


This makes a lot of sense for undecided students or students that focus on general courses as freshman and sophomores. If you have an older computer or a hand-me-down, you may find that your best strategy is to put off getting a new computer until you know what you need and then invest in something with more horsepower. In general, you don't start seeing the computer intensive classes until the third or fourth year of study. Published Minimum Recommended Computer Requirements: Check with your college if it's not listed here.Īsk this question: WHEN do your computer intensive classes will begin? In these programs you can get through with a much more affordable computer if you are willing to accept that it might be a little slower or may not allow you to have several applications open at once. In many majors, however, you will find that most of your classes will NEVER require you to use more than basic applications such as Excel or Word, or applications that run in a browser. Graduate programs especially will have a published standard because they ask students to use specific software. Check with the department to see if they have a specific computer they recommend. Programs like architecture, computer science, media production, and engineering use applications that require more powerful computers with more memory. Some programs have a specific minimum computer requirement. Ask this question: Does your college have a minimum requirement for your program of study? Most students also need to consider the cost and balance the computer capabilities with the available budget. Your program of study and the software that you will use in your classes will dictate what computer you need and that varies widely from program to program. As a college student, what computer do I really need? The University is working on a minimum standard and whether to make it required for all students but in the meantime, here's guidance to help you choose. It no longer makes sense to share a computer at home and run to campus when you need to put in some serious screen time. With most classes now online and the risk of illness keeping students out of the campus computer labs, students need a reliable computer to take classes and perform their work.
