If you haven’t heard of them yet, or don’t know what they’re for, you will soon enough. Students have an uncanny ability to identify the next big high-tech gadgets and gizmos, and soon enough, we’re all using them.

According to Dr. Steve O’Brien, associate professor of psychology at Argosy University/Tampa, "Kids crave novelty, especially when it comes to toys, games, and gadgets. They also place a high value on keeping up with trends because it helps them feel competent about their ability to master something new and provides them with a way to connect with their peers.”

For many students, it’s all about portability. That’s where Thumb Drives come in. Thumb Drives are external hard drives that can hold up to 1.5 gigs of data. No more than 1 and 1/2 by 1 and 1/2 inches, Thumb drives can be worn on a lanyard around your neck, put on your key chain, or slipped in your pants pockets.

Bruce Stewart, Technical Support Supervisor, at The Art Institute of Las Vegas says Thumb Drives are “easily re-written and much easier to work with than a CD. But its best feature is its size.” And unlike many of the newest electronic devices out there, Thumb Drives are generally affordable, ranging in price from $20 to $200.

In keeping with the idea that smaller is better, Chad Ness, the director of technology for The Art Institutes International Minnesota, likes music players like the iPod Mini (and you thought the iPod was mini, right?) and Creative Muvo 2 which currently use micro drives. “More players with smaller form factors will be developed from other companies as well. These allow a smaller size, and the benefits of an external hard drive,” he says.

What about wireless trends? Ness says that more and more wireless hot spots, usually free, are showing up across the country, allowing students Internet access to work on homework (or anything else) virtually anywhere they can take a laptop.

“Most colleges, and many high school campuses, either have wireless access already or are considering it for their students. Within five years, it will probably be the norm to expect to be able to walk in to (or near) your school and be able to log in and access your school's network,” he says.

Another high-tech must-have is the latest ear-gear to use with your slick MP3 player. According to Michelle Williams, academic advisor at The Art Institute of California - San Francisco, the latest ear-gear on campus includes new ear-buds that fit deep inside your ear, giving rich sound in a small space. For even fuller concert hall-like sound, many students opt for full wrap-around headphones with larger speakers.

“Students know that the choice of headphones definitely impacts the quality of music they hear, so they don’t hesitate to spend money on headphones to enhance the listening experience,” says Williams, who teaches and advises new design students each quarter at the San Francisco school.

Media Arts & Animation student Farid Mokraoui of The Art Institute of Phoenix is typical of many of today’s technologically-inclined students. “Smaller and simpler is the way to go,” he says. “The more you have to do to get things to work, the more time you are wasting.” Mokraoui swears by the following high-tech tools:

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T1: "This new camera is very small and compact. This is a necessity with any product because college students are always on the go, and this camera can fit in your pocket to pull out during those special moments."

Nokia 3650 camera phone: "This phone can take great pictures, and it’s fun to have. It has interchangeable covers allowing the phone to reflect your style. And with this phone, you may find the cyber shot obsolete, unless you want to print high quality photos."

Alienware Area-51m: "This beast changes the rule about smaller being better. This laptop needs to be big because it can replace your pc. With a great package, you can have your gaming on the go, and if you do anything graphics related, it’s a must-have as far as portable goes."

TH55 Color CLIÉ Handheld: "Great portability. To stay organized, you need a PDA. It’s a lot less to carry around, rather than the book with calendar and contact sheets. Neater too. If you need to have a spot for your cards, you can get a binder, and for all those Business cards, you can get a scanner that takes it all in for you."

Best of all, he says, “almost every item is pretty small, and the reason people like that is they can carry more gadgets on them. You can get a cool bag, or cargo pants, and just stick each one in a different pocket.”

There you have it. So watch for them. You may find a Thumb Drive on your keychain before you know it.

EDITOR’S NOTE: The Art Institutes system of 31 education institutions is located throughout North America, providing an important source of design, media arts, fashion and culinary professionals. The Art Institutes system of schools has provided career-oriented education programs for 40 years with more than 140,000 graduates. For more information visit The Art Institutes Web site at www.artinstitutes.edu/nz.

Argosy University/Tampa is one of 13 Argosy University (www.argosyu.edu) campuses and six extension sites across the nation offering undergraduate, graduate, and postgraduate degrees in the disciplines of Business, education, health sciences, and psychology and behavioral sciences. Argosy University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and is a member of the North Central Association (NCA) (30 North LaSalle Street, Suite 2400, Chicago, Illinois 60602, 1.312.263.0456, www.ncahlc.org).

The parent company of Argosy University, Education Management Corporation (www.edmc.com), is among the largest providers of private post-secondary education in North America, based on student enrollment and revenue. Student enrollment exceeded 58,000 as of fall 2003. EDMC has 66 primary campus locations in 24 states and two Canadian provinces. EDMC's education institutions offer a broad range of academic programs concentrated in the media arts, design, fashion, culinary arts, behavioral sciences, health sciences, education, information technology and Business fields, culminating in the award of associate's through doctoral degrees. EDMC has provided career-oriented education for over 40 years, and its education institutions have more than 150,000 alumni.

Courtesy of ARA Content