Guys, a quick note that you do NOT need all the high-end tech in order to do well at college. If you can (and you should), save as much money as you can while at college, pay your tuition in full and student loans as soon as possible instead of spending on liabilities like gadgets. Get the bare minimum you need and only spend money on products you know you are going to be using for 4-6 years (such as laptop). Don't overspend on phone, headphones, lamps, tablets, etc.
As people are saying, even if you are in software engineering or a computer science major, you don't need very high end tech to complete the courses. Most of the time, the university has enough lab equipment to let you finish your work. More reading, taking notes using pens and paper are definitely good strategies.
As a comp sci student, a base level computer will get you through your first 2 years. After that, it’s gonna struggle. A mid range laptop or higher range are better in the long run as a result. Not the most expensive thing, but something solid. I still use my baseline iPad for note taking and it’s seriously a game changer over pen and paper.
@@josephmanni7491 I kinda want to buy an iPad because of note taking for my math and chemistry classes but I’m afraid I won’t see a difference with taking regular notes with a pen and paper. I have a job and get fasfa but I still wonder what I really need. I bought a MacBook Pro but like 2012 and I like it since it works and has the light on the back with a light keyboard.
@@JV-ie4rh focus your budget on the computer, that’s gonna be the most important. In terms of the actual feel, your right, it’s not much different. Only factor is the iPad or any tablet that is good for note taking keeps everything for each class all in one spot, and it’s nice for having up slides on one side, note on the other, multitasking. It’s convenience more than anything. Question you have to ask is will you really utilize it for more than just taking notes, like multitasking, and if so, is that going to help you study better and how much more than just pen and paper? If the answer is yes, might be worth the money. If your questioning it tho, I’d say hold off for a bit. I use the base iPad with the first gen Apple Pencil and I’ve never had an issue, so if you want something cheap that might do it for you!
@@JV-ie4rh maybe combine computer and tablet…iPad pro might be worth it for you or the new air. What are you studying? If it’s not comp sci or video production that might be a great fit for you
Yeah dude, let’s just let marquee make content and get a bestbuy sponsorship, you don’t actually need to buy all this shit, even then like bro just don’t even go to college and learn all that computer shit on your own
Most of the items you recommend are pretty pricey for a student. I'm not a student myself anymore but if I were one, more budget alternatives would make this video a lot better!
this is hilarious. i was in a focus group over 4 years ago for Best Buy where they were asking college students how to advertise for Back to School. One of the kids next to me said "Maybe you should have someone like MKBHD talk about your products". Well... here we are
@@wanyekest6969 it is, he is recommending a 1000 dollar chromebook, just get a decent used business class laptop or a decent lenovo ideapad laptop (they are usually cheap, and just decent, but not used and may be easily available in some places), IF you require a chromebook LIKE SERIOUSLY require one, just go for a cheap one, it's a chromebook. You do not require a macbook unless if you are a creative.
Just a personal take - a lot of students are looking for the best in class budget options rather than the high-end flagship devices. I feel that this video would have been much better if it was focused more at the user/target market rather than the device’s in isolation
Some solid recommendations. Some of them are really flagship/high end, while most students would rather go for budget. I'd like to see a sequel of this with budget recommendations
Yeah. Seems like he just looked up what was a decent flag ship and threw it in the video. A used iPhone 11 or 12 can go for less then $350 and easy get you through collage. Along with a used iPad Air 4th gen ($450) and even an older style laptop. Like a thinkpad. I could buy a laptop, ipad, and phone for the price of his one laptop.
Exactly. He could have and SHOULD HAVE included some budget options as well. (Even Austin Evans usually includes some more budget-friendly options when he makes these kinds of videos…and that’s saying something lol). This feels essentially like peer pressuring students into spending way more than they actually need…
@@allen.9 then don't "use back to school" terms because it doesn't make sense for students using mx master 3s for powerpoint, words and excel. he also recommend iPad air as it's clearly not the "best tech" because there's the pro version.
@@allen.9 “broke buster” 😭😭😭most of us are going to college so yes we have to save money. Still in high school or is mommy still paying for your stuff?
I like Dave2D take on back to school, he recommended stuff across price segment not just flagship. Honestly for a student I don't think it makes sense for vast majority to jump for flagship, save some bucks and tradeoff for acceptable performance based on your requirement.
his recommendations shouldve been "best tech to buy if you have the money" these are basically a list of flagship stuff, dude seriously recommended a 120 bucks mouse for a student lol. if this is what youre buying JUST for going back to school then you probably already have your future planned out by your dad
first and second option is okay for me you gotta be give the best for years but the third one? its like MKBHD its not even trying to find or research for the third option, i know its sponsored but geez you are an influencer bro. how can you even make this video and not rewatch it again before publish it, or see other youtube before you made this awful sponsored video
Funny that you mention that. In America most people going to college have an iPhone that costs more than double the amount of an average Android phone. If people really cared about their budget they wouldn't buy such expensive phones or at least a lot of them wouldn't. Now you're saying they should skimp on the stuff they'll use for things that actually matter? How's your train of thought working if you think "1000usd phone for Instagram ok but 350usd headphones that will help me concentrate better in the noisy place I live in? Nono." I know you'll probably say you don't own an iPhone or that you're not recommending them but let me tell you the students you're referring to buy iphones and apple watches, and using that money to get themselves a nice laptop and maybe a nice mouse would actually be a smart move.
Marques I think you forgot that I, as someone who just paid their first semester tuition in full, does not have thousands of dollars to spend on tech. Was hoping for some more budget options rather than top of the line tech lol.
In University it’s better to have expansive tech that’ll last you the 4-6 years than to cheap out and potentially have things break on you or become out of date
Budget : Best Noise Cancelling Headphones -Sound Core Q30 Laptop-Imma go with something like the Dell Inspiron 5502/i7 ,same thing I have ,got it for £700. Phone- Get a Oneplus 9 Pro or even the 8 Pro 🌚 not the 10 Pro totally not worth it for the price, I'm using an 8 Pro ( 2 year old phone) 😅🙂
You dropped the ball on this one. The things recommended in this video are in the price range of those making a good buck at Silicon Valley. XPS 15, MX Master, >$100 headphones for students?? Nah man. Seems you’ve detached from your core viewers / reality. You just recommended the best of each class regardless of price range. These are for working professionals.
Everyone has been saying it but I’ll throw my hat in as well. To any prospective college students, you DO NOT need to spend money on flagship products. I am about to graduate with a business degree and have been using a 7 year old laptop and the base iPad from late 2020. Both products have worked flawlessly and I have no intention of replacing them. The recommendations listed are ones I would never be able to afford even with my job I’m working as well. Do your own research on forums to see what your peers say the best value product is. I promise that if you buy a flagship product you will quickly see that you did not need it.
I cant say that I agree with you. I am an engineering masters student and usually having a latest gen laptop always helped. I usually upgrade on a 2 year cycle with all my electronics usually to a good gaming laptop or latest gen iphone and headphones. SO to me this video seemed perfect. But I understand your perspective as well since in Germany we dont have the problem of college tuition. I guess its a bit easier to invest the student job earnings in gadgets and other creature comforts when tution is not a issue. Furthermore, I think MKBHD has a huge global audience so this video might not be the best for US audience but for me in Europe, it looks like a perfect list!
@@vishalsreenivasa4324 Honestly, even in the Netherlands where college is cheap compared to the US, I still wouldn't have bought any of Marques' (Or BestBuy's) recommendations, just because you really don't need all these high end devices in college. As an engineering bachelor student I've spent my 4 college years with a €700 laptop, a €250 phone and €90 wired headset. Granted my laptop was the bare minimum, but my Lenovo Flex 2 could still run CAD programs just fine. Even with my current 40hrs a week job I wouldn't buy all of these ''Back to school'' recommendations. This is just a ''best tech that might be slightly cheaper than some current flagships, but is still above midrange'' list, it has nothing to do with students needs.
@@christaaah I guess it depends on the user. In my case i run a lot of simulations on digital twins thus having a good processor with multiple cores helps. I use a large computer cluster for student research activities but to work on individual projects, i prefer using my own device for obvious reasons. So a 3k legion gaming laptop is the one within my budget Plus it has an insane screen suited for gaming. Second, I like to have a good camera on my phone (since I’m into photography and cant carry a full size camera or gopro everywhere i go) so latest gen iphone or Samsung s series is the best for those insta stores or precious memories. And if you are working out in the gym then nothing beats an air pods pro to get you into the zone listening a motivational track, and it doesn’t fall off even if you do a lot of cardio drills!!! Last, I live in a student dorm and its not quite always so a good headphone with noise cancellation is a bare minimum to survive and study haha. So 1000xm4s are absolutely needed everyday!! (I don’t like going out to ask other to keep quite and kill the vibe just because i want to study at random hours). Plus once you go wireless, you wont go back!!! I guess it depends on the type of user and what your needs are. I can’t survive with a 700 laptop at all, i need processing power. I tend to procrastinate a lot with my projects and run huge simulations overnight at the last minute hehe, I’m a power hungry pit that needs fast processing power!!!! Maybe if i was working on basic coding or ML then sure I wouldn’t mind shifting to a lower end laptop. I still have a year left as a Masters student and I hope this is my last electronics purchase cycle since I have put close to half of my student earnings into electronics and survive on scholarship and HiWi money only!!
@@vishalsreenivasa4324 Yeah, but you're an engineering student. The majority of degrees don't require much more than a basic word processor - hell, my sister graduated with a first, and all she had was a 200 euro Chromebook and a fuck-ton of stationery. High end tech is great if you can afford it, but all of the items Marques talked about in the video were luxury versions of things most people don't even need basic models of.
@@drachna i agree with the laptop fo sure, you dont need the absolute best and a basic one works fine depending on your degree program. But a smart watch, noise cancelling headphones, wireless charger and a good phone are basic requirements at this point. Cant imagine living without them and usually a latest gen product is good for 2 years atleast. So spending 1k on some creature comforts for 2 years seems like a no brainier!
Would love to see more student focused videos which don’t just loop through the flagship versions of every device. The best phone, mouse, laptop, are not always the options for students. In fact I would say student videos are a great opportunity to deviate from the norm, because 99% of videos focus on the top range of products
Marques, I appreciate your advice as someone who recently graduated college in the US. However, to be frank, some of these recommendations are really out of the bugdet range for most students. At another time, I think it would be nice for you to reconsider your recommendations.
I’ve been working for almost three years now and the only thing I have on this video is the headphones. So many of things aren’t budget enough even for the working class let alone students.
I'm a huge fan of Marques, but this seemed more like a video where he just named his favorite tech and labeled it as "back to school" because it'll generate more views. Views = money so I understand it. Just not a fan of most of these choices. The majority of students don't need a $1000+ laptop or a brand new phone. They certainly don't need the top of the line noise canceling headphones either. Also worth noting that this video was sponsored by Best Buy. I'm sure they'd prefer to have Marques pushing high end devices as opposed to more budget friendly options because those high end devices will bring more profit to Best Buy themselves.
@@Hunter116 I agree with everything you have just said, it's strange that he did it and he could have mention Anker as a alternative for people who want an equivalent to headphones or something, but instead he went all out on the Sony xm4s which are still expensive
@@Soraviel Exactly. Anker and some other brands make great noice cancelling headphones for like half the price of those Sonys. Obviously they aren't quite as good, but most college students don't need the very best. They just want to listen to their music and not hear the people around them.
MKBHD missed the mark here. Too expensive for most students. Going from a flagship laptop to a chrome book does not help anybody looking for functionality on a budget.
It's a sponsored video, you might as well not even take this seriously. This is the second time I've seen MKBHD do this (last time with an Ultrabook video essentially being a Lenovo ad), I hope he isn't selling out...
I do prefer Dave2D when he recommends school tech since he always include a few budget options. 1200+ laptop or iPad is way too much for regular student considering all the price they have to pay. There are so many good cheaper laptops these days with AMD Ryzen chips with good battery life and are still ralatively thin and light. On the Mac side I would say the M1 Air is the only good option considering price to performance ratio.
