Electronic must-haves for surviving your college years

Progressive Dairyman Staff Writer Emily Caldwell

As many high school students are aware, going off to college requires courage, independence, self-assurance and stuff – lots of new, electronic stuff. This article may come in handy for high school seniors or those lucky students with an approaching birthday. And parents, presents like these will make teenagers appreciate Santa and his upgraded gift-giving this holiday season.

I’m sure plenty of college students have survived without some of the following devices, but chances are that they have borrowed someone else’s at one point or another. Although sharing with roommates is always an option, I’d highly suggest you students fork out the bucks on your own instead of partnering. With food, utility bills and rent, you’ll already be doing plenty of cost-sharing. Plus, once you take a gander at some of these gadgets, sharing will be the furthest thing from your mind.

I used bestbuy.com to quote prices for the items below. I’d encourage you to do your own research for better deals and more information. Websites such as consumerreports.org, eopinions.com and pcmag.com may be good resources. You also might want to check out your university’s bookstore, as they often offer student discounts. No matter where you purchase your brand-new gadgets, my hypothetical characters, Bill and Sam, should help give you an idea of how much you’ll spend. Bargain Bill is looking for the bare-minimum devices and features. Splurging Sam just hit the lottery and wants to be the kid with the coolest stuff on campus. Happy shopping!

• Headphones
Headphones are a small price to pay for a little peace and quiet. Even if your roommate happens to be your BFF (best friend forever), you are going to need some time apart from each other every now and then. When leaving your dorm room isn’t an option, headphones can help you block out distractions and concentrate on that term paper.

Although many of the gadgets below come equipped with headphones, you may prefer a different style. You have four choices in headphones: in-ear, clip-on, behind-the-neck and the traditional, over-the-ear style.

Bargain Bill: Philips ear bud headphones with case ($9.99)
Splurging Sam: Shure sound-isolating ear bud headphones with push-to-hear control ($499.99)

• Alarm clock
Although you may automatically wake up early every morning as a force of habit from milking cows at 4 a.m., you may want to invest in an alarm clock. As a college student, you’ll probably stay up later in the evenings (yes, even on weeknights!), which means that internal alarm of yours just may forget to ring the morning of a big exam. Most cell phones have alarms, and you can probably program your laptop to start up and buzz at a certain time, but two alarms never hurt anyone, except for a roommate who likes to sleep in late.

Bargain Bill: Sony dual-alarm AM/FM clock radio ($19.99)
Splurging Sam: La Crosse Technology – projection alarm clock with weather functions ($39.99)

• Calculator
Your decision to purchase a calculator is going to depend largely on what your classes require. Agribusiness students may need to invest in a financial calculator (Texas Instruments – BA II PLUS Financial Calculator, $28.99). Animal science students are probably going to want to have a scientific calculator to get through those chemistry and biology classes (HP Scientific Calculator, $59.99). Agricultural engineering students or architects will likely need a graphing calculator (Texas Instruments – TI-89 Titanium Graphing Calculator, $154.99).

• Flash drive
These little devices come in handy when transferring files between computers, especially when preparing PowerPoint presentations and other projects as a group. With a flash drive, you can transfer files among multiple classmates’ computers without saving them to CDs or trying to send them via e-mail. You can also use flash drives to store photos, music and other files in order to free-up room on your laptop’s hard drive. Just remember, the drive with more gigabytes (GB) equals more storage.

Bargain Bill: SanDisk Cruzer Micro 1GB USB 2.0 flash drive ($14.84)
Splurging Sam: SanDisk Cruzer Micro 16GB USB 2.0 flash drive ($149.99)

• Digital recorder
If you are serious about memorizing every word a professor says or you really hate taking notes, a digital recorder may be for you. You can record classroom lectures and then upload them onto your computer to listen to again. Maybe you’ve got an entrepreneurial streak and could sell the recorded lectures to other students.

Bargain Bill: Sony digital voice recorder ($41.99)
Splurging Sam: Sony digital voice recorder with microphone functions ($299.99)

• Cell phone
If, for some reason, you do not currently own a cell phone, you might want to seriously consider it. If you are not into all the bells and whistles, you can purchase one for a decent amount. You can also save money by going into a family share plan with your parents. The prices below indicate the phones themselves and not the plan. When purchasing a plan, be sure to think about how much long-distance calling, texting and file-sharing you may do.

Bargain Bill: Nokia 1208 pay-as-you-go cell phone ($25.00)
Splurging Sam: Sprint Blackberry Curve 8330 cell phone ($799.99)

• Apple iPod or mp3 player
Believe it or not, many professors are taking the mp3 craze into the classroom. Nowadays class lectures, guest speaker information and podcasts are just a download away. Many of the more expensive iPods, such as the one purchased by Splurging Sam below, feature video and e-mail capability. While your laptop should play an mp3 file with no problem, you may want to listen to it while walking between classes.

