It’s almost May, and you know what that means? It’s almost summer. And you know what that means? It’s almost time for college (if you are an ‘07 senior). I’ve been counting down the days, and I have started to list all the things I want to bring and all the things I need to buy. Of course I’m a tech guy, so the first stuff on the list is always my electronic gear and computer stuff. I’ve put together a little list of what any tech guy going off to college needs to bring and/ or upgrade. Let’s get into the list.

#1 – Computer/ Laptop

This is, of course, the big one. A large portion of your funds should go into this. How can you expect to survive four years of college without the best computer money can buy? Personally, in respect to college, I’m a sucker for laptops. I’m going to migrate over from having a desktop to only having a laptop. For me, size is really important. I want something super light, something thin, something I don’t have to think about bringing. I also have typically hated laptop keyboards. The only keyboard I’ve really liked, is the Macbook’s. And, surprisingly, the Macbook fits the first requirement. It’s tiny, light, and attractive too. My only problem is that it does not have the independent graphics card, and when it comes to Photoshop and Final Cut, I might really need that. For this category, think a lot about what type you want. Desktops will give you more bang for your buck, but they have to stay in your dorm room. No laptop in class to take notes with. Laptops will be a bit more expensive, and won’t be as fast, but like I said you get the added benefit of portability. One last thing, when it comes to choosing your OS, I have to recommend Mac. College is the perfect time to switch. Just go into the Apple store and have yourself a look. You won’t regret it.

What I’m bringing: Macbook or Macbook Pro

#2 – Mouse and Keyboard

If you’re anything like me, you’ll be working with your computer for hours everyday. This is why investing in a good mouse and keyboard is a good plan. For those of you on Mac (like me), I recommend sticking with the Apple Keyboard (the one you got with your Mac). These are solid keyboards, and in my opinion the best Mac keyboard available. If you are on Windows, then I suggest checking out Logitech. I’ve seen some impressive keyboards by them. Some have LCDs on the keyboard so you can see processor stats. For the mouse, I’ve also got to go with Logitech. The mouse I have (and will be bringing to Rice) is by far the greatest mouse I’ve ever used.

What I’m bringing: Apple Keyboard & Logitech MX Revolution

#3 – External Hard Drive

In college you’ll have plenty of opportunities to, let’s say, augment your hard drive with plenty of content. Think DC++, etc. For this you’ll want a bunch of storage. It’s a good idea to buy at least one external hard drive for this reason as well as backup (specifially TimeMachine). There’s a lot of good companies to choose from. I can say that LaCie is a solid buy, but I’m sure you can get a good HD from a lot of places.

What I’m bringing: LaCie d2 Hard Drive Extreme with Triple Interface 320GB

#4 – Monitor/TV

Also a critical component of your college career. The hours of brainless TV, senseless movies and violent video games will add up. That’s why you need the best TV. If you’re getting a laptop, I suggest combining your TV into your monitor. This way, you can unplug and work on your laptop in the classroom and around campus, then come home and plug in to a big TV to get a lot of screen. Then just switch over to TV to watch your favorite shows. This seems like the most effective way to spend your cash. Choosing a TV is so hard, so I’m not even going to get into it, but here’s my pick:

What I’m bringing: ViewSonic’s N2751w – 27 inch LCD HDTV. I’m still shopping around, but this is my most likely choice.

#5 – Software

This really depends on what you want to be using your computer for. For me, I’m planning on buying 3 commercial products. Just make sure you get what you need, and please do purchase your software. As Jack Black says, “Don’t be a douche, stop piracy.”

What I’m bringing: Microsoft Office for Mac, Adobe CS3, Final Cut (hoping for this last one)

#6 – Printer

In college you’ll be printing hundreds of papers. From your daily homework assignments to week-long projects, you’ll be going through lot’s of paper. And you know you’ll have those days where your printer will break, or your computer can’t recognize your printer, or you have 5 minutes to class and you still need to print 20 pages (I know this feeling). Getting a printer that can print fast seems really important to me, so if I do make the upgrade, that’s going to factor a lot into my decision. Right now, however, I might just be bringing my ancient HP printer.

What I’m bringing: HP Deskjet 952C unless I get new one with my Macbook

#7 – Gaming

Oh boy. This is not the time to get in an argument about the big 3 systems. I’m not even going to compare the PS3 (*cough* crap) to the XBox 360 (*cough* awesome) to the Wii (*cough* pretty sweet). All I can say is that this is too much of a personal choice for me to even say anything. I just want to remind you to think about which system your friends are getting. My friends are probably going to go the 360 way, and I want to make sure I’m able to hook up with them and play games. Matt and I are already scheduling playing Halo 3 multiplayer online together every day. So be sure to research this one, and do at least bring something. You’re a tech guy. You have to bring one.

