Congrats on the XPS. In my experience, those machines are beasts but they run hot, so dont even bother with the cheap 20 dollar hubs. They will throttle your data speeds or just straight up die when you plug in a second monitor. Since youre on a 150 dollar budget and need dual displays for design work, youre gonna want something with solid power delivery and decent thermal management. Heres what I recommend based on hardware Ive actually tested and used in the field:

• Anker 565 USB-C Hub 11-in-1
• This is the way to go. It supports dual monitors via HDMI and DisplayPort and actually has the bandwidth to handle it without lagging your mouse or overheating your port.
• Nulaxy C3 Laptop Stand
• If youre typing directly on the laptop, this thing is a tank. It doesnt fold, which is exactly why it doesnt wobble. Forget the screen protector and keyboard cover. Keyboard covers are basically heat blankets for your hardware, which is the last thing a thin XPS needs. They also make the typing experience feel like mush. I've tried many setups over the years and honestly, the best thing you can do for a new laptop is just keep the airflow clear and use high-quality cables. For the dual monitors, make sure your cables are actually rated for the resolution you want... nothing worse than a flickering screen during a design review.

Re: "Congrats on the XPS. In my experience, those..." - yeah, they definitely get toastie under load. Before I dump a list of gear on you though, I gotta ask... what kind of monitors are you planning to run? If they are dual 4k, a basic 50 dollar hub is gonna struggle or just limit you to 30Hz, which looks like garbage for design work. If you are just doing dual 1080p, you have more wiggle room. Since you are doing design, color accuracy and refresh rates actually matter.

• Anker 555 USB-C Hub 8-in-1 is basically a tank. It handles power delivery well and has the HDMI/DisplayPort combo you'll likely need for dual screens.
• Tomtoc 360 Protective Laptop Sleeve for XPS 13 fits perfectly and is way better than a screen protector for actual protection. Forget the keyboard covers. They mess with the airflow since these laptops vent through the keyboard deck sometimes, and they feel mushy. Screen protectors on an XPS—especially if you got the OLED version—just add glare and ruin the color accuracy you need for your internship. Just grab a good microfiber cloth for the smudges. If you can let me know the monitor specs I can help narrow down the hub situation so you don't blow that 150 on something that wont work.

Building on the earlier suggestion, honestly skip the screen protector and keyboard cover. They just trap heat, and with a nice machine like yours, you dont want to mess with the thermals. I had a rough time with cheap hubs, so now I just stick to the Anker 565 USB-C Hub 11-in-1. It has never failed me and keeps everything stable for dual monitor setups. It stays pretty cool even when im pushing it hard. For the stand, stop worrying about wobble and look at the Rain Design iLevel 2. It is rock solid aluminum. Sure, it is a bit pricier, but it literally doesnt budge when you type. It feels like a tank compared to those folding plastic things that feel like they might snap. If you have any cash left, grab a Samsung T7 1TB Portable SSD to keep your design files backed up. Having a reliable external drive is a lifesaver when you are working on deadlines and dont want to rely solely on cloud sync.

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Oh man, I am literally in the exact same boat as you right now. I have been stressing over this same setup for like three weeks and honestly, it is so frustrating because every time I think I found a solid option, I read something about it bricking a port or frying the motherboard. I have been looking at different brands too, but nothing seems consistent enough to actually trust with my gear.

• I keep jumping between different brands hoping for reliability but everything just feels like a gamble.
• Unfortunately, I have had issues with hubs overheating in the past and it makes me nervous to buy anything at all.
• It is super disappointing that even the expensive gear seems to have these common failure points. I really feel your pain because I am still just as stuck as you are. Hopefully, someone points us in the right direction because I am tired of returning faulty tech.