@@jakobwest4811 I can buy a 8 year old thinkpad for 200 dollars that will last me 10 years. Or a 300 dollar amd ryzen laptop if you want something more modern
I'm still using the original M1 (replaced it with the same after water damage 1 year later) and I'm very happy with it. I use it for personal and work, but performance demands are equal to what a normal student would use. Granted I don't use excel or other industry specific software but M2 to me just seems very overkill for a student. If you need performance you probably aren't going base models and are probably getting a laptop issued to you from your organization.
I think you've already received this feedback but I'll chime in as well. Most of the products you recommended are quite expensive, a more budget friendly counterpart for all the products would have been nice.
I think these are not that expensive because I know how much professional products cost. A headphone worth $300 is nothing compared to a pro headphone worth $2000. So I do think these suggestions were on the cheaper side. No student needs a $2000 headphone for example.
Total cost of everything 'cheapest laptop' = $699 mouse that is quite= $99 iPad with pencil= $649 S22= $799 Lamp= $35 Headphones= $350 Earphones= $100 *Total*= $2731 Also to be noted that these prices are from Bestbuy U.S. Anywhere else in the world you'd be easily paying almost 40% to 50% more. For Eg cost of these same products for my Indian bros will be $3500 or 2.7lakhs which is more than the tuition fees for majority of the colleges. This video gotta be a joke😂
plus that quiet mouse you mentioned, its for right handed people only, good luck using that thing if youre a leftie. Also you forgot to add the SmArTwAtCh, so another 300$ ? ;D ;D ;D
@@ek6352 usually out of U.S many colleged are around $3000 per year only in the U.S it goes till $15k. And note these are just the school tuition not the dorms fees or all the extra stuff
Okay pro tip from recent grad, having a pair of ANC earbuds THAT YOU CAN SLEEP WITH can completely save your sanity in a noisy dorm-room environment. They don't have to be wireless (although it can help), they just need to be comfortable enough that when you lie either side of your head down on the pillow they don't put pressure on your ears, and that they have a good enough fit for the ANC and don't fall out. When I got a job I bought a pair of Airpods Pro on sale specifically so that I wouldn't be in my dorm room situation again with roommates showering and yelling at videogames until 3am every other night. I had enough money for a pair when they came out but heard things about the battery life (that are true) that turned me off of them, in retrospect a huge regret. It's hard to choose between a pair of workout buds and a pair for sleeping (especially on a student budget), but in hindsight I would personally choose the pair for sleeping. You can work out without music, but not being able to fall asleep at a decent hour when you want to will make or break your college career. Ofc depends on dorming situation, I just was in the dorm situation from hell when it came to noise, something to be aware of
Even with a job now, I'm not entirely sure if I would be splurging on these items. I definitely would not have been able to afford this during my time at school.
I think this video is probably the most misguided video by Mkhbd, Who usually is spot on with his videos. Almost all the things he recommended are high end flagship or at lowest mid range flagship. A lot of people struggle to pay through college and need student loans so I think this video could have benefited from some more budget devices
Cannot agree more. Somewhere @juanbagnell is dying inside after MKBHD recommended the s22. Very strange video and not sure what angle it was aimed at but you have to remember it was sponsored so can only recommended best buy products. May have narrowed the selections down a bit.
Same dude..like,I ended up this video with a really weird feeling which I never felt watching him..he said how expensive college is then proceeded to recommend the most expensive stuff..I like him a lot and watched him for years, he never missed..but this one, definitely a miss..also I would really love for him to cover at least the mid range side of products,not the low end as it would be pointless to even wish for it,but damnit..at least some mid range stuff here and there,he only covers high end stuff..he is the best at it but I would really love for him to present more affordable stuff
This is the probably the only video of yours that felt it totally missed the mark of your intended audience. If someone is watching your video, they know enough to be able to find the flagship products for everything you mentioned. It felt like a "here is the best product in every category" video, not a true back to school video. What we come to you for is your careful insight, and this felt more like a cash grab from a sponsorship.
Best affordable Headphones with noise cancelling: Soundcore Q30 $80 at Amazon - great sound quality - battery lasts soooo long (for me, from 3 days to a week using it everyday) - great noise cancelling (not as good as Sony but it’s great for noisy rooms, airplane, buses, and even to sleep next to someone who snores hahah) - Good bluetooth connection - Great EQ with the app
I always enjoy watching a new video from Marques, but as others have said, there was a clear "agenda" with the sponsorship going on here. 1. There's absolutely no world in which a student on a budget shouldn't purchase the M1 MacBook Air over the M2. You'll be able to find a refurbished M1 Air for $800 Instead of $1,200, and get 80% of the value. 2. As a video editor out of college, although I ADORE the MX Master 3 (which I use daily), absolutely NO student should go out and buy a $100 mouse for something they have built into their laptop. If you need a mouse, nothing over $20 is necessary. 3. For a phone, a Pixel 6a or iPhone SE around the $400 price is going to be a lot more doable than a brand new flagship phone from either brand, which doubles the price. 4. IMO, The WHXM4's are a very poor recommendation considering the XM3's are nearly identical for 30% less. Even then, I personally wouldn't even recommend students to use their sparse money on big flagship headphones from any brand. A baseline set of EarPods (for apple users) or Galaxy Buds (for android users) will usually do the trick just fine.
Best Buy even sells their own $15 wireless Bluetooth mouse that works just fine if you want full wireless/ no dongle. Zero reason to drop $100 on a pro-level mouse.
I loved my iPhone SE. I started to need a more powerful phone for work/preferences so I upgraded to the 12 mini when it came out but the SE is far and away the best budget iPhone. Considering it's the only budget iPhone but also because it is so close to the 12/13 mini with shortcomings that are easily overlooked at the price point.
I agree with where you are coming from but this is my 6th year in higher ed and I really don’t see many students going for these cheaper options. Most students I know would choose the M2 air, the iPhone 13 or android equivalent, an iPad Air/Pro, etc. It just doesn’t seem like most people are worried about saving money through previous-gen tech. It seems like the focus on financial frugality is very much focused on clothes, entertainment, transportation, books, etc. but not personal tech.
I've never disliked an MKBHD video before, but this was so out of touch. I just graduated college and while I did buy a laptop for school, that's where my tech purchases ended. New phone for back to school? Who does that??? That was definitely my "wow this guy is out of touch" moment. College students today are on a much tighter budget for literally everything because of the huge increase in college tuition over the last decade. I'm not saying that Marques didn't experience any of this, but the fact that he got a laptop sent to him by the college at the very least tells you that this was not a budget college either.
Definitely felt the sponsorship came into effect as soon as the M2 was recommended over the M1 for students. Even with the headphones, XM3’s are still a great option over the XM4x. And then the Beats earbuds totally lost my value in this recommendation list. As others have said, this seemed to be a list of overkill products especially for students in the US.
I mean, the beats earbuds were just on sale for $100, and they have noise canceling. I think that’s a pretty good deal for a solid pair of wireless earbuds
Why did you assume sponsorship? Did apple sponsor any of the tech youtubers? They over recommend apple product, thats true, but I doubt apple pays them for that Edit - oh I see, it is about best buy
I personally could never use paper in school. The ability to search my notes in OneNote and print things out was invaluable. I didn't have to carry around different notebooks and I could use an infinite number of colors with one pen. I could also super easily duplicate the notes and send them to people. I highly recommend digital notes for school
I did all my classes in an iPad with pencil. It's the best, unless you have wrist problems. Being able to take real notes and not have to worry about ripping pages or pens dying. It's great. Just have to carry loose paper in case you get a professor that makes you turn in something on paper in class. But honestly, it was the best thing I did in school. Carried an xps for programming projects and iPad for notes and it allowed me to "Dual" screen if i needed to look at stack overflow or something while coding.
I concur with this. iPad was the biggest game changer to my school / notes workflow. Being able to search notes was also epic. I've also written countless essays on it with the Folio Keyboard when I didn't want to carry around my MacBook.
From my experience, having either a tablet or a 2-in-1 is extremely valuable in college. I was able to keep all my handwritten notes on my laptop along with my homework assignments. That meant I only had to carry around a laptop, which saved a ton of weight in my backpack walking between classes.
Yep! A Lenovo Yoga 9i in my case. I would not like to miss the possibility to take note by pencil AND have a powerful machine with ful capabilities in Software
HP Pavilion x360 here. Cost less than a 750 USD for a pretty decent 2in1 with an active stylus. Haven't had much to complain about and it already survived a school year with me.
Yup, even the cheapest iPad option + 3rd party apple pencil is pretty good value for money and is an absolute lifesaver for note taking. Plus if you're a student you get a discount on the apple website.
I would suggest a 2 in 1, tablets are great but you lose the actual benefits of a computer. I went galaxy book pro2 360 and it's the best of both worlds. Of course there are probably better or even cheaper options but it still stands that a tablet alone probably isn't best for school.
I have used Galaxy Tab S7 during my Ph.D. It's been a lifesaver for me. First of all, it is really good for reading journals, note taking and scribbling on the pdf's, secondly, it doesn't strain your eye that much when you use a computer or a laptop always at a fixed distance, thirdly you get the premium version of noteshelf free with Tab s7 and lastly if you are from a STEM background and use a lot of illustrations or flow process diagrams, you can draw those easily with the stylus on Tab s7. I choose tab s7 over Apple Ipad Air for its ease of use, user interface, and cost (you get stylus for free with Tab S7 and in most cases keyboard too with a huge student discount).
I was too poor to afford the S7 at the time so I went with the Galaxy tab S3. I can safely say this was my most helpful tool throughout my entire college life. Despite it being a older device, so long as it could take good notes and access Office apps I was happy. Also surprisingly good for my architectural sketching on-the-go too.
Agreed! Biology undergrad here, Im about to start my thesis and I got a Tab S6 on my 3rd semester. It really is a lifesaver, at least for natural sciences. Lectures from other fields might have a different structure. I even managed to go abroad for 1 semester with nothing but my Tab S6 and I could do anything! From paper research, essay writing to studying and all the other stuff that was necessary to pass my exams, lab work or presentations :) Worth every penny!
I did most of my psychology undergrad with just the tab s6 and it was great (once you get used to some android as a main computer quirks 😅). IMO a great choice if you only need to browser and Word for your course, if you don't mind getting used to Dex.
@@jasssedine hi i have a question , recently bought a new ipad pro and a stylus for school and i started wondering if it was overkill. I can still return it i just want to know if it will be worth the cost.
@@rareshamburda8120 well first of all if all the other stuff you have is also from apple, then I'd say that it's the next logical step to buy an ipad. In terms of costs, for note taking the Tab S6 lite (for example) would be more than enough. But apple has better apps and if I was in the need of a tablet rn I'd try out the iPad mini. You're definitely not wrong with your choice but if it's just for note taking and not much of entertainment then a cheaper tablet would have done the trick as well. Ipad pro is fantastic tho! I would love to own one haha
Love your videos in general, however this one was really out of touch. A 2-3k usd pre college shopping budget is VERY good. And this goes even higher. This should have had more bang for the buck options. The s22 was uncalled for(a much better recommendation would be pixel 6 and there are some nice options for even less) the M2 MacBook is also not particularly value for money, the M1 works just fine(and is better even in some areas) although the Chromebook was a nice add. There are also better value machines than the XPS which i feel should have been in the video plus u forgot to mention it's battery life issues compared to something lighter(although they are solvable). My personal recommendation against the XPS is the acer concept d3 ezel. Powerful enough and long lasting if u switch to igpu when not going something GPU intensive and for a 1000 dollars u get a decently power laptop+ note taking device as it is foldable, touch and has a stylus(although u might wanna add a cheap grip to it). If u need more power for your work most unis have super computers or otherwise high end computers for such majors. At that point u should also be looking at pc+cheapish laptop combo instead Wireless charging isn't really a requirement. It's less efficient, gives out more heat and usually costs more. Is it still good in some cases? Yea but i won't recommend that on a student budget. Would have also loved to see inclusion of stuff which is actually very important. External hard drives, budget bags with well cushioned laptop pockets, some good picks from the billion power banks out there, wired earphones, budget keyboards(like k553 k630), budget smart watches, fingerprint locker locks etc. Also M402 is a better mouse rec cause it's cheaper but still good enough. This basically felt like you saw a bunch of tech on your desk, made a list of the gold standard of those devices and made a back to school video with them. I expected better as someone who has been watching your videos for a while now. I am doing my own college shopping right now and I got exactly 0 useful information out of this video
Same,he really let us down with this video..he never missed before,but this video really left me with a bad taste..also why the fuck he keeps talking about wireless charging dude like I never even heard anyone actually using it,i don't even know why it fucking exists..cable charging it's faster more reliable and you can actually use your phone while charging..how fucking lazy you have to be to not be able to plug a fucking cable
Why would he reccomend products he isn't a fan of. The pixel 6 series has been notoriously buggy and even he himself stopped using the pixel and went back to the Samsung s22 line
@@AlricoAmona98 Agreed. I have an s22U and its working great for notetaking. And if you're looking for an iphone, would probably just recommend getting the iphone 11.
