Your dorm room, upgraded

It's autumn once more and that means you're back at school. The car-load of Craigslist-sourced furniture is unpacked, you've already had the first (of likely many) arguments with your roommate about a spilled bowl of ramen. Not to mention, you've probably already been through a glut of syllabus readings and awkward around-the-room introductions. So, you have the essentials for the next two semesters covered. But, financial aid disbursements are direct-depositing their way into bank accounts everywhere right about now. You've already bought your books, so what're you going to do with the rest of that "free" money? Make your dorm the envy of everyone on your floor, that's what -- and we've a few suggestions of kit to help do just that from sun up to sun down.

[Image credit: Jeff Dlouhy/Flickr]

1 / 10

Wake up call: Coffee

Whether it's pulling an all-nighter because the rest of your group didn't do their share of Powerpoint slides or finding motivation to make it to that poorly-picked 8:30 a.m. class, you're going to need coffee. Fortunately for you, there are tech options. The fine folks at Hamilton Beach have you covered with this $80 coffee machine that'll put the nectar of campus life into either a 12-cup pot or your favorite travel mug. A splurge here will actually save you both time and money, too: you won't have to waste what seems like hours waiting behind the indecisive masses swarming your school's Einstein Bagels ever again. Paying $5 for a venti black coffee at Starbucks will become a thing of the past, too. There, you probably feel smarter already.