Back to school is fast approaching, and many people will be starting classes again in a few days. Whether you see yourself in graduate school or about to enter high school, chances are that you are looking to equip yourself to have the right tools and work in the right environment. Many of you will probably opt for a laptop or notebook for typing in class or just studying at night.
Choosing a new laptop for your studies is not an easy decision. The choice is wide, and above all, you have to pay attention to your budget. It is therefore necessary to focus on the criteria that are really important, according to our needs and our limitations. This is why we offer you a guide to find out how to choose the right equipment for studying, and what criteria to take into account when buying a laptop as a student.
Define your budget
The first point on which you must dwell and which is imperative to fix immediately, it’s your budget. It’s very easy to be tempted to look at laptops at all price points and then get a little too hopeful about performance or aesthetics. The risk is to finally have to fall back on cheaper, without really taking the time because we will have already spent too much looking at overpriced computers.
Set yourself a maximum price not to be exceeded to avoid blowing your budget. Also determine an entry price, because it is important to be mentally prepared to take out a large sum. It remains a substantial investment and it is essential not to take something that will fall short of your expectations. It’s also up to you to see if you want to invest in a computer that could also be used for gaming.
Performance and operating system
Each use is different, and for each need there will be a product that suits you. You won’t need the same performance if you’re studying literature and just trying to type as if you’re studying graphics or motion design. It is therefore necessary to take the time to study your needs in terms of software, and what resources are required.
Software such as the Adobe suite, or engineering tools, may require high performance, and therefore increase the price of components. Nevertheless, word processing software like Word, or programs like Excel are much less greedy. If you need performance, look for a good processor, such as a Core i7 or an AMD Ryzen 7 with enough RAM.
Finally, there is also the choice of the operating system. The most popular are of course Windows 10 (or 11) and macOS. Some will perhaps turn under Linux but one imagines that these people already know the subject of the OS. Not all software is fully compatible depending on whether you opt for a Windows computer or Apple’s own operating system.
Choose the right sizes
The size of your laptop, and therefore your screen size, is an important criterion. If you’re just doing word processing, you might not need big hardware. This will facilitate transport, and allow you to easily put it in a backpack. Also, this affects its price, and therefore your budget seen in the first point.
But it is also important to pay attention to the display. A less expensive laptop generally has lower image quality. Also, and this is not always true, smaller screens generally have lower resolution. If you are studying motion design, for example, it can be important to have good image quality. Finally, except in a few rare cases where it is necessary, we do not recommend touch screens, which are generally more expensive.
Pay attention to the weight
Study days can be long and grueling. Between the long hours of sitting in class, room changes, stairs to climb, and not to mention public transport, you should not skimp on the weight of your laptop. Granted, you’re probably young, but a heavy PC will only tire you out more. It is sometimes complicated to take a computer that is lighter than another, especially if you have to compromise on performance or screen size, but do not hesitate to compare the weight between two PCs of equivalent performance to take the least heavy.
Decent autonomy
If it is always possible to recharge between noon and two, or to connect directly in progress, we must not forget that a laptop works on battery. If at 10 a.m. you are already dry, the rest of the day will be long. To start, ask yourself if it is necessary to have a good battery life (are the rooms equipped with a socket for each position in my course? Do I have to use my computer all day…?) then in function, plan a device with a suitable autonomy.
Keyboard and touch
The choice of a keyboard is much less extensive than on a fixed tower. The difference between the switches and the type of keyboard is much less important on a laptop. And yet, not all keyboards and touchpads are the same. This is why we advise you to take a trip to the store to test the reference that catches your eye. This will allow you to see if the coating and the depth of the fingerboard are right for you based on your use.
Finally, do not forget to check if there is the presence of a numeric keypad or not. In some courses, this is not necessary. But for accounting students, for example, a numeric keypad quickly becomes a luxury you can’t refuse. Attention, the presence of a numeric keypad logically increases the dimensions of the laptop. Conversely, its absence makes it possible to have something more compact and therefore better for transport.
Ports and Accessories
Finally, do not forget to look at the presence of the ports. Whether it’s for UBS, Ethernet and so on, check that it meets your needs. If you are studying photography, for example, the presence of an SD or micro-SD port is an additional convenience for easily transferring your files from your camera to your computer.