What I’m bringing: XBox 360 (Possibly the XBox Elite)

#8 – MP3 Player

Ok, one sentence. The only MP3 player worth buying is the iPod. Done.

What I’m bringing: iPod 30GB (duh!)

#9 – Speakers

This is a tough one. After your TV (or before your TV some would say) this is integral to everyday living in college. Music, movies, the bass, the explosions, bad speakers will ruin it all. Right now I have the JBL Creatures. You know those totally “Mac” speakers. Travis turned me onto this set of Onkyo 7.1 for under 500 bucks. We’ll see if I have the cash to splurge.

What I’m bringing: JBL Creature II or Onkyo HT-SR800 7.1 Channel Home Theater System

#10 – Alarm Clock

8 o’clock test? Party ’till 3? You’ll need an alarm clock. You can just get a regular cheap one, or you can show off your “geek.” I got the iHome. Full iPod integration into your alarm clock.

What I’m bringing: iH26b

#11 – Camera/ Camcorder

If you’re not into photography at all, you can skip this one. But if you are, camera’s will be awesome in college (Think Road Trip, just kidding). I’m going to suggest having a pocket cam for all your quick shots. If you’re out with friends, these are absolutely perfect, and some are getting so good, they can even take really artistic shots with lots of manual controls. I’m also bringing a video camera since I love doing film. I also want to purchase a DSLR for doing more artistic photography, but I don’t think I can afford one right now. And one thing I want that’s totally not going to be purchased is an HDCam. I would love to start shooting these films in HD instead of interlaced SD.

What I’m bringing: Sony Cybershot P200, Sony DCRP101

#12 – Phone

Cell phone? Absolutely required in college. There’s so many to choose from. Probably a good bet to just get a free one from whichever carrier you’re on. Right now I have a Motorola V220. I’m going to upgrade it before I go off to Rice. I’ll probably get some cheap or free phone, unless I win some random contest and get an iPhone. *Please, Please*

What I’m bringing: A Cingular Free Phone

#13 – Movies and DVD Player

Right now I’m thinking I’m pretty set on DVD players. Any computer I get will have a DVD player in it. When I hook it up to my TV/ Monitor I can just play DVDs right through there. And if you get an XBox 360, you also get another DVD player. So on that front, I think I’m covered. I also have a portable DVD player, which you might want if you plan on going on any long trips by bus or plane. Next, movie collection. This is going to be tough. I’ve got to split the DVD collection between me and the parents. You might have to go through this as well. Any DVDs you can’t convince them to give you, just put into your computer and rip (try HandBrake). You can then burn a DVD or just watch them from your hard drive.

What I’m bringing: Toshiba Portable DVD Player, and all the guy movies I own (Fight Club, Snatch, Clerks, etc)

#14 – Car

A lot of schools have certain policies on student cars. Some don’t even let them on campus. Some don’t let freshman have cars. It’s probably best to contact the college. Then the other question is whether you really need the car. Does your city have a good transportation system? Will you need to drive around town? And are you within driving distance of home? Rice is about 3 hours from San Antonio, so I’ll be coming home once in a while by car. So, it will be very useful to me to bring it.

What I’m bringing: Honda Civic ‘05

#15 – Luggage

If you’re coming home, you’ll want to have some suitcase to pack a few days clothes into. These might seem a bit expensive, but there are some good ones at the 100 dollar price point too. Check out their clearance stores. I am also bringing a briefcase that I got from my uncle. If you plan on doing any job interviews, a briefcase can make all the difference (probably not, but it still looks professional).

What I’m bringing: Samsonite Briefcase and Samsonite Carry-On Suitcase

#16 – The last and final item

I guarantee you this will save your life time and again. Ok, maybe it won’t save your life, but it will be a huge helper. Go out and buy a whiteboard. They are worth every dollar. I got one and now I keep a list of things I need to do, any project features I’m working on, and any blog entry ideas I come up with. If something hits me I can just go and scribble on the board. Something is good about just being able to scribble down on paper (or in this case whiteboard). It gets the creativity flowing.

What I’m bringing: A white board

So there are 16 essential things to bring to college for us geeks out there. You have a few months, so get to it. If you have any other essential items, please leave a comment and let us all know.

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