Best Small Laptop For College
Pros
- Comfortable keyboard and touch pad
- Multiple color options
- Attractive styling and excellent build quality
- USB Type-A port
- No face recognition camera or keyboard backlighting
- Internal storage tops out at 256GB
- Middling audio quality
For students, a laptop is as essential as textbooks and a school IDand not just for taking notes and doing homework. It should also be able to handle your big extracurricular activities: keeping up with your social networks, streaming movies, listening to music, posting photos, gaming, video chatting with the ‘rents back home.
Laptops are more essential now than ever, as many colleges and universities implement a mix of in-person and remote learning to as part of their responses to the coronavirus pandemic. If you’re learning from home a few days a week and heading to campus the rest of the time, a laptop you can use wherever you are is essential.
A laptop for college students also needs to respect your budget while lasting for the long haul, preferably through four years of undergrad and maybe a year of grad work. Lucky for you, we have a bunch of recommended models that fit that description perfectlyand since most of them are below $1,000, they won’t drain your savings account in a big way .
Here are the basics you should keep in mind while looking for a laptop for college.
Available Computer Animation Degrees
Available computer animation degrees include a bachelors degree and a masters degree. If you decide to earn your bachelors degree in this area, you can expect to attend school for about four years. Courses include basic classes in art and design along with general education courses in math, composition, communications and art history. Youll be taking classes in concept development, production and animation as well. Those who have a bachelors degree in computer animation earn an average of $78,000 a year.
If you want to take your education further, you can go for a masters degree in computer animation. The additional schooling will offer you advanced training in animation along with access to internships, networking events and the chance to complete a thesis. During a masters program, youll meet guest instructors and renowned experts in gaming, something that will surely inspire you.
Available Graphic Design Degrees
You can earn an associate degree, a bachelors degree or a masters degree in graphic design. If you choose to get an associate degree, youll be qualified to work in entry-level positions, desktop publishing or web design. Youll also have the training to get started in gaming. If you decide to go with a bachelors degree, youll learn about visual communication, layout techniques and typography. During a masters degree program, your classes will teach you how social and cultural influences impact visual communication.
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The offers that appear on this site are from companies that compensate us. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site, including, for example, the order in which they may appear within the listing categories. But this compensation does not influence the information we publish, or the reviews that you see on this site. We do not include the universe of companies or financial offers that may be available to you.
Bachelor Of Science In Games
The B.S. in Games degree is intended specifically for students who aspire to hold careers within the professional games industry or a related field, such as simulation, edutainment, or visualization, and is designed to prepare our students to compete in an increasingly complex industry. The BSG prepares students with skills applicable to the development of entertainment software, games-based learning environments for K-12 students, professional task-training tools, serious games for health, and scientific collaboration or other contexts addressing compelling societal needs. This degree provides a technical grounding in mathematics and computational skills, core knowledge in the design and production of digital playable experiences, and specialization options that prepare students for technical supervision, tools development and overall game design.
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Attend A Work College
A work college is another way to get a free college education or, at the very least, substantially discounted tuition. Just as the name suggests, these colleges, which are generally four-year liberal arts institutions, provide educational opportunities as well as valuable work experience.
But be aware, all students must participate in a comprehensive work-learning service for all four years of enrollment. In other words, all resident students have jobs. Often the jobs are on campus, but sometimes the employment may be off campus. Specific program details vary by college.
All participating work colleges are approved and supervised by the U.S. Department of Education and are required to meet specific federal standards.
Video Game Programming And Development
When you earn a degree in video game programming and development, youll have the foundation that you need to create your own games. In school, youll learn about modeling and animation along with essential information about digital graphics. A degree in video game programming and development will prepare you to use game development technologies and techniques to create memorable experiences.
Courses in this education area will teach you how to manage game genres and their platforms. Youll also learn about:
Game theory
Interface design
Game development production
You can expect to learn how the environments in virtual games create experiences for players using rule design, social interactions and play procedures. The degrees curriculum will also include basics like math, coding and engineering. With this information, youll be ready to create 2D and 3D games for different platforms.
With the right program, youll be prepared to collaborate with game artists to develop games beginning with the concept and design and moving on to production and advertising. The average salary for a video game programmer in the U.S. ranges from around $57,000 to about $75,000 a year.
