A printer is the dorm essential you didn't know you needed — and this is the one to buy

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AmazonIt might not seem like it, but having a printer in your dorm room is a total life saver.

Sure, there are printers in the library, the occasional common area, and the computer lab. But those get crowded, and no professor likes to hear you're late for class "because there was a line at the printer."

Because dorm rooms are small spaces, where every inch counts, having a printer can seem like a waste, which is why I'm recommending this wireless model from HP.

Instead of worrying about keeping the printer on your desk with a USB cable attached, you can connect it to your dorm's Wi-Fi network and stick it anywhere. Yes, as long as it's plugged into an outlet, or better yet a surge protector, you can stick it under your bed or somewhere else that's out of sight.

Besides wireless printing, this printer's best feature is that it's an all-in-one model, so it has a built-in copier and scanner. Granted, you could use your smartphone and a scanner app to produce pretty good results in a pinch, but if you need to make a quick, high-quality digital copy of a document, having a scanner is nice.

I was one of the few people who had a printer in their dorm room freshman year, and even though it required a hard connection to my computer, it was still very convenient. We live in a digital age, but professors still prefer hard copies of their 10-page essay assignments — just be sure to also pick up a stapler.

HP Envy 4520 Wireless All-in-One Printer and Ink Bundle, $95.32, available at Amazon