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Just the essentials: a technology checklist for your student son or daughter
As your son or daughter prepares to take a big step and leave home for university, you'll want to make sure they're well prepared. There are a fair few pieces of technology that could be invaluable once they arrive on campus; here are just a few examples that are sure to be a big help: Laptop A laptop computer is a must for any student. The portable nature of laptops mean they're easy to carry around day-to-day, allowing your son or daughter to sit down and do some work as and when is convenient. One big advantage will be not having to wait for a workstation to become free within the university building, while a laptop will also be incredibly handy when it comes to taking efficient notes during lectures. And you don't need to break the bank, either - laptops at the lower end of the price scale are more than sufficient for basic tasks such as word processing, emailing and internet browsing. USB key Whether your son or daughter will be taking a laptop with them or not, a USB key will come in very handy indeed. These impressive pieces of technology are small enough to fit on a keyring and yet allow users to save huge amounts of data to them - handy if the student in question is going to be using different computers, such as the machines provided for general use by the university. Microwave If your son or daughter will be living in accommodation that doesn't provide a microwave then it's a great item to add to your pre-university shopping list. Basic microwaves aren't at al
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Five things to consider when choosing a student laptop
Once you've decided to buy a laptop ahead of your trip to university then you'll likely be keen to get your hands on your shiny new piece of kit quickly as possible. It's sensible, however, to do your research before you dive in at the deep end; you don't want to be stuck with a machine that doesn't suit your needs. With that in mind, here are five things to keep in mind when deciding on which laptop to go for: Price and performance At the top of most people's priority list when it comes to buying a laptop will be price, and rightly so. It's always best to give yourself a budget and stick to it, but only after you've determined exactly what you're going to be doing with your machine. If you're going to be using it purely to take notes, work on essays and browse the internet, then machines at the cheaper end of the market will do the job admirably. If you want to edit movies or plan to reward yourself with an hour or two of gaming at the end of a long studying session, however, you'll need to be looking at more powerful machines, which will naturally be more expensive. Size Portability is key when it comes to laptops. It's easy to assume that all computers branded as laptops will be fuss-free to use and transport but the reality is that some larger laptops can feel surprisingly unwieldy to some people. Be sure to strike the right balance between laptop size and a screen/keyboard size that is comfortable for you to use. Mini laptops, or ‘netbooks' as they are sometim
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Getting ready to go: a student survival guide
Leaving home for the first time and heading off to university is equal parts exciting and daunting for most prospective students - and with so much on your mind as the big date approaches it's easy to overlook some essential items when packing for the big day. With that in mind here's a checklist of useful items that will come in useful on a day-to-day basis: Kitchen A lot will depend on whether you're going to be living in self-catering accommodation in terms of how much you'll need to take with you. For the purposes of this checklist, we'll assume you need to provide everything yourself. • Plates • Bowls • Mugs • Glasses • Tin opener • Cutlery • Kettle • Microwave (make sure your plates and bowls are microwaveable) • Toaster • Frying pan • Saucepans • Chopping knives/bread knife • Chopping board • Cheese grater • Wooden spoon • Spatula • Tea towels x 2 • Oven gloves • Cling film • Tin foil • Scourer • Scrubbing brush • Dishcloth • Cleaning products • Dustpan and brush • Corkscrew • Bottle opener Bedroom/study You'll want to make sure your room is as comfortable as possible while retaining space for that all-important studying and essay writing. Here are a few items you might want to consider taking along with you. • Sheets • Duvet • Duvet covers • Pillows • Pillow cases • A
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