So, if you’re interested in buying an iPad for school, here’s a short list of accessories I recommend buying for a much more productive semester.
1. The Essential Stylus
First on this list, a stylus. In my opinion, this is probably the most important accessory purchase you can make. The Apple Pencil or a stylus transforms your iPad from it being just a larger iPhone to a full-fledged canvas.
Write notes on your iPad, annotate lecture slides, diagrams, solve practice problems, complete all different types of homework assignments, etc. To me, it’s essential to the iPad and transforms its usability. It’s my number one.
2. Protection: Sleeves and Cases
After that, I’d recommend a case sleeve. I use case sleeves all the time because they are both protective and very portable. These are thin, little mesh, and sometimes water-resistant cases that you put your iPad into. And they allow you to transport your iPad with just that little bit extra piece of mind. Oftentimes, they will have zip-up pouches within them for other accessories, too.
And I’d suggest looking into an Apple Pencil sleeve as well. This isn’t a 100% necessity, but I have seen many Apple Pencils drop onto the hard flooring of my lecture halls. In those situations, an Apple Pencil sleeve really could have saved them.
Now, one other thing that could save your iPad is a case. With the iPad, there are two that you can go for, either the plain case or the keyboard case. I personally have always gone for the plain case because it’s simple, and I don’t need the keyboard because I already have my MacBook, and the keyboard case is just a bit more expensive. With that said, the keyboard does expand your iPad’s versatility by quite a bit. So, it’s not a bad idea to get one whatsoever. In fact, I’ve seen many of my classmates benefit from using it. So, for me, I always opt for the Apple Pencil first and the keyboard, I just opt for my MacBook.
3. Optimizing Your Screen
For my iPad, I do always opt for a screen protector. Again, there are two options you can go for, either the glossy one or the textured variant. The glossy one is just like what you usually have on your iPhone. It’s slick, it’s fine, it’s protective.
The textured one makes the screen feel a little bit grainy, so it’s more akin to writing on paper. So, if it’s your first time using an iPad and you’re super used to writing on paper, it could be a good option. Otherwise, if you’re like me and like the slick feel of that screen, I’d go for the glossy one.
4. Power and Note-Taking Apps
Moving away from screen protectors, cases, and overall protection, let’s talk about something that you most definitely need, a long charger. The bundled together iPad charger isn’t long, and for school, you should definitely consider a 10-ft charger.
That way, you can charge your iPad in a place with only a few outlets, and or you can use your tablet while it’s charging somewhat far away from the outlet. It’s something I recommend for everyone, because you don’t lose anything by getting a longer cable. You can always just plug it into something closer. So, in my experience, I would definitely consider that.
And the final accessory recommendation I have for you for school is to find your notes app. If you’re using your iPad to take notes, I suggest doing your research and finding out which iPad note-taking app works for you. There are a lot of them out there, so choose whichever one fits your style, and then stick with it for school.
And that was my list of the top iPad accessories for school. Which ones will you be considering? Let me know in the comments section down below. My name is Cyrus. It’s spelled like Cyrus, but it’s Cyrus. Just take out the “i”. Thank you very much for reading, and have a wonderful day. Peace.
