So when I was shopping for a laptop in college,
I originally wanted to get a Surface Pro 7 and a gaming PC
Which, we’ll get to the gaming PC discussion in a second
But after my dad saw my parts list and realized that I’d be building the PC,
hauling it over to my university, and playing with it, he said,
“Why don’t we just get you a Mac?”
And, so, three years later, I’m still using my 13 inch MacBook Pro and iPad Air,
which have carried me past my undergrad journey into grad school
And, also three years later,
I finally got a gaming PC
So, is it worth it in college? Let’s talk about it
If you’re watching this, you’re likely on the fence about gaming in college,
So, let me give you some of my advice I’ve learned over the past few years
If you’re new here, my name is Cyrus. I’m a pharmacy student at my university,
and, when I was in middle school and during my freshman and sophomore years of high school,
I was, what I’d call, an avid gamer
I’ve spent thousands of hours on Garry’s Mod and I loved every second of it
And I still come back to play every now and again,
but not nearly as much as I once did despite having this new gaming laptop
So, here’s my opinion as someone who used to play a lot of games in his free time:
For the first semester, specifically,
I don’t recommend purchasing a gaming PC
But, it’s a bit more nuanced than that, so let me explain myself
Your freshman year as a college student is a time of exploration
You learn a lot about the world and especially yourself
I can’t even begin to tell you what happened during my freshman year
And, during this adventure, you will be challenged a lot
Classes, people, life, everything will come at you at some point
And a gaming computer can really help you escape the world for a second
It can make your genuinely happy; I won’t deny that
But, at the same time,
there are probably other things in college that give off the same effect,
something like a good group of friends, a club, a hobby, etc
College, at least for many people, is a real-world experience
It’s not something that can be played in a game
It’s kind of like a pseudo-real life with, frankly, far less risk
because many of us are being protected, at least, financially, somewhat by our families
So, college is the perfect time for you to explore your boundaries
to find out where you really fit in this world, the
By having that crutch of a gaming PC in your dorm, you might be tempted to not leave your room,
which could turn into a distraction and could deprive you of your experience
My freshman year of college was tough for me mentally, physically, bruh, everything,
but I wouldn’t trade it for the world
Because I decided to sort of reinvent myself, and I got out of my comfort zone so often
that I became a better person as a result. At least, I hope
And I created so many good memories too
A gaming PC, for me in particular, could’ve held me back in a lot of ways
But, for you, yeah, it could be different
Hence, why I say it’s a bit more of a nuanced discussion
I know myself and you know yourself
So, if you do still want to purchase a gaming PC for college,
let me give you two important factors to consider before you buy
Number 1. Price
What I mean by that is, yes, can you afford the PC?
But I also mean can you afford the transportation of it, moving it to college?
College can be expensive, so make sure you’re good financially before making the investment
And Number 2. Discipline
You need to make sure that, if you get a gaming PC,
you need to have control over yourself
College can be very demanding, especially on your time
If you’re not on top of things, you may get overwhelmed
So make sure you stay disciplined on when to play the PC and you know when to stop
In my opinion, though, I suggest you wait until after your first semester of college to get your gaming PC,
which you’ll appreciate much more once you get the hang of things
But, either way, this is your decision, so do what’s best for you, and I’m sure you’ll do fine
But, anyway, thank you very much for watching and have a wonderful day!
Peace.