University IT here: we’re always happy to have you ask “Hey! Is this computer good for what I’m trying to major in?” Where I work, all the departments have different recommendations, but there is one universal recommendation: don’t get a chrome book if you can avoid it. While I think they can be great (and are continuing to get better as general purpose machines) they just aren’t compatible with some schools’ software requirements. Most departments will have recommendations they send out or will provide if asked, so always always always reach out :)
Inb4 “hey that’s elitist what about if you can’t afford something more than a chrome book?” Don’t be afraid to ask if there are scholarships or other assistance (NOT LOANS!!) available for school supplies and if computer purchases count as school supplies. If you go Mac, check out the refurbished M1 Macs or their HED store. If you go PC, check if your school has a student discount portal. My university partners with Dell to provide discounts for all students. The last thing I want is for someone to get the best Chromebook they can, only to find that it straight up won’t work for half the essential programs they’ll need to use at school that’s based their software around windows and macOS.
All i remember from college a decade ago was the Shitty Wifi, or i suppose if you have great connections now, students are getting microwaved by stupid amounts of Radiation with their numerous Wifi products. Sad world.
Knowing that this is sponsored by them, this is frankly just an almost 10 minutes advertisement for Best Buy and I highly kinda doubt he's doing this video out of genuine recommendations lol
You don't necessarily need the high-end and latest tech for University. I used a 2009 macbook pro throughout my years at uni , had an iphone 6 and it worked out just fine. What's important is to remain focused on getting that degree and graduating.
Best buy want those big ticket sales and Mkb wants those fat commissions/sponsorships so that he can go on buying flagship products like they are commodities. Never disliked an mkbhd video until today :(
@@vivalavivaldi what makes me think that? how about Andrew Manganelli (the guy who does the wave form podcast with marques), has said in a podcast and on the mkbhd reddit post about what they buy and what they get given. For example, he said every single red camera they use has been bought buy them (their own money). If you think they get everything for free then you are wrong, wtf back at ya.
@@vivalavivaldi he doesn't have to, and that's not what X3KO is saying. He is saying that he WANTS to buy the tech like they are commodities. just checking up.
Engineering student here, I reccomend surface pro for school since you can take all your notes with the pencil and use it for homework. If you got the budget you should go for it 100%
The Belkin wireless charging stand is probably built extremely well but it’s like 3x+ the cost of one’s you can get on Amazon. You definitely need to read reviews to make sure you’re buying a decent one but there are some really good options at a fraction of the price.
@@blesyl67 I really liked the Anker 3-in-1 one with MagSafe. I have another one from u-good that’s also a 3-in-1 but is much more compact. For travel I recently bought another 3-in-1 that’s awesome for travel: ucomx Nano 3-in-1. There’s a bunch though, all in different configurations so just gotta find the one that works for you and you like the look. Only thing to note is none are great for fast charging. They’re more for overnight charging or similar situations.
@@danielwander605 i echo the sentiment of buying pretty much any anker product. they are often way cheaper and more durable. I have their 3 in 1 tableside charger as well as all my charging cables are from anker and are ridiculously durable. The one i use every night to charge my phone i have had since 2018. I will also add as an honorable mention - i bought the Anker MagGo charging station for my desk a few months ago and i absolutely love it but it is relatively pricey for an anker product at $99.
@@Escape.Velocity I’ll also usually opt to buy Anker if it’s an option. I love their cables and chargers. I hadn’t seen their MagGo stuff till right now though. Looks pretty cool.
Man, i don't remember having need all these expensive gadgets to have for study in university. Back then I just surviving just fine with Lenovo Y50 (which is probably the most expensive one at around RM5000) for video editing stuff, a Samsung A5(2016) and a random cheap earphone that I bought from Daiso Japan for RM5 lol. Even now if I have to survive in college, I would probably still stick with the same loadout that I have back then, with the exception of phone change to something like Samsung A53, and I can still survive without having need to speed so much on gadgets that you won't use much.
Bruh your laptop is absolutely too expensive, I survived uni by 3D modeling and rendering with my RM2k Asus laptop that admittedly was starting to die by the time I finished my course. I also had to edit 10-25 min long videos for my assignments and the laptop really did it’s job decently well.
Marques, i see you as the gold standard for tech videos, but this video feels significantly below your quality standard. I criticise other Tech TH-camrs when they do low effort sponsored product showoffs, and this one honestly feels like it fits right in. We are also not used to shaky shots like 06:55.
Also maybe nobody noticed, but at 2:50 when showing the Macbook Air there are pretty big dust spots showing in the video. Lens must have been pretty dusty when taking the video …
@@Quandtimus Don't pull that "complain about a free video" nonsense, this is about holding a content creator accountable to a standard that they've set for themselves. It's only right. There's a difference between just mere fruitless complaints and constructive criticism.
Bro. That Logitech mouse ALONE is an insane investment!! I bought the gen 2 of that when I got my first apartment and paid rent and had the job that could afford me the spare cash!! 😳 Years after college!!
I got through my 4 years of CS engineering with my then 4 year old Lenovo laptop. By the time I finished college it was 8 years old and doing pretty well. I still remember attening my first job onboarding on that machine. So the key takeaway here is you dont need any of these products. You will do just fine even with a used laptop from ebay.
I went to uni 30 years ago..and then studied for a Masters and Doctorate. All these items are luxuries. We had none of these (we used computers in shared computer labs) and managed to acquire a good education. We certainly didn't expect to spend $5-10,000 on "stuff" before we even started.
I agree that the recommendations in this video are more luxurious than they are practical for a student, but you actually do need decent tech nowadays to get through school, I just purchased all my “books” for the fall semester and half of them are not actually books, but are instead digital codes for online versions of the book - all of which also require you to download an app in order to access it. But i understand the sentiment, you def dont need the newest M2 Macbook Air or a Wireless Charging Lamp to pass college lol
Chromebook all the way, being able to just log in and pick right up on your work on any Chromebook device is amazing. Also I would not have been able to write my thesis without using OAmg to access every paper ever published (for free)
@@santiagoyepes9955 for just college most people just need something to Google, write and take notes. If you study something that needs specific software you should know that, but otherwise a chromebook does everything for much less that you need
For my software engineers in the comments, trust me, save a buck and go used Thinkpad for school. My first thinkpad was used x230, loved it, beat on it for a year but got tired of thick and bulky it was. Upgraded to a used Thinkpad Yoga S1 to finish out my degree. Both computers I got for about $250 each. They were perfect (especially with Linux installed if you wanna go that route) for all the Computer Science courses and my Senior Project. When I graduated and got hired I bought myself my firsty brand new Thinkpad, a t480 which on the used market is going for great prices right now if you want something slimmer, go t480s OR x380 or x390. My t480 is my home machine now and got a x13 gen 2 as my travel computer to accompany my company issued Workstation Laptop (HP z Book) EDIT: forgot to mention, I'm especially reccomending used thinkpad for school cause I literally BEAT on x230 and Yoga S1. Tossed it around, spilled a few unfortunate beverages, i still have both machines. My x230 is a loaner for my parents, and my S1 I use as a sandbox for various personal learning projects Edit 2: I did my Computer Science degree between 2014 and 2018, and have been working ever since as a software engineer. If I were doing my degree now I'd go with a newer Yoga model Thinkpad for the stylus/handwriting support like a x380 yoga or x390 yoga (even x1 yoga if you can find one cheap enough used) and just keeping windows on it for taking notes
Macs are extremely overpriced and with Apple ARM, extremely limiting for CS degree programs. With a Windows machine you can do pretty much everything (including Linux stuff using WSL) except iOS app development. Many libraries just don't work on M1/M2 so you either need to use virtualization or remote computing. I bought an XPS 15 before college and I don't see myself replacing it for a good 8 years, and I can do light gaming, CAD, programming, and everything on it. The Nvidia GPU in it came in handy for doing training of neural networks on device using PyTorch with CUDA acceleration.
I agree with others that some of these recommendations were on the pricey side, but I think investing in a good laptop is worth it. I bought an xps 15 right before I started uni and it has lasted me throughout my 5 year degree in engineering, while most of my friends went through 2 or 3 laptops in the same time
@@finlaymcewan The XPS recommended in the video has pretty poor repairibility unfortunately, they still have the same high quality as your XPS had but they are paperweights if something bad were to happen.
Budget desktop man, I'm still rocking a pentium after 8 years, damn thing just won't die. For most people they don't need a powerful chipset. Unless you're playing games/rendering or doing heavy code work, most degrees need Google and Word and not much else. Can get through lectures with a pad of paper
My personal experience: my mid-range Lenovo Ideapad is still working great after 4 years of uni (with some gaming, quite a bit of coding and note-taking), but I did have to replace the battery and get a bigger SSD. So my advice is Chromebook (or better: wait for a couple paychecks) for cheap laptops, Windows for mid-range and Apple for high-end, unless you really care about upgrading and repairability or gaming. Go for the better battery and screen.
My recommendation instead- 1:15 - PC • Lenovo Legion 5 / Tuf A15 (730$) 3:49 - Mouse • Logitech G402 / G203(35$) 4:22 - Tablet • Samsung S7 Tab / iPad Mini (500-600$) 5:24 SmartPhone • s21/Pixel 6/iPhone 12(600-700$) 6:16 - Desk Accss. • Lamp + Smart Bulb (30-50$) 7:20 - Headphones • Galaxy Buds Pro / Jabra (60-150$) I hope this is suitable for students with a low budget. And All of these products is what I would buy for myself. All within 2000$. You can reduce it if you already own any of the things.
I like everything on your list, but there is one thing I would add. Something I haven't seen mentioned right now is the Apple education store. You could get yourself the M1 MacBook air for $900 and get a $150 gift card. You could then use that gift card to get yourself the iPad air for $400. Buying the iPad will give you an additional $100 gift card, which you could use to get the apple pencil.
For noise cancelling headphones, I recommend the Sony XM3s. The noise cancelling is slightly worse than the XM4s, but you can get them for around $100 on ebay. If you want something wired, I recommend the Etymotic MK5. They're $50 and are basically earplugs with headphone drivers, and you won't get any better noise isolation than that for the price. Alternatively, if you already have some good IEMs or earbuds, get some industrial grade earmuffs and wear them on top. You'll get some weird looks, but you'll minmax price and noise isolation.
Soundcore Q30s are also a great alternative to sony noise canceling headphones. They’re not as good as the sony’s when it comes to active noise canceling but they come pretty close at only $80
Yep I got these, their noise cancellation are still top end but obviously not as good as the latest models but they are better than most noise celcelling headphones. Highly Recommend :)
Really loved the video Marques, but would really appreciate if you follow this video up soon with a budget version, as most students are always working on a budget. That would be a lot more helpful, to more people.
Definitely I am jealous of the people who have opportunity to use pencil and tablet in their class. The recommendations are solid if you are investing as a student but budget options would be a go to for lot of students who can't invest. As a student in the same situation I would love to watch the budget options you recommend.
Ahhhh back to school! So nostalgic, I miss not worrying about real life. Enjoy your student year students!!!! Also I LOVE the master lines, they add so much productivity in my work flow
I used to hate watching back to school videos in the summer because they meant school is imminent lol but now that I graduated and got a job I don't really care anymore 🤣
@@medilyesoudhini7411 As someone who finished junior high last year, it's weird how we all hate school when we're still in it, but reminisce about it so much when it's all over. I know that because I've felt exactly the same.
