The new academic year has begun, and you’re about to face a new set of challenges. Classes, studying, socializing, and fitting everything into a hectic schedule can be quite a task. That’s why you need all the help you can get to easily go through your day and get as many things done as possible. And, a good and carefully chosen laptop can be your number one assistant.
If you’re looking into getting a new laptop, but aren’t sure how to choose it, just keep reading. Here’s what to pay attention to when choosing a laptop for college.
1. Size & Weight
When you’re spending most of your time on campus, going from one class to the other, it can be irritating to carry your laptop around, along with your other gadgets and supplies. This is especially the case if you have a huge or heavy laptop.
So, when choosing a new laptop, make sure that it’s:
- easily portable
- lightweight
- relatively small
- fit for your backpack
This will make it easier for you to move around with your laptop.
2. Processor
Your laptop processor will significantly impact your productivity. It will determine the speed of your work and help you get more things done faster. But, not every student needs a really fast processor. So, think about the things you do on your laptop to decide whether you need to invest in this feature.
Let’s compare:
- a student who uses a lot of apps, programs, and tools needs a better processor
- a student who mostly takes notes, downloads study materials, and does research doesn’t need a hefty one processor
Decide if this is a priority for you or not.
3. Battery Life
Think about the places where you mostly use your laptop. Do you always have access to a charger? Do you need your battery to last longer?
Depending on your needs, you’ll be able to decide how important battery life is for you and look for laptops for students that offer the type of battery you’ll be needing.
4. RAM
The random access memory of a laptop is another factor that will influence the speed of your daily laptop work. Larger RAM allows you to launch and manage several programs at once.
So, if you’re mostly doing web searches or essay writing, a 4 GB RAM might work just fine for you. On the other hand, if you use your laptop for more complex tasks, upgrade to 8 GB.
5. Storage
Think about the amount of data, documents, and projects you’ll be storing on your laptop during the entire academic year. Depending on your needs, you may need to consider a laptop with more storage.
Students that do all their assignments on their own perform a lot of research, which can lead to their needing a good amount of storage for all the files and images they work with. However, if you tend to order academic writing from the best essay writer, you won’t need so much space.
Anything in the range of 128-250 GB works brilliantly for most students. More storage space on your laptop also means better laptop speed and thus more efficiency.
6. Price
Finally, after considering all the above-listed factors for buying a new laptop, you need to consider your budget. Decide how much money you’re ready to invest in a new college laptop.
When deciding so, consider these factors:
- what are your must-have features
- what are your priorities
- what can you function without
- what’s the price difference between laptops you’re considering
Our advice is to not settle for something cheaper just to save a couple of bucks. It’s better to wait a little longer and save some more money to buy a decent laptop than to get stuck with a model that prevents you from reaching your academic goals.
Final Thoughts
Choosing the right laptop for college is a serious task. You need to approach it with the right strategy and know exactly what you need from a laptop.
Use the tips we’ve shared above to carefully select a model for your academic needs and have an efficient and productive academic year.
Author’s Bio
Melony Hart is a blogger and a tech expert. She loves writing tech reviews and helping people chose the right gadgets and devices. She focuses on giving practical tips that even tech laymen can easily apply.
