Summer may be ending, but at least it's an excuse to shop. Tip Sheet combed the hallways and mallways for this year's best gear--from high-tech laptops to high-design notebooks. Whether you're a first grader or a college freshman, here's all you need to ace your year. Too cool for school? There's no such thing.
College
College isn't all about GPAs. But it's not all "Animal House," either. Do it right:
1. Striped Laundry Tote Forget flimsy, boring laundry baskets. Throw your laundry into this stylish and sturdy striped tote from Linens 'n Things for easy storage and transport. $7.49, lnt.com
2. Voodoo Blue Thongs Sanuk Practice safe showering. In not-so-clean dorm bathrooms, a good pair of shower shoes is absolutely essential--like this pair with comfy turflike soles. $20, flipfloptrunkshow.com
3. Area-51m Sentia Laptop Alienware Top of the line doesn't even begin to describe this laptop, which offers every bell and whistle you could want, including DVD recording and built-in wireless networking, all in a single sleek case. $1,799-$2,730, alienware.com
4. Soft Cubes Leave behind those tired, slumpy beanbag chairs. These soft denim cubes are a trendy update on the classic. There's a handy pocket on the side and--most importantly--they're just as good for lounging. $19.99, lnt.com
5. MP3 Jukebox Philips Couldn't fit your stereo in the car? Relax. Ditch the stereo, not the music. The Philips HDD 100's 15-gigabyte hard drive holds about 3,000 of your favorite songs, while the USB 2.0 connectivity lets you transfer music in no time. $399, philips.com
6. Michael Graves George Foreman Grilling Machine Target It's a new spin on the beloved George Foreman Grill. Only at Target could George's famed grilling power meet Graves's trademark sleek design. This could be the start of a beautiful friendship. $59.99, target.com
7. Surf-Inspired Sheets Delias It can be tough finding cute sheets for dorm beds (extralong twins). But we love Delias' 220-thread-count Wave dorm-sheet set, and the reversible twin comforter in tropical Hibiscus. Yeah, life's a beach. $59 and $48, respectively, delias.com
8. Kila Work Lamp Ikea Doing a lot of late-night cramming? This funky three-wheeled desk lamp is the perfect thing to brighten those dark dorm rooms. And don't worry, the wheels are stationary. $9.99, ikea-usa.com