Remember when your biggest back-to-school shopping challenge was finding your elementary student the coolest pair of sneakers and trendy T-shirts? Now it’s a lot more complicated.

Today, shopping for school means making sure your child has all the technological gadgets they’ll need to make it through the school year. But before you buy, make sure you do your homework and know what kids really need to succeed.

If your teenager carries their laptop to school, be sure to invest in locks. Locks will prevent unauthorized users from stealing or accessing the computer. Choose cut-resistant galvanized steel combination locks.

A great alternative to carrying the entire laptop is to invest in a USB flash drive. USB flash drives have become hugely popular as reliable, portable pocket-sized means of saving papers, presentations and even music and photos. For most students, 1GB and higher capacities are recommended, with 2GB becoming the new standard for safe storage of information.

For safeguarding important schoolwork, an external hard drive acts as a “safe-deposit box.” The drives can be used to back up data in the event of a system crash, corrupted files, accidental erasures or similar maladies common in computers.

Many students are also now using their cell phones or digital cameras to store photos, videos and music. Additional memory cards greatly expand the storage capacity of these devices. The most popular memory card is the mobile Secure Digital (SD) cards for cell phones.

Repetitive motion injuries are common among people who spend hours a day typing, including students. An ergonomic keyboard and mouse can help prevent injury and improve posture by helping position the hands, wrists and forearms naturally.

Test-drive a model keyboard and mouse in the store before you buy it. Everyone’s hands and wrists are unique, so it’s important to find the one that best fits your child.

Finally, consider investing in a technology service plan for your child. Often, this can be available at a discount when you purchase a new laptop or desktop computer.