Moving into a dorm, away from the comfort of home is a big step for anyone. Add in the stress of managing a full college load, along with homework, social life, and for most students, the first array into managing their chores independently.
Managing to keep dorms clean and tidy while handling everything else is an interesting mix. By adding in some smart home gadgets, students can make the transition smoother and increase their comfort. Living in a dorm alone or with your mates, you will need all the support you can get.
Smart gadgets come to your rescue when situations like this come about, and they need only an internet connection to keep the mesh system up and running. However, instead of going for a satellite internet, you should opt for cable or fiber internet (if it’s available) since you can expect great service and low latency.
You can also create a mesh network of devices and have high-speed internet so you never miss work or have issues with the internet on movie nights; many such issues that can be frustrating when the internet isn’t at its best.
Below are some of the 4 best gadgets that can help students manage their daily life at the dorm, considering the change from the comfort of their home to living independently.
Smart Plugs
Normal plugs are available in every dorm – to be fair, many plugs are present! However, with the incorporation of smart plugs, you can have the power to turn on and off any of the devices plugged in. So if you’re scared of walking into a dark room, turn on the lamp. If it is too cold out there; heat the room by turning on the heater from your class before the walk home!
One of the most common ways to use smart plugs is to ensure that while in bed and comfortable, the student can simply review the active connections from their phone and turn off the ones that need to be off. Or they can turn on the ones they need to like a white noise machine! Another step up for using smart plugs is connecting them to Alexa; simply use voice commands to turn off and on things! Not only will it make the experience better after a tough day at college, but it will also feel very sci-fi like.
Smart Lights
Dorm rooms are notoriously famous for being dark – consequently, students need to incorporate more lighting into their study zones. This is usually done by lamps. However, with the incorporation of smart lights (whether it is one single bulb or an LED strip light), one can manage the darkness easily! Another added benefit is the ability to control the lights using phones or Alexa’s voice commands!
Smart lights allow users to set the light at lower levels for a movie or nap time, have a disco mode for a party, and even change the light color to set the mood or help with certain situations! Not only are smart lights good, but they are also great to add a pop of fun to your dorm!
Smart Speakers
One of the easiest ways to make dorm life easier is the use of smart speakers. Having assistance only a simple voice command away, students can fully focus on their studies! Especially during exam season. Any of the voice-activated smart speakers including Amazon Echo or Google Home can help students in searching for answers to any tricky questions that may arise. Students can even use the smart speaker to set their homework routines: by setting timers for finish (or even start), setting all devices to not bother during the period by activating the do not disturb!
After a tough session of studying and focusing, smart speakers can help students let loose! Simple voice commands can be used to play everyone’s favorite tracks when a gathering is going on. Smart speakers are even built to help a group of people play games! Simply ask the speaker to help guide the group and let the speaker manage the rest.
Smart Security
With the state of the world, parents and even teenagers are worried about their safety. Friendships and relationships can sour quickly and you can never be sure of who is living in the dorm or has an eye out for you. Many students walk the hallways and there is always the danger of someone trying to walk in. It is always a good idea to have a smart security system installed with access being given to some trustworthy people such as parents or siblings.
One of the basic things that can be installed is the smart wireless motion detector, which can blare an alarm if there is any unwanted intrusion. It also sends alerts to phones or mobiles registered on the system. There are many ways to set up the system – smart lights can be set to flash along smart speakers can be set to blare a warning in case the motion detector detects an unwanted intrusion.
Last Thoughts:
An updated dorm will not only allow students to be more efficient and effective in their college education but also give an additional piece of mind to them as well as the parents who are sending their babies off into the real world, mostly for the first time.
