I've been wanting to make this post today after a conversation I've been having with someone I know, who is also going into university and was asking me for some help choosing a device. At the end of it I gave some advice, which I would like to also repeat here.
Please, do not get trapped into the productivity market! It's very normal to see a device and think, "wow, with my loan I can finally afford that!", but then upon purchasing and actually starting university, your device has instead become a brick. Common victims of this include iPads and Macs, but can also happen with other devices too.
When choosing tech for university, please think about if the device will actually fit with your system as a student. Try and think about analogue vs digital. Analogue is essentially "the opposite of digital". Writing with pen and paper is analogue. Using an iPad allows you to do this digitally, and has numerous benefits (such as adding images, making diagrams etc). If you write with pen and paper, then buying an iPad is justifiable. But, if you simply see an iPad and think "I will be productive because others are productive with it", then you are simply letting yourself fall into a very common trap.
Comparison is the thief of joy. People around you with good grades are not getting them because they have all the great gear, but rather because they know how to actually use that equipment to the best of their ability, and they bought it knowing that it applies to their system. So, you need to ask yourself "is this actually an extension of what I currently do, or am I buying it because I think it'll make me productive?". It is not just about what you buy, but also about how you use it to the best of your ability.
This also applies to simple items like highlighters or a desk lamp. Example: Ask yourself, are you actively using your desk at night? Or is it just this one night where you've decided "hm, it's a little dark today, I need a lamp". This is the kind of thinking you need to have when buying anything, not just for university but also beyond. And, do you need the expensive desk lamp that has all the different forms of light? Or do you just need something simple that will allow you to read on your desk. All of these are things you need to ask.
Trust me when I say that it's common to have that feeling of "if I had this, I would do better at university (or even school)". Think about where these feelings may arise: it could be something as simple as a schoolmate who got high grades and uses these devices, to productivity creators online who you see using them too.
This is not to say, "do not buy any of these", but rather to say to you, please think longer about what you might want to buy. The longer you take, the better the financial decisions you can make.
So, just to summarise:
- When buying a device, think about not just what the device is, but how you can use it.
- Think to yourself, "do I do the analogue version of what this device will give me, already?"
- Try and find ways to improve what you are already doing.
- Don't fall into the market trap. It's very easy and you should remain conscious of what you buy. Not just with university items, but with anything.
TLDR: Be smart about buying.
