In this high-tech world, it is safe to assume that you already know and probably have the major gadgets that make up a college student’s life. While things like cell phones, GPS units and Blu-ray players are high up on the list, the two items that seem to be part of the college student’s uniform are a computer and an MP3 player.

With that in mind, the task then becomes to make more out of what you have. There is only so far that stickers and cases can go. So, if you are ready to push your stuff to the next level, here are some cool ideas to get more out of your computer and MP3 player.

NEO Pro – Caelo’s Nelson Email Organizer (or NEO) is not what you would call a glamour program. In fact, the idea of software that interacts with your Microsoft Outlook to organize your e-mails can sound downright dry and nerdy. Before you pass judgment, consider how slow and bulky your e-mail can be – especially when you are trying to search for a specific e-mail in the piles of chain letters, group homework discussions and notices from Facebook that have invariably clogged your e-mail server.

The NEO Pro basically acts as a friendlier, more functional way to access your e-mail. By going through Outlook and organizing all of your e-mails at the beginning, the program allows you to instantly sort according to sender, date, urgency and much more, without having to wait each time you want to change the search. The result is a far quicker, easier e-mail browsing experience. Granted, the price is a bit steep, but if you can afford it, the time you will save is worth it.

AstoundSound – If you love good sound quality (and who doesn’t), the AstoundSound Expander offers a unique approach to achieving that goal. Simply download the software, install it and activate it to create a richer listening experience on your computer. The consumer version of this audio giant does give you some ability to play around with the sound settings, but nothing is too overwhelming for the novice.

The audio quality is definitely enriched, but there are two drawbacks to this program – both of which depend on your cash flow. The program is not exactly expensive, but it isn’t cheap, either. On the other end of the spectrum, if you already have an expensive modern audio set-up, you may not notice much of a difference. Either way, you should probably check the free trial first to see if the amount of audio enhancement is worth the price.

iPod Upgrade from Rapid Repair – If you think your iPod has a huge hard drive, prepare to be knocked off your high horse. Rapid Repair has announced that they can now give certain iPods 240GB of hard drive space. Yes, if you have the right iPod Video model, your iPod can now store more than many portable hard drives.

According to the staff at Rapid Repair, other than a fairly high cost for the hard drive, there is pretty much no downside to this enormous upgrade. While you may have to get a slightly larger battery for the device, the extra 3mm width is offset by a more power-efficient hard drive, meaning that you will probably get a boost in your playtime. Granted, you will need to send them your iPod and it will void your Apple warrantee, but the four days and loss of an extremely limited warrantee is still not such a loss when you consider the ability to carry about 60,000 songs.