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Failing To Do Your Due Diligence
When it comes to investing, one of the best pieces of advice Ive ever read is this:
Know what you own, and know why you own it. Peter Lynch | Tweet This
What is your college education if not an investment?
Youre investing years of your time and a lot of money to go to college you should at least have some inkling of what youre getting yourself into when you choose your major. That means:
- Researching potential career opportunities in that major
- Making sure you know all the classes youll have to take
- Talking to people who have gone before you and getting their experiences
I talked to another student during my freshman year who said he was majoring in math, because:
It just seems really interesting to me.
I asked him if hed been really into math in high school. Nope. I asked him if he knew what he might like to do with that major. Not really.
This really isnt the mindset you should have when making a huge investment.
I can head to the library and teach myself calculus for free. I can sit in a cafe for an entire afternoon slogging through a dense, 10,000-word article on Bayes Theorem without paying a cent.
My interests can be satiated without a huge monetary investment on my part. Information is cheap and plentiful. If you dont know where to go to learn something for free or almost free, ask me and Ill find you a resource.
When it comes to a huge investment of your money and time, make sure you know:
Dont let a whim put you in debt. | Tweet This
Asus Rog Strix Gl703vd 17
This Asus ROG STRIX GL703VD17 comes with an Intel Core i-7 2.8 GHz HQ processor, a 4 GB NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050, 32 GB DDR4 RAM, and a 17.3-inch display with 1920×1080 screen resolution. It is easily one of the coolest looking entry-level gaming laptops in the market today. The brushed aluminum lid comes with a textured finish and a backlighted logo embossed on one side.
The 128GB PCle and SATA storage along with 1 TB 5400 RPM SSHD allows you to experience near-flawless booting up and reduced loading times. At the same time, the storage capacity is quite low, but you do have to consider the price point of this laptop. If space is not enough for you, then you can go for the other options such as the 2 TB SSD or the 1 TB SSD version. They come at $3,064 and $ 1,834 respectively.
The big flaw of this laptop is its battery life. Its not sufficient enough to have a prolonged gaming experience without keeping it charged throughout. Its still a great value product however due to the insanely low price point. It may not be the best performance-based laptop but its great at multi-tasking and allows you to play games at standard quality without any hiccups.
Why Should You Buy This?
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What To Expect During A College Esports Tryout
College esports coaches know gamers can boost their ranking by having a high-caliber player use their tag. Thats one reason why they evaluate players in person. Coaches vet gamers by watching their VODs to see their train of thought and joining their Discord chatrooms to listen and take notes. Once the coaches identify a promising recruit, they will invite them to visit campus for a tryout. The visit allows coaches to see if youre a good fit for their team, as well as a good fit for the school. Always make sure to follow up after the tryout and continue coach communication if youre interested in joining the program.
At the tryout, the coach will have you slot into the varsity lineup for one or more scrimmages to test your performance and communication skills. The team environment is very different than solo play, and tryouts are a great opportunity to get your feet wet by competing with other players. Coaches measure gamers based on three main criteria:
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Video game designers possess a unique combination of skills: theyre both artists, who build worlds, tell stories, and create characters, and technicians, who bring their ideas to life through programming and coding. Designing video games is a dream of many gamers, as it is an exciting, creative, and well-compensated careerbut its also a competitive one. Keep reading to learn about gaming degrees and how they can help you land one of these coveted positions.
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Connect With Other Gamers
One of the benefits of gaming is the multitude of ways it can bring you together with other people. If gaming is your favorite hobby, you already have something in common with millions of other people.
This is another reason why it’s advisable to bring a game with couch multiplayer potential along with you to college. The power of gaming to make friends locally shouldn’t be underestimated. You might find that even people who aren’t gamers or don’t usually play your preferred genre are willing to give it a try.
But even if you don’t have local multiplayer games, you can still make friends with other gamers. Many colleges have clubs specifically for gamers, and companies like Blizzard have involved themselves with college esports clubs. If you search online for clubs around your college, you might find a group of like-minded people on your campus.
