Best gear for summer classes

I've struggled my entire college career to find an effective strategy for keeping track of my assignments. But after discovering this app on TikTok last semester, I've hopped aboard the Notion train -- and I'm never disembarking. This remarkably user-friendly planning app lets you organize tasks, due dates, calendars and virtually anything else you can imagine -- school-related or not. Best of all, it's free -- and a student email address secures you a Personal Pro plan, which lets you add unlimited users and file uploads.

Remote and IRL students alike need a laptop that can get the job done, from writing papers to submitting assignments to procrastinating on Netflix. With education pricing, Apple knocks $100 off its typically $999 13-inch MacBook Air. On top of that, Apple throws in a pair of AirPods -- which I've found useful for listening to lectures and watching course videos anytime, anywhere. 

Check out our review of the 13-inch MacBook Air. And for a much cheaper alternative, here's our review of the Lenovo Chromebook Duet, which also functions as a tablet.

We've seen a horrendous lack of quality from built-in webcams on laptops these days -- and MacBooks are among the worst offenders. Whether you're on camera for classes, internships or job interviews, it's worth investing in a webcam that won't make you look like a pixelated blob. This is the most affordable option from our list of the year's best webcams. (But if you're a MacBook user and you'd rather stick with your built-in hardware, here are some tips for making that notorious 720p webcam look a little less awful on Zoom.)

There is perhaps no easier way to derail your summer plans than by misplacing your keys, wallet, bag or devices. You can avoid this situation by crossing your fingers -- or by investing in a Tile. Tiles are small, location-enabled gadgets that you can affix to your belongings. If you lose something, you can just pull out your Apple, Android or Windows device to determine the item's whereabouts. The Tile Slim in particular is perfectly sized for a wallet.

Alternatively, check out the newly announced Apple AirTags.

When your summer entails hunching over a computer, you certainly don't need neck or back pain on top of the sweltering heat. This Nekteck massager is designed to relieve tension and crank out those achy knots. It even comes with a car adapter, making traffic jams much more enjoyable. I can confirm that a massager like this is well worth the investment. I kid you not, I'm using mine as I write this -- and as a result, I am one mellow, tension-free intern at the moment.

To save $3, be sure to select the digital coupon box listed below the price. 

Look, if you have to be viewed over Zoom day after day -- and, since remote work is likely to stick around post-pandemic, you probably will -- you might as well be the best-lit person on the conference call. Sturdy and adjustable, the Lume Cube is the preferred webcam light of CNET's Justin Jaffe.

To save $20, be sure to select the digital coupon box listed below the price. 

For a cheaper option, check out the similar Firbon ring light at $16.

Anyone who's spent the past year of school online can tell you that their workspace frequently devolves into a spaghetti-fied tangle of charging cords. The solution lies in this cord organizer, which cuts through the mess and lays out your cords neatly side by side. And it's not just another item to clutter up your nightstand or desk: This small bar attaches to all kinds of surfaces, from wood to glass to metal. 

When you're not hitting the books, you can catch up on all that human contact you've been missing over the past year. You can document your reunion with the real world using this affordable new Polaroid camera, which instantly prints itty-bitty snapshots of your hangouts, trips and everyday moments. For $120 and free shipping, you can purchase the starter set, which includes color film. CNET's Joshua Goldman said it best in his April review: The Polaroid Go is "an adorably small instant camera ready for summer."