The 7 most important laptop features to consider when heading back to school

A new school year often means new notebooks, supplies, and maybe even a fresh wardrobe – but perhaps the most important back-to-school purchase for today’s students is a laptop.

Whether you’re a high schooler taking on digital coursework or a college student juggling research papers, online classes, and video calls, your laptop will quickly become your academic lifeline.

But with so many options on the market, how do you know what to prioritize? Price is an obvious factor, but the best student laptop doesn't necessarily mean the cheapest, since a device that doesn’t perform well can end up costing you more in frustration (and even upgrades) down the road.