(222= School Smarts Gearing Up For School Today (NAPSA)—Formillions ofAmer- ican families, back-to-school shop- = that begins much earlier in the Reus computes ping has evolved from a quick dash for paper and pencils into a process summer. The U.S. Department of Educa- ae ~ ce ‘ aretdl _ : os l | sh” bhte “= n ) i — ann “ye f 4 a - a Be J : a ‘ La oat a oS ee a a i Xe . Ie ; rat) ‘ 4 ; a! 2 ; J tion estimates that almost 18 million students will enroll in Ameri- can colleges and universities this year. And a new national survey shows that families with collegebound students have been shop- ping for weeks for the electronic gear that students will rely on during their academic careers. Responding to the survey, com- missioned by electronics retailer Circuit City and conducted by independent research firm Decision Analyst, Inc., 53 percent ofcollege students said they first For today’s students, shopping for “tech gear” is a key part of the school year. individual and academic needs. Many college Web sites post computer requirements for their various course offerings. Families should remember that a computer months or more before classes is a tool their students will use throughout their college careers, so they should make sure they buy a model with enough memory search revealed that nearly 62 per- date student needs. started shopping for tech gear two began. The same consumer re- cent of U.S. colleges and universities now require or recommend that students own computers. “There’s no question that college students use their computers day in and day out, not only for acade- mics and communications, but also for music and video games,” said Elliot Becker, vice president for technology at Circuit City. “But computers are only the tip of the iceberg. These days, students take a wide variety of gear to college. Whetherit’s cell phones, MP3 play- ers, digital cameras or dorm-sized and computing power to accommo- Different Usage Patterns It’s not surprising that college students use their computers and cell phones on a daily basis. But the survey also revealed different usage patterns for male and female students. Male college students tend to use MP8 players and video game consoles more often than female students; female students use digital cameras more often than the guys. The survey also hints at some subtle regional differences: Western college students watch slightly less TVs, today’s college students are TV and take more pictures than their counterparts elsewhere in the Nearly 90 percent of students Northeast are likely to play video more ‘plugged in’ than ever before.” Better Grades surveyed said owning their own computers helped them earn better grades. Eight out of 10 students said they would choose a notebook computer over a desktop model. It’s important to choose a com- puter model thatfits the student’s country. More students in the gamesthan students elsewhere. Helpful information about choosing the right tech gear for college-bound students, including unbiased customer ratings and reviews, can be found at www.circuitcity.com.