Bargain Bill: Apple iPod Shuffle 1 GB ($49.99)
Splurging Sam: Apple iPod touch 32 GB ($499.99)

• Digital camera
Even if you’re not going to scrapbook every detail of your college years, a digital camera may turn out to be a wise purchase. Many college classes and clubs take educational and often once-in-a-lifetime trips. Photos will help you remember what you learned and will serve as proof to your parents that you really are earning a degree.

Bargain Bill: Kodak Easy Share 8.2 Megapixel Digital Camera ($89.99)
Splurging Sam: Olympus 10.0 Megapixel Digital Camera ($499.99)

• GPS navigation system
If you plan to travel often or just happen to be terrible with directions, a GPS system might be a good investment. In most systems, you type in your intended destination and a computer-generated voice will tell you the directions turn-by-turn. Also featured is an image of a map that updates as you drive, assuring you that you are on the right track. Many systems allow you to search for nearby points of interests, which can include gas stations, restaurants, movie theaters and local attractions.

Bargain Bill: TomTom One LE GPS ($179.99)
Splurging Sam: Pioneer-In-Dash Satellite Radio/Apple iPod-Ready/CD/DVD Player/GPS Receiver ($1,699.99)

• Computer
Although you should research your options for many of the above gadgets, you will want to spend the most time figuring out what sort of computer fits you. Here’s a list of questions to get you started:

1. How much desk space do you have available for a computer?

2. Do you plan to take photos and download music and videos?

3. How much storage do you think you will need?

4. Do you want to be able to carry your computer with you to classes?

5. Does your dorm or apartment have Wi-Fi or a LAN router?

Answering the above questions will help you determine whether you want a laptop or a desktop, what type of operating system you want and what kinds of accessories you will want to purchase. Although your college may have a computer lab, you will appreciate the easy access to your own PC. This is especially true when you realize at 11 p.m. that you have an online quiz due at midnight.

Laptop
Bargain Bill: Sony VAIO Laptop with Intel Pentium Dual Core Processor T2370 ($599.99)
Splurging Sam: Apple MacBook Pro with 17” display ($2,799.99)

Desktop
Bargain Bill: Compaq Presario SR5505F Desktop (includes monitor and printer) ($449.97)
Splurging Sam: HP Pavilion Elite TV Desktop with Intel Core 2 Quad Processor Q9300 ($1,629.99)

• Printer/Scanner
If your college has a computer lab and offers free printing, I would recommend using the campus printers as often as possible. (Ink is expensive!) However, just like you’ll make good use of your computer at your dorm or apartment, you’ll probably use a printer more than you think. Scanners also come in handy for copying class notes you may have missed or review sheets for an exam. Whatever you decide to purchase, make sure it is compatible with your computer. You may also have the option of Wi-Fi compatibility, creating a less cluttered desk.

Bargain Bill: HP Deskjet Printer ($69.99)
Splurging Sam: HP Photosmart Multifunction Printer/Copier/Scanner ($399.99)

If you are strapped for cash, like our new friend Bill, then utilize your resources. Ask around to see if a graduating senior is getting rid of a slightly used calculator or printer. Your college may even have a marketplace, whether online or located near campus, that enables students to exchange electronics. Be aware, however, that purchasing used or outdated equipment may require more maintenance. Make sure you know where to locate the closest IT (information technology) help center. Who knows? Maybe you’ll get lucky and your new roommate will be an electronic guru, who likes your favorite music and offers to pay for groceries. PD

Terms to know
If you find yourself struggling with your new gadget, here are some terms you’ll want to familiarize yourself with before speaking with an IT person. Otherwise, you might feel like you’re speaking two different languages.

• Memory and speeds
KB- kilobyte, MB- megabyte, GB- gigabyte, TB- terabyte; units of information used to represent memory or storage capacity – kilobytes are typically the smallest measurement you’ll see. whereas terabytes are the largest
GHz- gigahertz; the speed of processor units, routers and Wi-Fi technology
RAM- random access memory; the more RAM you have, the more memory you have which means the more programs and files you can have

• Flash memory
USB- universal serial bus; refers to the socket where devices can be plugged and unplugged without rebooting the computer
SD- secure digital card; refers to memory storage card used mainly for digital cameras and cell phones
CF- compact flash card; similar to SD slightly larger

• Others
PC- personal computer; generally refers to a computer that runs on Microsoft, Linux or Unix operating systems, but doesn’t refer to Macs
CD-ROM- compact disc read-only memory; a compact disc that contains data accessible by a computer
DVD- Digital Video Disc; if recording DVDs, make sure to get the correct type of DVD for your computer’s player (BluRay, HD-DVD, etc.)
Wi-Fi- refers to wireless technology
LAN- Local Area Network; refers to Internet access through an Ethernet cable