Shoutout to my OnePlus phone and Huawei laptop for getting me through university feeling premium for MUCH less. Bonus ups for Ikea's articulating lamps ($20 and I can see all my homework incredibly well without eye strain), the old door I refinished to use as a desktop, and wired earbuds under hardware store earmuffs as my "noise-cancelling headphones." And the same 2 sets of Hanes underwear from target for also lasting the whole ride.
Hey everyone. Good take on the video and love the recommendations. If you plan on making another video such as this, maybe you can also include some more budget options and best value options. What I can tell from my years of studying in college and university is that your tech and needs will be based on what courses/programme you took for your education. Engineering students require computer specs that can run BIM software. I'm not sure about the other programmes but from what I can see that most students at my place has 8GB of RAM for their laptops. Also, here is my setup during my university years. Hope it can help anyone who are looking to buy something for their college/university years. All the best. Laptop - ASUS X455L (Upgraded to SSD with additional RAM) Phone - Vivo Y69/Redmi 10/Samsung A22 4G Mouse - Logitech G102 Keyboard - Tecware TKL ver
You know the perfect solution to taking notes like at 5:02? Just write them down like college students have been doing for the past 1400 years. No iPad is gonna replace the good-old notebook we've used since scholasticism began in the 9th century AD
I’ve been using an iPad as I’ve gone through university. And it has been infinitely better than pen an paper. I could carry around loads of notebooks, textbooks, and print out pictures to tape into my notes… or just have the iPad. It’s lighter, I’m not wasting paper, and I’m much more organized. The iPad most certainly has replaced the “good-old notebook”.
When I got into college, I applied to many scholarship programs as I could. I got in on 3 that gives me 300$ per 2 months. I just did my works on pc cafes at the start and saved the money I got for a laptop, that's all I need, good thing it lasted for years. I think that's the best way to do it for incoming college students.
I made it through 3 years of Law school (8 years ago-ish) with the iPad and logitech keyboard. With the beastly architecture of today's models, I don't see why that wouldn't suffice for a college student nowadays. 11-15 years ago was undergrad, and didn't have this tech. Super jealous what's available to students now.
I'm joinin college this month and was waiting for this. Will take inspiration from the things you bought and buy mine, because I can't afford the stuff you did
As a collage student I can confirm the most useful item to splurge on is the noise cancelling headphones, second is laptop or ipad but that’s not so important depending in your workflow/study.
Awesome video. But I feel the main tech stuff is really dependent on how much a person is willing to spend. I think a more personal and relatable video idea would be back to school tech but it's just accessories that go with your already existing devices. Personally I'd enjoy that a lot.
Another note for my friends going to college for the first time- BUY SECOND-HAND!! Especially on products like Windows laptops, you can save 100s of crucial dollars when you’re trying to get bang for your buck! Don’t buy a brand new XPS 15. That’s an INSANE recommendation for college students unless you are already loaded.
I graduated with a degree in electrical engineering last year. If I were to go back, I'd get an iPad or a Surface Pro to take notes. It was always stressful taking notes in electronics classes when profs would solve circuits by erasing and drawing over their work before I got a chance to draw it in my notebook. It would have been so much easier to take notes if I could copy and rearrange things on a notes app
sure, ill just splurge thousands of dollars on high end equipment as a non-working student ..... My list would be (under 1k total): 300eur: Chinese Phone with decent specs 350eur: The new Base Ipad (when it releases) for pdf's, web, email, calendar, note taking, books, any stylus will do 250eur + 45eur: Old Thinkpad t530 with a new battery for coding related stuff 20eur: any keyboard, Microsoft Mouse and if there really is extra cash i would get a huge 2k monitor to prevent eye strain while working
Upcoming college freshman here. College is expensive, but that doesn't mean splurging is the best idea. You either have a lot to spend, or you don't. *I would recommend for the more significant purchases like laptops, phones, tablets, etc., to look on the used market first, as there are plenty of great deals.* If you want a Chromebook, just know that I have yet to try a keyboard that I would deem fine, *stupid layout aside*. The touchpad is also utterly trash in the ones I've used but can be mitigated by a mouse. I use the Microsoft Arc Mouse because I can shove it into a pocket, and it is pretty. The keyboard and touchpad might get better up the price bracket, but a used m series MacBook might be in reach at that point. (I see lots for bid around $200)
Absolutely hilarious. Here is my version: Laptop: HP Pavilion 14 ($600? Ryzen 5 5500u, capable of almost everything CPU related task. Integrated GPU is just enough tho, 40 fps in FIFA 22) Phone: realme Narzo 20a ($150 I think? the battery is insane. can goes up to 3 days without charge. sometimes it is slow so you wont waste many times in it) Mouse: logitech m170 ($10, one year battery life (AA battery)) Desk lamp: sort by cheapest in Amazon (mine is about $5) Headphone: $20 Audio Technica TWS: Haylou GT1 XR (~ $20, incredible battery life, no noticeable delay, at least for me)
I think instead of hp pavilion you can go for Lenovo IdeaPad 3 or Asus vivobook 15 for better performance and durability, they have good upgrade options as well. Plus in my country they provide 2yrs warranty, 1yr more than other brands also provide more freebies like mouse, laptop sleeve, and bagpack, they also give keyboard at discounted price if you bundle with them.
Yeah that's much more practical although for a North American student Redmi wouldn't be supported. Still how about a refurbished s20 FE or a pixel 5A for $250. Or an s10e is like $140. iPhone XS is 200 or less on the resale market. Better for the environment also Or if you still want to proper paper warranty Moto stylus or g100. Hell yeah I've seen straight talk. Offer the iPhone 12 mini for 300 bucks if you go through their plans. The dumbest thing would be to go to Best Buy and drop between 1800 and 1500 on a Samsung flagship :(
Guys, a quick note that you do NOT need all the high-end tech in order to do well at college. If you can (and you should), save as much money as you can while at college, pay your tuition in full and student loans as soon as possible instead of spending on liabilities like gadgets. Get the bare minimum you need and only spend money on products you know you are going to be using for 4-6 years (such as laptop). Don't overspend on phone, headphones, lamps, tablets, etc.
We have free colleges and universities here so gotta spend the money somewhere lol
(EDIT) For those who want to know the country: Finland 🇫🇮
So true
@@tuomas9024 same haha
This!
@@tuomas9024 save it?
As people are saying, even if you are in software engineering or a computer science major, you don't need very high end tech to complete the courses. Most of the time, the university has enough lab equipment to let you finish your work.
More reading, taking notes using pens and paper are definitely good strategies.
As a comp sci student, a base level computer will get you through your first 2 years. After that, it’s gonna struggle. A mid range laptop or higher range are better in the long run as a result. Not the most expensive thing, but something solid. I still use my baseline iPad for note taking and it’s seriously a game changer over pen and paper.
@@josephmanni7491 I kinda want to buy an iPad because of note taking for my math and chemistry classes but I’m afraid I won’t see a difference with taking regular notes with a pen and paper. I have a job and get fasfa but I still wonder what I really need. I bought a MacBook Pro but like 2012 and I like it since it works and has the light on the back with a light keyboard.
@@JV-ie4rh focus your budget on the computer, that’s gonna be the most important. In terms of the actual feel, your right, it’s not much different. Only factor is the iPad or any tablet that is good for note taking keeps everything for each class all in one spot, and it’s nice for having up slides on one side, note on the other, multitasking. It’s convenience more than anything. Question you have to ask is will you really utilize it for more than just taking notes, like multitasking, and if so, is that going to help you study better and how much more than just pen and paper? If the answer is yes, might be worth the money. If your questioning it tho, I’d say hold off for a bit. I use the base iPad with the first gen Apple Pencil and I’ve never had an issue, so if you want something cheap that might do it for you!
@@JV-ie4rh maybe combine computer and tablet…iPad pro might be worth it for you or the new air. What are you studying? If it’s not comp sci or video production that might be a great fit for you
Yeah dude, let’s just let marquee make content and get a bestbuy sponsorship, you don’t actually need to buy all this shit, even then like bro just don’t even go to college and learn all that computer shit on your own
Most of the items you recommend are pretty pricey for a student. I'm not a student myself anymore but if I were one, more budget alternatives would make this video a lot better!
Yeah I don’t think he understands that not everyone can afford what he can.
@@juliansandler4569 yea, I cringe everytime a tech youtuber has a spondored back to school tech because they always use the higher end stuff
Massively agree, these are expensive options and more suitable for gamers than students
Agreeee
Coz he rich, lost the taste of the bottom
this is hilarious. i was in a focus group over 4 years ago for Best Buy where they were asking college students how to advertise for Back to School. One of the kids next to me said "Maybe you should have someone like MKBHD talk about your products". Well... here we are
Is it hilarious because it was a mistake?
@@x3ko777 What?
Mistake? What are you talking about? Someone should track that kid down and hire him/her.
@@wanyekest6969 it is, he is recommending a 1000 dollar chromebook, just get a decent used business class laptop or a decent lenovo ideapad laptop (they are usually cheap, and just decent, but not used and may be easily available in some places), IF you require a chromebook LIKE SERIOUSLY require one, just go for a cheap one, it's a chromebook. You do not require a macbook unless if you are a creative.
@@usodarou not a mistake tho
Just a personal take - a lot of students are looking for the best in class budget options rather than the high-end flagship devices. I feel that this video would have been much better if it was focused more at the user/target market rather than the device’s in isolation
it really is the same every year. techtubers just recommend the latest and greatest instead of the best value
@@salman_3833 d2d is best for this stuffs
it's a sponsor what do you expect
MKBHD used to recommend the best value, I miss those days
Facts
Some solid recommendations. Some of them are really flagship/high end, while most students would rather go for budget. I'd like to see a sequel of this with budget recommendations
Yeah. Seems like he just looked up what was a decent flag ship and threw it in the video. A used iPhone 11 or 12 can go for less then $350 and easy get you through collage. Along with a used iPad Air 4th gen ($450) and even an older style laptop. Like a thinkpad. I could buy a laptop, ipad, and phone for the price of his one laptop.
Well, it's sponsored by best buy, so they're not going to have him give reccomendations on things that won't make them very much money
It won’t be sponsored by bestbuy, so don’t expect one 😁
It's best buy.
They treat their employees like shit and choose these products so they can get more kickback from it
@@jtn0022 imma swap the iPhone 11 and iPad air for realme gt neo and iPad 9th gen/mi pad 5
Since it is focused mainly on students, you could've included some budget friendly alternatives as well.
It's best buy. They would never
Add the prices of everything and it comes out around 3800USD
He lost the connection to normal folks a long time ago.
@@billigerfusel kinda true tbh
Exactly. He could have and SHOULD HAVE included some budget options as well. (Even Austin Evans usually includes some more budget-friendly options when he makes these kinds of videos…and that’s saying something lol). This feels essentially like peer pressuring students into spending way more than they actually need…
BEST BUY: We want to sponsor a back to school type video. But you can only push the high end stuff.
Marques: say less
"best back to school tech." not most affordable, broke buster.
@@allen.9 then don't "use back to school" terms because it doesn't make sense for students using mx master 3s for powerpoint, words and excel. he also recommend iPad air as it's clearly not the "best tech" because there's the pro version.
@@zidnyzidan personally I wouldn't get a pro over an air for school. it's too bulky and doesn't fit it my Mac case, while my air does.
@@allen.9 “broke buster” 😭😭😭most of us are going to college so yes we have to save money. Still in high school or is mommy still paying for your stuff?
@@-5249 in school and guess what! I have a job!!!
