As a budding college student, you’re going to spend massive amounts of time at your desk. I know, I know, we’re not supposed to talk about that. I’m supposed to tell you about all the parties, the booze, the great friends you’ll make, the beautiful women you’ll meet. Between all that, though, is the very real fact that either you or your parents are paying big sums of money for you to get an education. So why not get one in style?

This edition of Pimp Your Dorm Room focuses on that haven of study (and perhaps the occasional video game), to help you create a space where you can get in, get your work done, and get on to the other parts of college there are to enjoy.

Laptop
This one word is probably the single most important word for your studies over the next four years. You need a laptop. Forget the desktop gaming days, or maybe you can have both, but at the very least you should invest in a good laptop. I would highly recommend the new Macbook Pro.

Since lowering prices, Apple has made the Macbook Pro an affordable, entry-level machine that has enough power to last you a few years. The 13-inch model starts at $1199, but you can knock that down $100 with an education discount and even nab yourself a free iPod Touch. The operating system is robust, and OS X viruses are still few enough that you shouldn’t see too many problems in the near future. If this is your first Mac, you can even take a free course at a nearby Apple store to help you get acclimated. Simple features like the backlit keyboard and automatic screen dimming will come in particularly handy when your roommate wants to sleep and you need to get some things done.

Option: Microsoft Office – Office is still the standard on most campuses, and the software with which most people are familiar for word processing, spreadsheet work, and creating presentations. Wait until you’re on campus, though, before buying. MS runs some pretty nice deals on certain campuses that could save you hundreds.

Headphones
Here’s an item I would again recommend for those times your roommate might be sleeping or someone’s hosting a loud party (one you’ll hopefully be a part of when you finish your work) and you need to finish a paper. Noise-canceling headphones are a godsend, allowing you to focus on your work without interruption and without annoying anyone else.

We just ran a review on the able planet Clear Harmony NC1000CH headphones, which sport some of the best noise reduction (18dB!) in the industry. Granted, they aren’t as high profile as something like a Bose Quiet Comfort, but they’re easily as good, better if you run out of batteries. Tiger Direct has them for $249.99. Trust me, they’re worth every penny. The NC1000CH comes with a case so you can store your phones safely while you’re away. Read the rest of this entry »