A laptop has become more important than ever for success in college. Without a laptop to take notes on, complete assignments on and research the web (wherever the student happens to be), it is immeasurably harder to be a good student and excel in school. So much so that many grade schools, middle schools and high schools now provide laptops or tablets to kids during the school year. Our 16 year-old is given a laptop that gets turned in at the end of the year and our 3rd grader will be assigned his own Chrome Book. This is becoming the norm across the country.
While a laptop wasn’t as important even five years ago, it has become essential and instrumental in doing classwork. Having a laptop with you wherever you go can make getting schoolwork done much easier. Most coffee shops and campuses have free Wi-Fi now, and the ability to work on the go is ideal for students who like to make the most of their time.
Being forced to work at home on a desktop computer is a concept that has been left definitively in the past. In fact, some students don’t even have desktop computers anymore. If they need a printer, they just use the printer on campus, borrow a friend’s or go to the school library. Having a portable laptop in today’s modern college environment (where taking notes on the laptop is considered the norm) makes studying, researching and taking notes easier.
But what about college students who can’t afford laptops? There are other options. Some online schools offering laptops are doing so to help drive up enrollment. There are actually more ways than ever to get a laptop today. Because it’s so essential, and tied to school so importantly, free laptops are often seen in promotional giveaways tied to some kind of action by a prospective student.
Getting a laptop for free is an ideal solution to a struggling student who can’t afford to get one for school. When you combine online school with a free laptop, it is extremely easy to be able to afford the time and money to go to school. What could be simpler than logging on to online classes through afree laptop at the end of the workday? You will have plenty of time for school, work and play.
Colleges like Stevens-Henager College, Bethel University, Wake Forest University, ASU Online, Gordon College and Merrimack College all have some kind of laptop programs in place. While these colleges might not offer free laptops, they have some kind of program in place for making laptop use or purchase easier. Since laptops have become such essential pieces of equipment for school, many colleges are trying to make it easier for their students to at least use them (if not afford them).
The cost of a laptop with all the software needed for class can run between $800 and $3,000. Many times, that’s just simply out of budget. Thankfully, smart college programs have made it easier for students to acquire (or at least use or be lent) laptops for their term at college. Some colleges will reward students with a laptop for graduating, some will loan a laptop to a student and let him keep it if he graduates and other schools have laptop rental programs in place.