I like Dave2D take on back to school, he recommended stuff across price segment not just flagship. Honestly for a student I don't think it makes sense for vast majority to jump for flagship, save some bucks and tradeoff for acceptable performance based on your requirement.
his recommendations shouldve been "best tech to buy if you have the money" these are basically a list of flagship stuff, dude seriously recommended a 120 bucks mouse for a student lol. if this is what youre buying JUST for going back to school then you probably already have your future planned out by your dad
2
first and second option is okay for me you gotta be give the best for years but the third one? its like MKBHD its not even trying to find or research for the third option, i know its sponsored but geez you are an influencer bro. how can you even make this video and not rewatch it again before publish it, or see other youtube before you made this awful sponsored video
Funny that you mention that. In America most people going to college have an iPhone that costs more than double the amount of an average Android phone. If people really cared about their budget they wouldn't buy such expensive phones or at least a lot of them wouldn't. Now you're saying they should skimp on the stuff they'll use for things that actually matter? How's your train of thought working if you think "1000usd phone for Instagram ok but 350usd headphones that will help me concentrate better in the noisy place I live in? Nono." I know you'll probably say you don't own an iPhone or that you're not recommending them but let me tell you the students you're referring to buy iphones and apple watches, and using that money to get themselves a nice laptop and maybe a nice mouse would actually be a smart move.
@@gersonrendon2188 True true.
Marques I think you forgot that I, as someone who just paid their first semester tuition in full, does not have thousands of dollars to spend on tech. Was hoping for some more budget options rather than top of the line tech lol.
In University it’s better to have expansive tech that’ll last you the 4-6 years than to cheap out and potentially have things break on you or become out of date
Education is an investment, if you can't set yourself up for the best possible success, you should probably defer for a bit and get more savings
Yea the video seems pretty out of touch with the audience its targeting.
Budget :
Best Noise Cancelling Headphones -Sound Core Q30
Laptop-Imma go with something like the Dell Inspiron 5502/i7 ,same thing I have ,got it for £700.
Phone- Get a Oneplus 9 Pro or even the 8 Pro 🌚 not the 10 Pro totally not worth it for the price, I'm using an 8 Pro ( 2 year old phone) 😅🙂
exactly
You dropped the ball on this one.
The things recommended in this video are in the price range of those making a good buck at Silicon Valley. XPS 15, MX Master, >$100 headphones for students?? Nah man.
Seems you’ve detached from your core viewers / reality. You just recommended the best of each class regardless of price range. These are for working professionals.
Even as a working professional I won't buy most of these high-end gadgets.
Most of his audience are not from US.
@@futuremaxxed which makes it worse. All of these cost more outside the US.
@@futuremaxxed us is the place where most people will afford more than most other places. Ge really feels very detached from reality in this video
Its called the "best back to school tech," not "best budget back to school tech"
he's also sponsored by best buy in this, the prices will be rough lol
Everyone has been saying it but I’ll throw my hat in as well. To any prospective college students, you DO NOT need to spend money on flagship products. I am about to graduate with a business degree and have been using a 7 year old laptop and the base iPad from late 2020. Both products have worked flawlessly and I have no intention of replacing them. The recommendations listed are ones I would never be able to afford even with my job I’m working as well. Do your own research on forums to see what your peers say the best value product is. I promise that if you buy a flagship product you will quickly see that you did not need it.
I cant say that I agree with you. I am an engineering masters student and usually having a latest gen laptop always helped. I usually upgrade on a 2 year cycle with all my electronics usually to a good gaming laptop or latest gen iphone and headphones. SO to me this video seemed perfect. But I understand your perspective as well since in Germany we dont have the problem of college tuition. I guess its a bit easier to invest the student job earnings in gadgets and other creature comforts when tution is not a issue. Furthermore, I think MKBHD has a huge global audience so this video might not be the best for US audience but for me in Europe, it looks like a perfect list!
@@vishalsreenivasa4324 Honestly, even in the Netherlands where college is cheap compared to the US, I still wouldn't have bought any of Marques' (Or BestBuy's) recommendations, just because you really don't need all these high end devices in college. As an engineering bachelor student I've spent my 4 college years with a €700 laptop, a €250 phone and €90 wired headset. Granted my laptop was the bare minimum, but my Lenovo Flex 2 could still run CAD programs just fine.
Even with my current 40hrs a week job I wouldn't buy all of these ''Back to school'' recommendations. This is just a ''best tech that might be slightly cheaper than some current flagships, but is still above midrange'' list, it has nothing to do with students needs.
@@christaaah I guess it depends on the user. In my case i run a lot of simulations on digital twins thus having a good processor with multiple cores helps. I use a large computer cluster for student research activities but to work on individual projects, i prefer using my own device for obvious reasons. So a 3k legion gaming laptop is the one within my budget Plus it has an insane screen suited for gaming. Second, I like to have a good camera on my phone (since I’m into photography and cant carry a full size camera or gopro everywhere i go) so latest gen iphone or Samsung s series is the best for those insta stores or precious memories. And if you are working out in the gym then nothing beats an air pods pro to get you into the zone listening a motivational track, and it doesn’t fall off even if you do a lot of cardio drills!!! Last, I live in a student dorm and its not quite always so a good headphone with noise cancellation is a bare minimum to survive and study haha. So 1000xm4s are absolutely needed everyday!! (I don’t like going out to ask other to keep quite and kill the vibe just because i want to study at random hours). Plus once you go wireless, you wont go back!!! I guess it depends on the type of user and what your needs are. I can’t survive with a 700 laptop at all, i need processing power. I tend to procrastinate a lot with my projects and run huge simulations overnight at the last minute hehe, I’m a power hungry pit that needs fast processing power!!!! Maybe if i was working on basic coding or ML then sure I wouldn’t mind shifting to a lower end laptop.
I still have a year left as a Masters student and I hope this is my last electronics purchase cycle since I have put close to half of my student earnings into electronics and survive on scholarship and HiWi money only!!
@@vishalsreenivasa4324 Yeah, but you're an engineering student. The majority of degrees don't require much more than a basic word processor - hell, my sister graduated with a first, and all she had was a 200 euro Chromebook and a fuck-ton of stationery. High end tech is great if you can afford it, but all of the items Marques talked about in the video were luxury versions of things most people don't even need basic models of.
@@drachna i agree with the laptop fo sure, you dont need the absolute best and a basic one works fine depending on your degree program. But a smart watch, noise cancelling headphones, wireless charger and a good phone are basic requirements at this point. Cant imagine living without them and usually a latest gen product is good for 2 years atleast. So spending 1k on some creature comforts for 2 years seems like a no brainier!
Would love to see more student focused videos which don’t just loop through the flagship versions of every device. The best phone, mouse, laptop, are not always the options for students. In fact I would say student videos are a great opportunity to deviate from the norm, because 99% of videos focus on the top range of products
No kidding. $350 headphones, $100 mouse, and on and on.
Marques, I appreciate your advice as someone who recently graduated college in the US. However, to be frank, some of these recommendations are really out of the bugdet range for most students. At another time, I think it would be nice for you to reconsider your recommendations.
I’ve been working for almost three years now and the only thing I have on this video is the headphones. So many of things aren’t budget enough even for the working class let alone students.
I'm a huge fan of Marques, but this seemed more like a video where he just named his favorite tech and labeled it as "back to school" because it'll generate more views. Views = money so I understand it. Just not a fan of most of these choices. The majority of students don't need a $1000+ laptop or a brand new phone. They certainly don't need the top of the line noise canceling headphones either.
Also worth noting that this video was sponsored by Best Buy. I'm sure they'd prefer to have Marques pushing high end devices as opposed to more budget friendly options because those high end devices will bring more profit to Best Buy themselves.
@@Hunter116 I agree with everything you have just said, it's strange that he did it and he could have mention Anker as a alternative for people who want an equivalent to headphones or something, but instead he went all out on the Sony xm4s which are still expensive
@@Soraviel Exactly. Anker and some other brands make great noice cancelling headphones for like half the price of those Sonys. Obviously they aren't quite as good, but most college students don't need the very best. They just want to listen to their music and not hear the people around them.
MKBHD missed the mark here. Too expensive for most students. Going from a flagship laptop to a chrome book does not help anybody looking for functionality on a budget.
It's a sponsored video, you might as well not even take this seriously. This is the second time I've seen MKBHD do this (last time with an Ultrabook video essentially being a Lenovo ad), I hope he isn't selling out...
>back to school
>top tier premium tech
I do prefer Dave2D when he recommends school tech since he always include a few budget options. 1200+ laptop or iPad is way too much for regular student considering all the price they have to pay. There are so many good cheaper laptops these days with AMD Ryzen chips with good battery life and are still ralatively thin and light. On the Mac side I would say the M1 Air is the only good option considering price to performance ratio.
I don't think a 1000 or even 2000 laptop is too much for a 4 year investment.
@@jakobwest4811 I can buy a 8 year old thinkpad for 200 dollars that will last me 10 years. Or a 300 dollar amd ryzen laptop if you want something more modern
@Joel Miller yeah I loved his. He also says that the best value you can get is really from refurbished things.
@@jakobwest4811 May as well right? I mean you are already in debt with student loans, whats a little more?
I'm still using the original M1 (replaced it with the same after water damage 1 year later) and I'm very happy with it. I use it for personal and work, but performance demands are equal to what a normal student would use. Granted I don't use excel or other industry specific software but M2 to me just seems very overkill for a student. If you need performance you probably aren't going base models and are probably getting a laptop issued to you from your organization.
I think you've already received this feedback but I'll chime in as well.
Most of the products you recommended are quite expensive, a more budget friendly counterpart for all the products would have been nice.
Agreed
It’s a bit out of touch
I think these are not that expensive because I know how much professional products cost. A headphone worth $300 is nothing compared to a pro headphone worth $2000. So I do think these suggestions were on the cheaper side. No student needs a $2000 headphone for example.
@@sayanama I’m using $50 headphones 🎧(yes only fifty dollars) and I don’t have a single complaint about them…🤷♂️
Probably one of the most heavily guided sponsor videos of MKBHD.
most lamest lmao
Exactly from the products he chose i can tell the sponsors told him to pick those
Ultrabook video enters the chat
Have you seen his video about "ultrabooks" with thinkpad?
"This video is sponsored by Best Buy! May I recommend all the most expensive tech that Best Buy sell?!"
marcus just disappoints me with having a back to school tech video 😭
“Back to school tech” shows almost the most expensive mainstream tech (used by professionals too) in their respective fields in the thumbnail.
Thanks Marques for suggesting the 10 most popular products to us 😂
Total cost of everything
'cheapest laptop' = $699
mouse that is quite= $99
iPad with pencil= $649
S22= $799
Lamp= $35
Headphones= $350
Earphones= $100
*Total*= $2731
Also to be noted that these prices are from Bestbuy U.S. Anywhere else in the world you'd be easily paying almost 40% to 50% more. For Eg cost of these same products for my Indian bros will be $3500 or 2.7lakhs which is more than the tuition fees for majority of the colleges.
This video gotta be a joke😂
I love "mouse that is quiet" because that was the only point really talked about in this video.
Where is college fees less than 2.7 lakhs?? You saying per month per year or what??
plus that quiet mouse you mentioned, its for right handed people only, good luck using that thing if youre a leftie. Also you forgot to add the SmArTwAtCh, so another 300$ ? ;D ;D ;D
@@ek6352 usually out of U.S many colleged are around $3000 per year only in the U.S it goes till $15k. And note these are just the school tuition not the dorms fees or all the extra stuff
@@ek6352I think he's taking about the average fee of a bachelor's degree course which is quite right if you look at it
Okay pro tip from recent grad, having a pair of ANC earbuds THAT YOU CAN SLEEP WITH can completely save your sanity in a noisy dorm-room environment. They don't have to be wireless (although it can help), they just need to be comfortable enough that when you lie either side of your head down on the pillow they don't put pressure on your ears, and that they have a good enough fit for the ANC and don't fall out. When I got a job I bought a pair of Airpods Pro on sale specifically so that I wouldn't be in my dorm room situation again with roommates showering and yelling at videogames until 3am every other night. I had enough money for a pair when they came out but heard things about the battery life (that are true) that turned me off of them, in retrospect a huge regret.
It's hard to choose between a pair of workout buds and a pair for sleeping (especially on a student budget), but in hindsight I would personally choose the pair for sleeping. You can work out without music, but not being able to fall asleep at a decent hour when you want to will make or break your college career. Ofc depends on dorming situation, I just was in the dorm situation from hell when it came to noise, something to be aware of
Even with a job now, I'm not entirely sure if I would be splurging on these items. I definitely would not have been able to afford this during my time at school.
Student loans make anything possible
@@drodriguez1724 If you need to use borrowed money, you can't afford it.
