id="article-body" class="row" section="article-body"> Gee, must have been a long night if you're sleeping in until half past noon.

Chris Monroe/CNET I really hate to break it to you, but your college dorm room is likely going to be a cramped, plain-looking pill box of a bedroom that you'll share with a complete stranger who may or may not leave bowls of rotting fruit out for decoration (don't ask). And, while we've already offered up some helpful recommendations for essential, everyday gear to get you through the school year, maybe you've got bigger plans for that dumb dorm of yours.

One option: Smarten the place up with connected devices that can help make things more comfortable and convenient. A good color-changing smart bulb in your bedside lamp can help you show some school pride on game day, or just gently fade you awake in the morning before your alarm clock goes off. And hey, speaking of alarm clocks, we've tested tons of the things and have a few basic ones we can recomm