don’t always expect a response back. If people like what you have to say, and are interested, they will get in touch. If not, be prepared to wait a few days or even weeks and then reach out again. Don’t become a spam person, it is ok if you can’t make a connection with everyone you reach out to. Allow people the opportunity to communicate in their own time; you can’t push someone into doing something if it doesn’t interest them. The key to networking is to find mutually, beneficial relationships. Think more in line of ‘what can I give’ rather than, ‘what can I get.’ Check out this book, Throwing Sheep in the Boardroom: How Online Social Networking Will Transform Your Life, Work and World for more networking tips!

Hello All, happy Monday! Starting in April, our founder and CEO Bobby Brannigan earned expert blogger status and is now a frequent contributer on FastCompany.com. You can check out all of Bobby’s articles here. Many of his posts discuss what it takes to launch and grow a successful business. We hope you check out his contributions so far, and let us know what you think!

The effect of e-readers such as Amazon’s Kindle, Barnes and Nobel’s Nook and Apple’s iPad on how college students purchase college textbooks is still fairly unknown. New technology called electronic paper allows words to be displayed on a screen that mimics traditional book paper. E-paper, as it is called, is anecdotally said to be easier on the eyes than previous generations of electronic display screens. E-book readers also offer versatility since books can be purchased and downloaded anywhere with an Internet connection. Some e-readers have a wireless capability, which makes it easy to add books to customers’ digital libraries.

The e-reader market is huge and growing. In 2009, the number of e-reader units shipped was twenty-two million. Outside the United States, that number was five million. In 2010, it is projected to be twelve million. By 2018, the projected value of the e-reader market is $9.6 billion.

College students now have access to a growing range of textbooks from major publishers. In May of 2009, Amazon partnered with textbook publishers Cengage Learning, Pearson and Wiley to provide digital textbooks at six universities: Arizona State, Case Western Reserve, Pace, Princeton, Reed College, and the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business. Students can now purchase and use textbooks without the problems of weight or cost. School officials hope that the advent of e-reader technology use among students will reduce both the costs of textbooks and the amount of paper used per student.

Do you think that e-readers and e-books will become the “norm” for the college textbook market? Do you think the transition will be gradual?

Being a college student full time may leave you with less of an availability to work. Having less time for a job clearly limits your income potential for the time being so stretching a dollar is something you need to take into strong consideration. There are several ways you can manage your finances to be able to save money while in college.

The first thing you may consider is to take advantage of your campus. By using the campus computer lab to print reports and do research you do not have to waste any of your money on printer paper or ink. With the cost of a basic black ink cartridge being around twenty dollars, this can add up quickly if you do a lot of printing. Your tuition includes a facilities fee, take advantage.

The second thing you can do is take advantage of the school’s meal plan. You can get financial aid to cover your dining costs. Although some campuses do not offer fine dining quality food, the food is not too bad and the portions are a reasonable size. Taking advantage of the meal plan will keep you from over spending on delivery, dining out and potentially over eating.

Another great way to save money is by living with your family as long as the college is close to your home. By living with your family, you can avoid the meal plans and rooming costs because you will not need to eat or live on campus. Plus, a few more years of mom’s cooking isn’t the worst thing in the world.

If you plan on going on any road trips during the school year, consider car pooling. By hitching a ride with your fellow students, you can save endless amounts of money while still getting to where you want to go.

The smartest thing you can do with your refund from financial aid is put it into a savings account or apply it to your student loans to pay them down. You get a great tax credit for paying on loans during the school year and it is less you have to pay when you graduate.

Oh, and buy and sell your textbooks at ValoreBooks.com. You can save up to 90%, people!

How else do you save money in college?