The video wasn’t a budget focused, there are thousands of budget focused videos out there
@@Badd.G yea this video is just what best buy wants you to buy
@@Kevin_I guess no one is going to college then!
I think this video is probably the most misguided video by Mkhbd, Who usually is spot on with his videos. Almost all the things he recommended are high end flagship or at lowest mid range flagship. A lot of people struggle to pay through college and need student loans so I think this video could have benefited from some more budget devices
Incredibly true. Not to mention that there are better options out there, but just weren’t listed because they can’t be bought at Best Buy
Cannot agree more. Somewhere @juanbagnell is dying inside after MKBHD recommended the s22. Very strange video and not sure what angle it was aimed at but you have to remember it was sponsored so can only recommended best buy products. May have narrowed the selections down a bit.
Same dude..like,I ended up this video with a really weird feeling which I never felt watching him..he said how expensive college is then proceeded to recommend the most expensive stuff..I like him a lot and watched him for years, he never missed..but this one, definitely a miss..also I would really love for him to cover at least the mid range side of products,not the low end as it would be pointless to even wish for it,but damnit..at least some mid range stuff here and there,he only covers high end stuff..he is the best at it but I would really love for him to present more affordable stuff
Best Buy most likely has a hand in the video to push the 12 month financing options. They push that A LOT during the school season.
So how is it misguiding
This is the probably the only video of yours that felt it totally missed the mark of your intended audience.
If someone is watching your video, they know enough to be able to find the flagship products for everything you mentioned. It felt like a "here is the best product in every category" video, not a true back to school video. What we come to you for is your careful insight, and this felt more like a cash grab from a sponsorship.
100%
It's called "Best Tech" though and most of the options he's chosen are definitely deserving of that title.
@@Lucky8s Not for students though, not every student has a blank check for spending on their school gear.
This video had potential to really grab attention from the other of the the consumer spectrum, but it just overshot by a mile
Exactly.
Best affordable Headphones with noise cancelling:
Soundcore Q30
$80 at Amazon
- great sound quality
- battery lasts soooo long (for me, from 3 days to a week using it everyday)
- great noise cancelling (not as good as Sony but it’s great for noisy rooms, airplane, buses, and even to sleep next to someone who snores hahah)
- Good bluetooth connection
- Great EQ with the app
I always enjoy watching a new video from Marques, but as others have said, there was a clear "agenda" with the sponsorship going on here.
1. There's absolutely no world in which a student on a budget shouldn't purchase the M1 MacBook Air over the M2. You'll be able to find a refurbished M1 Air for $800 Instead of $1,200, and get 80% of the value.
2. As a video editor out of college, although I ADORE the MX Master 3 (which I use daily), absolutely NO student should go out and buy a $100 mouse for something they have built into their laptop. If you need a mouse, nothing over $20 is necessary.
3. For a phone, a Pixel 6a or iPhone SE around the $400 price is going to be a lot more doable than a brand new flagship phone from either brand, which doubles the price.
4. IMO, The WHXM4's are a very poor recommendation considering the XM3's are nearly identical for 30% less. Even then, I personally wouldn't even recommend students to use their sparse money on big flagship headphones from any brand. A baseline set of EarPods (for apple users) or Galaxy Buds (for android users) will usually do the trick just fine.
Best Buy even sells their own $15 wireless Bluetooth mouse that works just fine if you want full wireless/ no dongle. Zero reason to drop $100 on a pro-level mouse.
Or for the headphones just get some Anker soundcores. Cheap and good
I loved my iPhone SE. I started to need a more powerful phone for work/preferences so I upgraded to the 12 mini when it came out but the SE is far and away the best budget iPhone. Considering it's the only budget iPhone but also because it is so close to the 12/13 mini with shortcomings that are easily overlooked at the price point.
Bro he’s no forcing you to buy anything this is a free recommendation for idiots who don’t google things on their own
I agree with where you are coming from but this is my 6th year in higher ed and I really don’t see many students going for these cheaper options. Most students I know would choose the M2 air, the iPhone 13 or android equivalent, an iPad Air/Pro, etc. It just doesn’t seem like most people are worried about saving money through previous-gen tech. It seems like the focus on financial frugality is very much focused on clothes, entertainment, transportation, books, etc. but not personal tech.
I've never disliked an MKBHD video before, but this was so out of touch. I just graduated college and while I did buy a laptop for school, that's where my tech purchases ended. New phone for back to school? Who does that??? That was definitely my "wow this guy is out of touch" moment. College students today are on a much tighter budget for literally everything because of the huge increase in college tuition over the last decade. I'm not saying that Marques didn't experience any of this, but the fact that he got a laptop sent to him by the college at the very least tells you that this was not a budget college either.
Cry
@@glub1381 holy racist 💀💀
He seriously recommended a chrome book
@@Quandtimus Here's your L
@@_amintrouble L then
Definitely felt the sponsorship came into effect as soon as the M2 was recommended over the M1 for students. Even with the headphones, XM3’s are still a great option over the XM4x. And then the Beats earbuds totally lost my value in this recommendation list.
As others have said, this seemed to be a list of overkill products especially for students in the US.
I mean, the beats earbuds were just on sale for $100, and they have noise canceling. I think that’s a pretty good deal for a solid pair of wireless earbuds
@@jamesblair2713 $100 is a lot of money for the average US student to splurge on earphones, let alone the average student in other countries.
wait.... this is just an ad then?
Why did you assume sponsorship? Did apple sponsor any of the tech youtubers?
They over recommend apple product, thats true, but I doubt apple pays them for that
Edit - oh I see, it is about best buy
The us?in my country the average income it's like 30% of the price of every single product from this video
If you want to save money as a student, consider used/refurbished tech for good prices & high specs
Never underestimate the power of good old pen and paper. It really does change how you remember notes long-term.
yeah that should be included here instead of an iPad for writing down notes
@@WesleyDechavez An iPad isn't only used for writing notes.
I personally could never use paper in school. The ability to search my notes in OneNote and print things out was invaluable. I didn't have to carry around different notebooks and I could use an infinite number of colors with one pen. I could also super easily duplicate the notes and send them to people. I highly recommend digital notes for school
I tried everything but when it comes to learning pen & paper combo is the best. Don’t it just makes the connection stronger.
I think you forgot the title of the video
I did all my classes in an iPad with pencil. It's the best, unless you have wrist problems. Being able to take real notes and not have to worry about ripping pages or pens dying. It's great. Just have to carry loose paper in case you get a professor that makes you turn in something on paper in class. But honestly, it was the best thing I did in school. Carried an xps for programming projects and iPad for notes and it allowed me to "Dual" screen if i needed to look at stack overflow or something while coding.
what program did/do you use
Meanwhile I still study/write on paper with no tech 😂
I concur with this. iPad was the biggest game changer to my school / notes workflow. Being able to search notes was also epic. I've also written countless essays on it with the Folio Keyboard when I didn't want to carry around my MacBook.
@@henrykch I tried out both GoodNotes and Notability and GoodNotes definitely took the cake for me.
This is kind of a rich kid back to school tech XD
For notebooks, I suggest Catleya which can also come with a pen, G-Tech :)
We need this every year 🔥 🔥 🔥
Timestamps: Finished
0:00-Intro
1. 1:15-A Computer
2. 3:49-Mouse
3 4:22-A Tablet and stylus
4 5:24-Smartphone
5 6:16-Desk accessories
6: 7:20-Headphones
7: 8:48-Outro
Bonus: 2:49-Serious Dust
See ya bros
legend
Thanks!
Add serious dust on lens at 2:49 - I’m joking but these vids are usually super clean so that was a surprise because it’s very noticeable.
@@mikez2501 I gotchu
@@Mc_Phantom0 ha, that’s funny
Today I noticed MarquesBrownlee domain at the website of my registrar. Why is it available?
Hey what's your registrar?
the website avlability database might be outdated, that or the registar is a scam
@@richmail I've checked several registrars, it is for sale as a premium domain
From my experience, having either a tablet or a 2-in-1 is extremely valuable in college. I was able to keep all my handwritten notes on my laptop along with my homework assignments. That meant I only had to carry around a laptop, which saved a ton of weight in my backpack walking between classes.
Yep! A Lenovo Yoga 9i in my case. I would not like to miss the possibility to take note by pencil AND have a powerful machine with ful capabilities in Software
Didn’t even touch a piece of paper again in college once I bought a tablet.
HP Pavilion x360 here. Cost less than a 750 USD for a pretty decent 2in1 with an active stylus. Haven't had much to complain about and it already survived a school year with me.
Yup, even the cheapest iPad option + 3rd party apple pencil is pretty good value for money and is an absolute lifesaver for note taking. Plus if you're a student you get a discount on the apple website.
I would suggest a 2 in 1, tablets are great but you lose the actual benefits of a computer. I went galaxy book pro2 360 and it's the best of both worlds. Of course there are probably better or even cheaper options but it still stands that a tablet alone probably isn't best for school.
this is great not for a student but for a professional.
I have used Galaxy Tab S7 during my Ph.D. It's been a lifesaver for me. First of all, it is really good for reading journals, note taking and scribbling on the pdf's, secondly, it doesn't strain your eye that much when you use a computer or a laptop always at a fixed distance, thirdly you get the premium version of noteshelf free with Tab s7 and lastly if you are from a STEM background and use a lot of illustrations or flow process diagrams, you can draw those easily with the stylus on Tab s7. I choose tab s7 over Apple Ipad Air for its ease of use, user interface, and cost (you get stylus for free with Tab S7 and in most cases keyboard too with a huge student discount).
I was too poor to afford the S7 at the time so I went with the Galaxy tab S3. I can safely say this was my most helpful tool throughout my entire college life. Despite it being a older device, so long as it could take good notes and access Office apps I was happy. Also surprisingly good for my architectural sketching on-the-go too.
Agreed! Biology undergrad here, Im about to start my thesis and I got a Tab S6 on my 3rd semester. It really is a lifesaver, at least for natural sciences. Lectures from other fields might have a different structure. I even managed to go abroad for 1 semester with nothing but my Tab S6 and I could do anything! From paper research, essay writing to studying and all the other stuff that was necessary to pass my exams, lab work or presentations :)
Worth every penny!
I did most of my psychology undergrad with just the tab s6 and it was great (once you get used to some android as a main computer quirks 😅). IMO a great choice if you only need to browser and Word for your course, if you don't mind getting used to Dex.
@@jasssedine hi i have a question , recently bought a new ipad pro and a stylus for school and i started wondering if it was overkill. I can still return it i just want to know if it will be worth the cost.
@@rareshamburda8120 well first of all if all the other stuff you have is also from apple, then I'd say that it's the next logical step to buy an ipad. In terms of costs, for note taking the Tab S6 lite (for example) would be more than enough. But apple has better apps and if I was in the need of a tablet rn I'd try out the iPad mini. You're definitely not wrong with your choice but if it's just for note taking and not much of entertainment then a cheaper tablet would have done the trick as well. Ipad pro is fantastic tho! I would love to own one haha
Love your videos in general, however this one was really out of touch. A 2-3k usd pre college shopping budget is VERY good. And this goes even higher. This should have had more bang for the buck options.
The s22 was uncalled for(a much better recommendation would be pixel 6 and there are some nice options for even less) the M2 MacBook is also not particularly value for money, the M1 works just fine(and is better even in some areas) although the Chromebook was a nice add.
There are also better value machines than the XPS which i feel should have been in the video plus u forgot to mention it's battery life issues compared to something lighter(although they are solvable).
My personal recommendation against the XPS is the acer concept d3 ezel. Powerful enough and long lasting if u switch to igpu when not going something GPU intensive and for a 1000 dollars u get a decently power laptop+ note taking device as it is foldable, touch and has a stylus(although u might wanna add a cheap grip to it). If u need more power for your work most unis have super computers or otherwise high end computers for such majors. At that point u should also be looking at pc+cheapish laptop combo instead
Wireless charging isn't really a requirement. It's less efficient, gives out more heat and usually costs more. Is it still good in some cases? Yea but i won't recommend that on a student budget.
