It seems just like yesterday that you stood proudly in your cap and gown...high school diploma in hand. But today, you are heading to college or returning after your break and you are ready to stimulate that intellectual brain of yours. But, wait a minute! Before you open that first textbook, you definitely will need some essential arsenals that give you that WINNING edge toward excellence!

The computer

Getting ready to go to college either for the first time or as a returning student means MUCH more than just stocking up on pens and paper. Going to college means shopping for technology. For any college bound student, a computer is a must! And soon in the very near future, 90% of all homework will require a keyboard and an internet connection.

HOT TIP: If you're buying a student a computer, the #1 Consumer Buying shopping tip is to purchase a laptop. It will handle just about every basic computing need. A laptop takes up less space in a dorm room than a desktop. And your student can carry it into the classroom, the library, wherever---an increasingly important consideration as wireless connections proliferate on campuses.

Of all the laptops on the market today, you will never find a better bargain than This Week's Deals from DELL!. The Dell Inspiron 6000 includes 512MB of RAM, a 40GB drive, a 2X CD/DVD burner, and other goodies including a four-year limited warranty and can be purchased at only $23 a month!. What a Great Deal on one of the best buys in technology!

A Cell Phone

Because security and time management play such an important part in our lives, you MUST consider gifting the student in your life with a cell phone. Not only do they serve as an organizer, calendar, communicator, Internet provider, camera, video recorder, bulletin board, etc....a cell phone is now a piece of mind that you can use 24 hrs. to reach the ones you love.

Buying a phone, a smartphone, or a combo device entails a tangled Web of considerations, including network coverage and all the different pricing plans each carrier offers. Nevertheless, it's probably worth your while to at least take a look at the Nokia 6010 with T-Mobile as your service provider. Not only does it represents the kind of device particularly appealing to a generation in which short-text and instant messaging have become standard social tools. It also comes with the most popular word in the English language---FREE...with HUGE cash savings! Yes, you read it correctly, my friend!   Receive a FREE Nokia 6010 & Make $150 After Rebate 
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Peripherals

Sure, the students in your life can generate, store, and transmit digital versions of their school work. But chances are they'll still, eventually, have to hand in assignments the old-fashioned way--on paper. So printers are a necessity. And, therefore, you can't go wrong with the Consumer's Digest #1 Manufacture of printers, Lexmark. With the Lexmark X85 All-In-One Print Center , you can do all of your printing, scanning, downloading and faxing with one unit. This is a very convenient all-in-one printer!

Maybe your student already has a system but you just can't bear the thought of packing that humongous CRT into the car with everything else you've got to haul back and forth to Whatever U. In that case, consider a flat-panel monitor such as the DELL E153FP 15-inch Flat Panel Color LCD Monitor.  It is also a space saver---a wish come true for dorm rooms and other small areas.

Since burning disks is all the rage these days, you might want to consider buying an external drive that does just that. The market is moving away from CD to DVD. the Sony DRU-510A, which we found for as little as $243 (plus shipping).

Your student may have other, more specialized needs beyond these basics. Their institution of learning might offer connectivity that requires networking equipment. Or maybe the students in your life express themselves through digital images, whether still or moving. The CANON Powershot G2 Handheld Digital Camera or the GR-DF430 Ultra-Compact Mini DV Camcorder ensures excellent picture quality from the 680,000 pixel CCD imager.   And both provide you with easy connectivity to your personal computer or Lexmark printer for editing and viewing purposes!