Ready To Start Your Journey
Your parents may be telling you that playing video games is a waste of time, but studies show a different story. According to research, playing video games can make you smarter, and to work in the industry, you need some major brain power. Video game designers must have a unique blend of talents. For instance, they must be artists, story tellers and the crafters of entire worlds. Those who work in the field enjoy an exciting career, one that allows them to be creative and well compensated. However, it is a competitive career, so if youre considering entering it, youll want to go in with the right educational background. Here are 10 degrees/majors for gamers.
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Bachelor Of Science Inesports And Gaming
The University of New Havens interdisciplinary major in Esports and Gaming is designed to maximize the strengths of our programs in business, technology, engineering, and computer science to create pioneering opportunities that prepare our students to be the future leaders in this high-growth field.
Bachelor Of Science In Computer Science Entertainment Arts And Engineering Emphasis
Offered in conjunction with the School of Computing, a key characteristic of the program is its interdisciplinary nature. As the digital entertainment industry continuously grows, employers are focusing on students who understand both sides of the industry, whether it is computer science students with additional game arts skills, game artists with computing skills, or game producers with varying specializations. This EAE specialization offers cutting edge courses designed for undergraduate students interested in pursuing careers as video game engineers and expressing themselves using digital media, including courses covering video game design and development, 3D animation, and computer-generated special effects, in addition to the full Computer Science curriculum.
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How To Email A College Soccer Coach
Address your email to the Head Coach of the program and make sure to spell their last name correctly . Using a generic title like Coach tells the coach that you dont care enough to send a personal email, so always include his or her last name when first reaching out. 4. Keep your email brief, coaches are very busy.
Why You Can Trust Bankrate
Founded in 1976, Bankrate has a long track record of helping people make smart financial choices. Weve maintained this reputation for over four decades by demystifying the financial decision-making process and giving people confidence in which actions to take next.
Bankrate follows a strict editorial policy, so you can trust that were putting your interests first. All of our content is authored by highly qualified professionals and edited by subject matter experts, who ensure everything we publish is objective, accurate and trustworthy.
Our loans reporters and editors focus on the points consumers care about most the different types of lending options, the best rates, the best lenders, how to pay off debt and more so you can feel confident when investing your money.
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Apply For Grants And Scholarships
There are thousands of programs, institutions, companies and organizations that give away free money. Grants are based on need, while scholarships can be based on a number of qualifiers, including academic and athletic merit.
You can apply for grants and scholarships at the federal and school level when you complete your FAFSA. Ask your high school guidance counselor or college financial aid office if youre eligible for any local programs or apply for scholarships offered by specific colleges.
To find independent scholarships, you may also use online tools like Scholarships.com,Fastweb and the College Boards scholarship search. You can customize your search based on any number of factors, including but not limited to:
- Race.
- Religion.
- Physical disabilities.
The earlier you start your search, the more free money you could qualify for. Many grants and scholarships are available on a first-come, first-served basis, so the sooner you apply, the more money you could score.
Have Your Employer Pick Up The Costs
Theres a long list of companies, both large and small, that are willing to pick up their employees college tab in the form of tuition reimbursement, including Chegg, Google and Hulu.
Ask your employer if theyre willing to provide tuition reimbursement or pay for costs up to a certain amount to help offset your total college costs up to $5,250 in tuition reimbursement each year is tax-free for both employees and employers.
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Best Laptop For College 2022
Find an affordable laptop for every type of student.
A laptop is an essential academic tool for a student continuing their education after high school. Ideally, the best laptop for college is the one that lasts for an entire college career and has all the software needed to take notes, stream and complete your homework well and on time, without hardware issues. It also helps if you can fit it in your backpack.
An entry-level laptop computer that will do the job can be had for $300, but for a few hundred more, you can get a college laptop with longer battery life, a faster solid-state drive and overall better performance. With the current supply chain issues and chip shortages, you might think it’s hard to get your hands on a decent budget-friendly laptop for school. Luckily, it’s still possible to find laptops and two-in-ones with the latest processors from AMD and Intel. The only PCs you might have to wait for are those featuring the newer powerful 11th-gen Intel Core processors that promise to boost performance in laptops for gamers. You’ll find a few models on this list with those processors and more will be available soon.