Computers for College Students

Oscar Sodani is a founder of Help2Go and owner of Help2Go Networks, an IT consulting firm in the Washington D.C. area. Oscar holds the CISSP certification as well as industry certifications from Microsoft, Cisco and Novell.

The SATs, college prep courses and a new computer have become synonymous with preparing for college. But before you rush out to buy a new PC for your wunderkind, you need to know exactly what kind of system will help a student get the most out of a school's technology resources. E-mail, web browsing, word-processing, database development, and statistical analysis are just a few potential academic uses for a student's PC. Of course, there are also games, music, video and other less academic pursuits for those RARE occasions when he or she is not studying. We at Help2Go want to make sure your hard-earned money is well-spent on a new computer as well as that college degree.

In the following article, we will cover:

• Questions to ask before you buy a new computer
• Points to consider when buying a new PC

Q&A

Most colleges and universities have a technical support office that can be contacted directly by parents and students. Take advantage of this fact by getting critical information about technology resources and policies on campus before you arrive in September. Here is a quick list of questions to ask during your call:

Is a PC required for students?
Some schools have made computer ownership mandatory. In other cases, specific programs (Engineering, Computer Science) require that students have personal computers. Required or not, a new PC is a good investment and will prevent a student from becoming dependent on a roommate's PC or a computer lab for access.

Are both Macintosh and Windows platforms supported by the school?
There's no point in buying a new iMac if the technology office offers no support for it.

Do dorms on campus have network connections in the rooms?
Many schools now offer direct Internet access in the dormrooms, whether by a traditional network cable, or via wireless access. There may also be a Novell or Windows network run by the university that students can access.

Will software be made available through the network?
If a Novell or Windows network is present, students may be able to install software from the network servers (Office suite, anti-virus, statistics). If software is NOT available to the students, make sure your new PC comes with software pre-installed.

If connections are available, what kind of network adapter card will be needed for the PC?
The college or university may only accept certain brands or types of network adapter cards. In addition, they may only offer either wireless access or Ethernet access - find out which.

Is there a fee for network access?
You don't want another surprise on the semester's bill.

What is the procedure for getting a student's PC connected to the school's network?
Each institution has its own policy for dormroom installations. Some leave the installation entirely in the students' hands while others have technicians who will setup a personal computer at no charge.

Does the school offer any educational discounts for computer purchases made through the campus store or technology office?
These discounts can mean significant savings on your purchase.

(If the student will be living off-campus) Does the school offer dial-up access to the Internet and/or local network? Does the school have a deal with a broadband provider?
If dial-up services are not offered, off-campus students must pay for dial-up or broadband to get online.

Are printing services available to students in the dorms or computer labs?
Schools may or may not charge for laser printing. A quality inkjet or laser printer should be part of your computer purchase. Convenience alone will be worth the additional cost.

Do students automatically receive computer accounts (e-mail and network login) or is there an account request procedure?
Again, policies vary from one institution to another.

Recommendations

Here are a few points to consider when you finally have the answers and are ready to make your purchase:

• Buy as much as you can reasonably afford. A "bargain" computer system will most likely be obsolete before a student's four years are up. We're not telling you to go into debt (or deeper into debt, as the case may be), but realize that a $200 computer bought from eBay is just not going to cut it when a student needs to use the latest software. Look for deals from Dell and other PC manufacturers.
• No hand-me-down PCs. See above.
• Check into computer rentals. For students who are not "power-users", it may be more cost-effective to rent a PC from the school for the academic year rather than buy.

Well, we hope at least one part of your college preparations has been made easier.

Rah! Rah! Rah! Go team!

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