Home
 Bedding
 Clothing
 Toiletries
 Computers
 Electronics
 Random Stuff
 Dorm Shopping List

 Parent Guide
 Student Guide

 Move-in Day
 Roommates
 Staying in Touch

 Advice from Colleges
 College Resources
 Links

Computers

Laptops or Desktops
There is no other item on your back to school list that will produce as much anxiety as the purchase of a computer for college.

Laptops
A laptop wins by a mile.  No other single piece of equipment is more practical and versatile for a college-bound student than a laptop.  Many colleges now have computer connectivity in their classrooms, and wireless campuses.  With a laptop, you can have  access to everything you need from web access to class schedules and most homework assignments.
 

For a full shopping list please visit the Dorm Shopping List page.
 

Noteworthy Considerations

Laptops
When buying a laptop, simply put, buy the latest technology.  The reason you would do this is because the life cycle of technology these days is so short that buying even last year's model would make the equipment virtually obsolete in a few years and there would still probably be some time in college or grad school left to finish.
 
Look for laptops with built in wireless capability, large disk space for lots of storage, and the fastest processor you can afford.  After that, everything else is just nice to have.

Printers
These days, you can usually find a deal where the printer is included. If you run across such a package, chances are the bundling of the package can save you some money.  For the printer that you do take to school, make sure it's small enough to fit on a small dorm room desk and yet practical enough for you to print your class assignments.