Would have also loved to see inclusion of stuff which is actually very important. External hard drives, budget bags with well cushioned laptop pockets, some good picks from the billion power banks out there, wired earphones, budget keyboards(like k553 k630), budget smart watches, fingerprint locker locks etc. Also M402 is a better mouse rec cause it's cheaper but still good enough.
This basically felt like you saw a bunch of tech on your desk, made a list of the gold standard of those devices and made a back to school video with them. I expected better as someone who has been watching your videos for a while now. I am doing my own college shopping right now and I got exactly 0 useful information out of this video
Same,he really let us down with this video..he never missed before,but this video really left me with a bad taste..also why the fuck he keeps talking about wireless charging dude like I never even heard anyone actually using it,i don't even know why it fucking exists..cable charging it's faster more reliable and you can actually use your phone while charging..how fucking lazy you have to be to not be able to plug a fucking cable
You summed it up perfectly!
This video is how not to make a MKBHD video basically
Why would he reccomend products he isn't a fan of. The pixel 6 series has been notoriously buggy and even he himself stopped using the pixel and went back to the Samsung s22 line
@@AlricoAmona98 Agreed. I have an s22U and its working great for notetaking. And if you're looking for an iphone, would probably just recommend getting the iphone 11.
Nailed it.
University IT here: we’re always happy to have you ask “Hey! Is this computer good for what I’m trying to major in?”
Where I work, all the departments have different recommendations, but there is one universal recommendation: don’t get a chrome book if you can avoid it. While I think they can be great (and are continuing to get better as general purpose machines) they just aren’t compatible with some schools’ software requirements.
Most departments will have recommendations they send out or will provide if asked, so always always always reach out :)
Inb4 “hey that’s elitist what about if you can’t afford something more than a chrome book?”
Don’t be afraid to ask if there are scholarships or other assistance (NOT LOANS!!) available for school supplies and if computer purchases count as school supplies.
If you go Mac, check out the refurbished M1 Macs or their HED store.
If you go PC, check if your school has a student discount portal. My university partners with Dell to provide discounts for all students.
The last thing I want is for someone to get the best Chromebook they can, only to find that it straight up won’t work for half the essential programs they’ll need to use at school that’s based their software around windows and macOS.
All i remember from college a decade ago was the Shitty Wifi, or i suppose if you have great connections now, students are getting microwaved by stupid amounts of Radiation with their numerous Wifi products. Sad world.
I'm kinda happy that we're at a point where we can happily recommend a previous version of the same device.
Pairing with Best Buy only limits honest recommendations. Would be a lot cooler to see unique products found all over a bigger marketplace like Amazon
Knowing that this is sponsored by them, this is frankly just an almost 10 minutes advertisement for Best Buy and I highly kinda doubt he's doing this video out of genuine recommendations lol
@@Kogami that’s what I’m saying lol
You don't necessarily need the high-end and latest tech for University. I used a 2009 macbook pro throughout my years at uni , had an iphone 6 and it worked out just fine. What's important is to remain focused on getting that degree and graduating.
Best buy want those big ticket sales and Mkb wants those fat commissions/sponsorships so that he can go on buying flagship products like they are commodities. Never disliked an mkbhd video until today :(
@@x3ko777 What makes you think mkbhd has to buy the tech wtf?
@@vivalavivaldi what makes me think that? how about Andrew Manganelli (the guy who does the wave form podcast with marques), has said in a podcast and on the mkbhd reddit post about what they buy and what they get given. For example, he said every single red camera they use has been bought buy them (their own money). If you think they get everything for free then you are wrong, wtf back at ya.
@@vivalavivaldi he doesn't have to, and that's not what X3KO is saying. He is saying that he WANTS to buy the tech like they are commodities. just checking up.
I wish you didn't need apples
Students can do with almost any budget mouse - don’t really see the requirement of MX Master 3 ‘S’ here. And of course an XPS 15.
Don’t know which student requires all these hi-end devices.
@@mehulrathod7185 the rich one
Engineering student here, I reccomend surface pro for school since you can take all your notes with the pencil and use it for homework. If you got the budget you should go for it 100%
Hey I'm confused between iPad or surface pro..any recommendations
This guy represents everything I hate, and yet
he's charmingly authentic. Respect my man.
So you're racist?
It feels like being a student wasn't taken into consideration while recommending these haha! Great video nonetheless!
The Belkin wireless charging stand is probably built extremely well but it’s like 3x+ the cost of one’s you can get on Amazon. You definitely need to read reviews to make sure you’re buying a decent one but there are some really good options at a fraction of the price.
Hi ! Any chance you can recommend one ?
@@blesyl67 I really liked the Anker 3-in-1 one with MagSafe. I have another one from u-good that’s also a 3-in-1 but is much more compact. For travel I recently bought another 3-in-1 that’s awesome for travel: ucomx Nano 3-in-1. There’s a bunch though, all in different configurations so just gotta find the one that works for you and you like the look. Only thing to note is none are great for fast charging. They’re more for overnight charging or similar situations.
@@danielwander605 i echo the sentiment of buying pretty much any anker product. they are often way cheaper and more durable. I have their 3 in 1 tableside charger as well as all my charging cables are from anker and are ridiculously durable. The one i use every night to charge my phone i have had since 2018. I will also add as an honorable mention - i bought the Anker MagGo charging station for my desk a few months ago and i absolutely love it but it is relatively pricey for an anker product at $99.
@@Escape.Velocity I’ll also usually opt to buy Anker if it’s an option. I love their cables and chargers. I hadn’t seen their MagGo stuff till right now though. Looks pretty cool.
imagine being so legendary you are sponsored by best buy
Man, i don't remember having need all these expensive gadgets to have for study in university. Back then I just surviving just fine with Lenovo Y50 (which is probably the most expensive one at around RM5000) for video editing stuff, a Samsung A5(2016) and a random cheap earphone that I bought from Daiso Japan for RM5 lol. Even now if I have to survive in college, I would probably still stick with the same loadout that I have back then, with the exception of phone change to something like Samsung A53, and I can still survive without having need to speed so much on gadgets that you won't use much.
Bruh your laptop is absolutely too expensive, I survived uni by 3D modeling and rendering with my RM2k Asus laptop that admittedly was starting to die by the time I finished my course. I also had to edit 10-25 min long videos for my assignments and the laptop really did it’s job decently well.
@@szrelemr7784 yeah, but then the laptop was chosen by my parents, and i didn't know much about pc specs back then
These could be a recommendation for any average consumer. I didn't know college students nowadays are so rich 😂
Marques, i see you as the gold standard for tech videos, but this video feels significantly below your quality standard. I criticise other Tech TH-camrs when they do low effort sponsored product showoffs, and this one honestly feels like it fits right in. We are also not used to shaky shots like 06:55.
Good eye..yeah,I agree .. definitely this video feels weird coming from him, we lived the day to see him fail
I feel like it was rushed maybe cause of the sponsorship also ?
Also maybe nobody noticed, but at 2:50 when showing the Macbook Air there are pretty big dust spots showing in the video. Lens must have been pretty dusty when taking the video …
Yet you complain about a free video, Jesus Christ this entire comment thread is laughable
@@Quandtimus Don't pull that "complain about a free video" nonsense, this is about holding a content creator accountable to a standard that they've set for themselves. It's only right. There's a difference between just mere fruitless complaints and constructive criticism.
Back to school for kids with rich parents...
this is an insanely out-of-touch list ... everything is at LEAST 2x what most students can responsibly afford
The video is titled “Best” back to school tech not most affordable
@@187deathfromabove best back to SCHOOL? no student will be able to afford this so they aren't the BEST back to school gadgets.
@@zq1921 mam not all students are broke-
@@aprameyakoushik4708 Exactly. Lmao
@@aprameyakoushik4708 yes, I agree but the majority of students studying are broke so this vid would only be usefull to a small amount of people.
Bro. That Logitech mouse ALONE is an insane investment!! I bought the gen 2 of that when I got my first apartment and paid rent and had the job that could afford me the spare cash!! 😳
Years after college!!
I got through my 4 years of CS engineering with my then 4 year old Lenovo laptop. By the time I finished college it was 8 years old and doing pretty well. I still remember attening my first job onboarding on that machine.
So the key takeaway here is you dont need any of these products. You will do just fine even with a used laptop from ebay.
This man is a legend, protect him at all cost!
???
I went to uni 30 years ago..and then studied for a Masters and Doctorate. All these items are luxuries. We had none of these (we used computers in shared computer labs) and managed to acquire a good education. We certainly didn't expect to spend $5-10,000 on "stuff" before we even started.
I agree that the recommendations in this video are more luxurious than they are practical for a student, but you actually do need decent tech nowadays to get through school, I just purchased all my “books” for the fall semester and half of them are not actually books, but are instead digital codes for online versions of the book - all of which also require you to download an app in order to access it. But i understand the sentiment, you def dont need the newest M2 Macbook Air or a Wireless Charging Lamp to pass college lol
Chromebook all the way, being able to just log in and pick right up on your work on any Chromebook device is amazing.
Also I would not have been able to write my thesis without using OAmg to access every paper ever published (for free)
I really dislike chrome OS , I just prefer windows alot more
Asus vivobook m15 is good too
At the same time different majors (I.e. engineering) require specialized software. For those student Chrome books would not even be an option
@@santiagoyepes9955 for just college most people just need something to Google, write and take notes. If you study something that needs specific software you should know that, but otherwise a chromebook does everything for much less that you need
The thing is, once you get to the corporate world, no one uses Chrome OS. You need to learn either Windows or Mac OS for most jobs after college
I am not even a student and I love these videos. I still go out and buy these things once in a while it's like a self-gift.
I use it as an inspiration list for Christmas gifts for my children
I am really liking the comments suggesting what to buy having a daughter that is going to college within a couple years and wanting to start saving
I guess marques has been using that s21 since 2year he really does love it even though s22 is out
For my software engineers in the comments, trust me, save a buck and go used Thinkpad for school. My first thinkpad was used x230, loved it, beat on it for a year but got tired of thick and bulky it was. Upgraded to a used Thinkpad Yoga S1 to finish out my degree. Both computers I got for about $250 each. They were perfect (especially with Linux installed if you wanna go that route) for all the Computer Science courses and my Senior Project. When I graduated and got hired I bought myself my firsty brand new Thinkpad, a t480 which on the used market is going for great prices right now if you want something slimmer, go t480s OR x380 or x390. My t480 is my home machine now and got a x13 gen 2 as my travel computer to accompany my company issued Workstation Laptop (HP z Book)
EDIT: forgot to mention, I'm especially reccomending used thinkpad for school cause I literally BEAT on x230 and Yoga S1. Tossed it around, spilled a few unfortunate beverages, i still have both machines. My x230 is a loaner for my parents, and my S1 I use as a sandbox for various personal learning projects
Edit 2: I did my Computer Science degree between 2014 and 2018, and have been working ever since as a software engineer. If I were doing my degree now I'd go with a newer Yoga model Thinkpad for the stylus/handwriting support like a x380 yoga or x390 yoga (even x1 yoga if you can find one cheap enough used) and just keeping windows on it for taking notes
+1, used ThinkPads are something everyone should consider, IMO
Macs are extremely overpriced and with Apple ARM, extremely limiting for CS degree programs. With a Windows machine you can do pretty much everything (including Linux stuff using WSL) except iOS app development. Many libraries just don't work on M1/M2 so you either need to use virtualization or remote computing. I bought an XPS 15 before college and I don't see myself replacing it for a good 8 years, and I can do light gaming, CAD, programming, and everything on it. The Nvidia GPU in it came in handy for doing training of neural networks on device using PyTorch with CUDA acceleration.
@Zentosi imo yes! Honestly used thinkpads are great for someone who needs a windows machine for school. They're durable and usually super repairable
I agree with others that some of these recommendations were on the pricey side, but I think investing in a good laptop is worth it. I bought an xps 15 right before I started uni and it has lasted me throughout my 5 year degree in engineering, while most of my friends went through 2 or 3 laptops in the same time
A refurbished Thinkpad can last just as long while costing half as much, while not having the terrible repairability of the XPS line.
