It’s that time of year when seniors in high school have just graduated, and P3C Technologies gets a lot of questions from parents about the technology checklist. A computer that is a reasonable cost and arms the student with what they need to get through school. What is best to send them away with?
P3C Technologies’ clients are in luck as we have a technology checklist to ensure students are armed with the knowledge and technology tools to properly prepare them for heading off to college. I’ll share a few of those checklist items here. Contact us if you would like to have a one-on-one consultation about what computer to order and the other tool specifics. If you are a new customer and mention this article, we’ll give you half off the cost of the normal consultation fee!
Technology Checklist for College Students:
1. A laptop
Obviously, right? But what do we put in it to arm the student with what they need? Take a look at what the college offers as “certified bundles” at a discount from their tech store. Both Dell and Apple offer solid choices. No need to upgrade to the most expensive chip or upgrade to the highest memory available. Most base laptop models have what students need for working in Microsoft Office, surfing the web, email, etc. You can compare the discounted laptop through the education store with the regular priced laptop on the vendor website to see if you are getting a decent deal. Most discounts range between $150-200 and come with a bonus plan that covers an extended warranty and accidental damage. You can also check out Best Buy’s student edition discount program for purchasing laptops, they often have deep discounts available on electronic gear through that program.
2. Microsoft Office w/ OneNote
Yes, you can get away with an alternative to Microsoft Office if your child is a little tech savvy. But if you want them to have a smooth experience, get them Microsoft Office. OneNote is a product that comes with the Student edition of Office and most other editions. Imagine a virtual trapper keeper with notebooks divided into sections, subdivided into pages. This is great for taking notes in meetings and classes. And the user can instantly search through all notebooks and sync them with their smartphone (iPhone or Android) as well as an iPad.
For purchasing Office, you should check into whether your college campus has a software discount program on their tech store site. However, most times, you are best off just purchasing the Microsoft Office 365 University edition which is a 4 year license to use Microsoft Office at an EXTREMELY discounted rate while your child is in school. IMPORTANT NOTE: in order to purchase and activate this edition, your student will need to use their .edu email address.
3. A cable lock
This handy device is a theft deterrent. It hooks into the student’s laptop with a metal wire loop that gets wrapped around a solid surface. Can it be cut? Sure, with a very large pliers that someone would look goofy walking around with. You should still not leave a laptop laying around in non-populated areas even if locked, but this is an extra theft deterrent.
4. Carbonite
Back that laptop up!!!! Do you want to hear your child call you up crying that they lost a paper they worked on for weeks because of a laptop crash? Heck no. Carbonite is available from P3C Technologies at a discount. It backs up the laptop whenever they have an internet connection. And, it can restore any file from the last 30 days. You can get at the files from any other computer, your smartphone, or tablet safely and securely. Do backup right, with Carbonite, and never have to worry about your kid’s laptop crashing. Want to buy online now? Click here to place your order.
5. Think about a printer
Not absolutely necessary, but a good idea if you want to avoid lines for printing in the computer lab. Contact us for specific model recommendations.
6. Phone?
Look for a phone for your kid that is a reasonable plan cost. Ting.com offers phones with plans that are very reasonable and no contracts! The phones are a bit more expensive because the cost of the phone is not subsidized with the plan, but you actually end up saving money over the traditional wireless carriers (Verizon, AT&T, Sprint) this way. Ting even refunds money for unused data and minutes. The company runs their service on the Sprint network, you can check their coverage map on ting.com for details.
7. Amazon Prime?
Will your student need free 2 day shipping from Amazon plus FREE kindle books plus FREE movies / TV streaming? Check out Amazon.com’s Student edition of Amazon Prime. Well worth it and available for a free trial: