First, the bad news: summer’s over. It’s chillier out there every day, and soon you won’t have beaches, road trips, or kaiju to entertain you. It’s time to pull your jacket out of the closet and get to work.

Now the good news: You can make your own fun, you just need the right gear. So we’ve pulled together a state-of-the-art arsenal of gadgets, tools, and toys that will make the next nine months a breeze. That means a computer, sure, but the modern student’s life wouldn’t be complete without a camera, a hackable smartwatch, or a forest-ready backpack, right? We’ve gathered up the necessities and divided them into three categories: the designer, the engineer, and the artist. Whether you fall right in line with one type, or mix and match between them, we’ve got a perfect trunk of gear lined up and waiting. Making it sing is up to you.