@@xylo5750 I bought my xps refurbished and have replaced the battery and upgraded the storage to keep it going
@@finlaymcewan The XPS recommended in the video has pretty poor repairibility unfortunately, they still have the same high quality as your XPS had but they are paperweights if something bad were to happen.
Budget desktop man, I'm still rocking a pentium after 8 years, damn thing just won't die. For most people they don't need a powerful chipset. Unless you're playing games/rendering or doing heavy code work, most degrees need Google and Word and not much else. Can get through lectures with a pad of paper
My personal experience: my mid-range Lenovo Ideapad is still working great after 4 years of uni (with some gaming, quite a bit of coding and note-taking), but I did have to replace the battery and get a bigger SSD. So my advice is Chromebook (or better: wait for a couple paychecks) for cheap laptops, Windows for mid-range and Apple for high-end, unless you really care about upgrading and repairability or gaming. Go for the better battery and screen.
I work at Best Buy Customer Care and my fav tech TH-camr is MKBHD. What a combo.
My recommendation instead-
1:15 - PC • Lenovo Legion 5 / Tuf A15 (730$)
3:49 - Mouse • Logitech G402 / G203(35$)
4:22 - Tablet • Samsung S7 Tab / iPad Mini (500-600$)
5:24 SmartPhone • s21/Pixel 6/iPhone 12(600-700$)
6:16 - Desk Accss. • Lamp + Smart Bulb (30-50$)
7:20 - Headphones • Galaxy Buds Pro / Jabra (60-150$)
I hope this is suitable for students with a low budget. And All of these products is what I would buy for myself.
All within 2000$.
You can reduce it if you already own any of the things.
PC- TUF FX505DT (750$)
Mouse- Logitech B170 (6$)
Tablet- iPad 8th gen (370$)
Smartphone- Moto edge 30 (370$)
Accessories- External Hard disk(60$), Joystick(25$)
Headphones- OnePlus bullets ( Left Side isn't working now)
I like everything on your list, but there is one thing I would add. Something I haven't seen mentioned right now is the Apple education store. You could get yourself the M1 MacBook air for $900 and get a $150 gift card. You could then use that gift card to get yourself the iPad air for $400. Buying the iPad will give you an additional $100 gift card, which you could use to get the apple pencil.
There’s nothing wrong with the beats studio buds
Refurbished iPhone XR 🫡
go for iPhone se and get better specs in laptop. Smartphones specs don't improve learning.
Why not just 3 budget options? Back to school means student, student means tight budget.
For noise cancelling headphones, I recommend the Sony XM3s. The noise cancelling is slightly worse than the XM4s, but you can get them for around $100 on ebay.
If you want something wired, I recommend the Etymotic MK5. They're $50 and are basically earplugs with headphone drivers, and you won't get any better noise isolation than that for the price.
Alternatively, if you already have some good IEMs or earbuds, get some industrial grade earmuffs and wear them on top. You'll get some weird looks, but you'll minmax price and noise isolation.
samsung buds better
I'm actually using the earmuffs. They with perfectly with a good noise isolation earphones. Just so good. Only problem they are big and tight
Soundcore Q30s are also a great alternative to sony noise canceling headphones. They’re not as good as the sony’s when it comes to active noise canceling but they come pretty close at only $80
DankPods fan here, KX ZSN Pro X are great IEMs for 30 bucks. Nice isolation and sound
Yep I got these, their noise cancellation are still top end but obviously not as good as the latest models but they are better than most noise celcelling headphones. Highly Recommend :)
Please be doing this every year seems interesting
Really loved the video Marques, but would really appreciate if you follow this video up soon with a budget version, as most students are always working on a budget. That would be a lot more helpful, to more people.
Just don't be poor, it's simple
Definitely I am jealous of the people who have opportunity to use pencil and tablet in their class. The recommendations are solid if you are investing as a student but budget options would be a go to for lot of students who can't invest. As a student in the same situation I would love to watch the budget options you recommend.
Dont worry you really don’t need any tech at all tbh. I still use normal pencil and paper and I save hundreds of bucks
I bought the Chromebook HP x2 for 299 at Best Buy. Best decision ever.
Ahhhh back to school! So nostalgic, I miss not worrying about real life. Enjoy your student year students!!!! Also I LOVE the master lines, they add so much productivity in my work flow
I used to hate watching back to school videos in the summer because they meant school is imminent lol but now that I graduated and got a job I don't really care anymore 🤣
For REAL I graduated college in ‘21 and I wish I could go back
@@medilyesoudhini7411 LOOOOOL you also realize how school was not as a big deal as it seemed
@@medilyesoudhini7411 As someone who finished junior high last year, it's weird how we all hate school when we're still in it, but reminisce about it so much when it's all over. I know that because I've felt exactly the same.
It's not even September bruhh
The quality never goes down
Shoutout to my OnePlus phone and Huawei laptop for getting me through university feeling premium for MUCH less. Bonus ups for Ikea's articulating lamps ($20 and I can see all my homework incredibly well without eye strain), the old door I refinished to use as a desktop, and wired earbuds under hardware store earmuffs as my "noise-cancelling headphones." And the same 2 sets of Hanes underwear from target for also lasting the whole ride.
BRUH 2 pairs of underwear??
@@Sahbab11 yessir, that's 8 days right there
@@thecma3 I feel sorry for your poor swampballs, they really been through some shit😪😵
Yeh bro ur dun for
@@Sahbab11 you don't know boys, we can last all week wearing the same tshirt, this guy has 8 undies, give him some credit xD
Theres a little smudge speck thing on your camera lens look in the top left
It feels like you just hoped on this back to school trend without pricing in mind if you ask me. Most of the tech options aren't that affordable🤷🏽♂️
yea on deans honor list and just using dollar store notebooks. There are all cool and all, just don’t feel pressured that you need them to succeed.
Hey everyone. Good take on the video and love the recommendations. If you plan on making another video such as this, maybe you can also include some more budget options and best value options.
What I can tell from my years of studying in college and university is that your tech and needs will be based on what courses/programme you took for your education.
Engineering students require computer specs that can run BIM software. I'm not sure about the other programmes but from what I can see that most students at my place has 8GB of RAM for their laptops.
Also, here is my setup during my university years. Hope it can help anyone who are looking to buy something for their college/university years. All the best.
Laptop - ASUS X455L (Upgraded to SSD with additional RAM)
Phone - Vivo Y69/Redmi 10/Samsung A22 4G
Mouse - Logitech G102
Keyboard - Tecware TKL ver
Thanks, just took a screenshot.
I am never going to use windows, chrome os, or android
@@theworm7156 who asked tho ?
@@theworm7156 agree but windows is way better then Mac
@@Rushal_Kumar who answered?
MKBHD selling out to BestBuy only recommending the MOST expensive stuff to make the big bucks
Surface pro 8 is literally the best laptop/tablet/writing tablet combo. Just the easiest tool to use for any situation.
You know the perfect solution to taking notes like at 5:02? Just write them down like college students have been doing for the past 1400 years. No iPad is gonna replace the good-old notebook we've used since scholasticism began in the 9th century AD
I’ve been using an iPad as I’ve gone through university. And it has been infinitely better than pen an paper. I could carry around loads of notebooks, textbooks, and print out pictures to tape into my notes… or just have the iPad. It’s lighter, I’m not wasting paper, and I’m much more organized. The iPad most certainly has replaced the “good-old notebook”.
it's insane to me that kids in school can afford this stuff lmao
When I got into college, I applied to many scholarship programs as I could. I got in on 3 that gives me 300$ per 2 months. I just did my works on pc cafes at the start and saved the money I got for a laptop, that's all I need, good thing it lasted for years.
I think that's the best way to do it for incoming college students.
And kudos on getting sponsored by best buy!
I made it through 3 years of Law school (8 years ago-ish) with the iPad and logitech keyboard. With the beastly architecture of today's models, I don't see why that wouldn't suffice for a college student nowadays. 11-15 years ago was undergrad, and didn't have this tech. Super jealous what's available to students now.
I'm joinin college this month and was waiting for this. Will take inspiration from the things you bought and buy mine, because I can't afford the stuff you did
So you already know this was coming?
@@gsspkarthik yes
As a collage student I can confirm the most useful item to splurge on is the noise cancelling headphones, second is laptop or ipad but that’s not so important depending in your workflow/study.
Awesome video. But I feel the main tech stuff is really dependent on how much a person is willing to spend. I think a more personal and relatable video idea would be back to school tech but it's just accessories that go with your already existing devices. Personally I'd enjoy that a lot.
It's terrific if you've already got money for a high class private school.
Really shows.
Great recommendations! I would love to see a budget version of the video and perhaps a breakdown of why you use the S21 ultra instead of the S22
Another note for my friends going to college for the first time- BUY SECOND-HAND!! Especially on products like Windows laptops, you can save 100s of crucial dollars when you’re trying to get bang for your buck! Don’t buy a brand new XPS 15. That’s an INSANE recommendation for college students unless you are already loaded.
I graduated with a degree in electrical engineering last year. If I were to go back, I'd get an iPad or a Surface Pro to take notes. It was always stressful taking notes in electronics classes when profs would solve circuits by erasing and drawing over their work before I got a chance to draw it in my notebook. It would have been so much easier to take notes if I could copy and rearrange things on a notes app
any laptop recommendations? i’m a MechE rn and i was thinking mac pro but i keep hearing about how you can’t run some software on it
I'm heading to school this month and been watching back to school backpack videos
nobody:
marques: recommends 1000$ chromebook
Just needed this video! Getting into a college in a month.
Which college?
sure, ill just splurge thousands of dollars on high end equipment as a non-working student .....
My list would be (under 1k total):
300eur: Chinese Phone with decent specs
350eur: The new Base Ipad (when it releases) for pdf's, web, email, calendar, note taking, books, any stylus will do
250eur + 45eur: Old Thinkpad t530 with a new battery for coding related stuff
20eur: any keyboard, Microsoft Mouse
and if there really is extra cash i would get a huge 2k monitor to prevent eye strain while working
Upcoming college freshman here. College is expensive, but that doesn't mean splurging is the best idea. You either have a lot to spend, or you don't.
*I would recommend for the more significant purchases like laptops, phones, tablets, etc., to look on the used market first, as there are plenty of great deals.*
If you want a Chromebook, just know that I have yet to try a keyboard that I would deem fine, *stupid layout aside*. The touchpad is also utterly trash in the ones I've used but can be mitigated by a mouse. I use the Microsoft Arc Mouse because I can shove it into a pocket, and it is pretty. The keyboard and touchpad might get better up the price bracket, but a used m series MacBook might be in reach at that point. (I see lots for bid around $200)
Absolutely hilarious. Here is my version:
Laptop: HP Pavilion 14 ($600? Ryzen 5 5500u, capable of almost everything CPU related task. Integrated GPU is just enough tho, 40 fps in FIFA 22)
Phone: realme Narzo 20a ($150 I think? the battery is insane. can goes up to 3 days without charge. sometimes it is slow so you wont waste many times in it)
Mouse: logitech m170 ($10, one year battery life (AA battery))
Desk lamp: sort by cheapest in Amazon (mine is about $5)
Headphone: $20 Audio Technica
TWS: Haylou GT1 XR (~ $20, incredible battery life, no noticeable delay, at least for me)
I think instead of hp pavilion you can go for Lenovo IdeaPad 3 or Asus vivobook 15 for better performance and durability, they have good upgrade options as well. Plus in my country they provide 2yrs warranty, 1yr more than other brands also provide more freebies like mouse, laptop sleeve, and bagpack, they also give keyboard at discounted price if you bundle with them.
If you already have wireless headphones instead of tws you can invest in wired earphones they will be cheap and have no lag whatsoever
keeping this for my younger cousin about to get into college. thanks alot!
Yeah that's much more practical although for a North American student Redmi wouldn't be supported. Still how about a refurbished s20 FE or a pixel 5A for $250.
Or an s10e is like $140. iPhone XS is 200 or less on the resale market. Better for the environment also
Or if you still want to proper paper warranty Moto stylus or g100. Hell yeah I've seen straight talk. Offer the iPhone 12 mini for 300 bucks if you go through their plans.
The dumbest thing would be to go to Best Buy and drop between 1800 and 1500 on a Samsung flagship :(