College Supplies

So today I went into town to collect the bits and pieces I'd need for my first Monday at college. I had already picked up a few essentials but there were still a few items to procure.

The college had provided me with a list of equipment and supplies, which I of course have chosen to reinterpret, amend and ignore to suit my own preference. Pens and lined A4 paper were the lonely few who emerged unscathed.

I have replaced 'pencils' with auto pencils (the one's that look like a pen but actually contain pencil 'leads').

I have ignored the instruction stating a pocket dictionary is essential, but as I'm typing this my dictionary in OpenOffice is under the impression that 'actrually' is a word so I might wish to reconsider.


I only picked up ring binders instead of the ring binders and lever arch files I was instructed to. This was after calculating the space in my bag after a lever arch file was inserted and realising it wasn't going to work out. The reason space in my messenger bag is at such a premium, concerns one of my earlier purchases.

Through some administrative oversight a brand new, sexy, shiny laptop was not listed as an essential on the equipment list?

After hours scouring the internet for reviews and technical specifications that left me more confused than when I'd started, I set my heart on the new Acer Timeline 15", lightweight and with 8 – 9 hours of battery life! I saw it in the shop, talked to the sales man about it and was ready to hand my cash over. Just before he went off to look for one in the store room I asked if he could let me get online and see how it coped with HD YouTube videos. (What? I'm sure a lot of my course will involve in-depth research of online video).

He returned, carrying the slimline box with my desired beauty in it but after seeing my face realised what had happened. After his earlier assurances that a 1.4 GHz single core processor would easily handle all my day to day requirements it became obvious he'd been incorrect. Comparing it to one of the 2 GHz dual core machines surrounding it the difference was huge. It seems I'd narrowly avoided paying out for a Netbook in Notebook casing (very sexy casing though it may have been).

Undaunted, I looked around and soon found another shiny toy that would fulfil my needs.

I'm now the happy owner of a 17" Acer Aspire with 2 GHz dual core and 4Gb of RAM. It's light for it's size, far lighter than the 17" Dell Studio it finds itself sharing a house with. Luckily I'm a big guy so hauling even the bulkiest of laptops around is no issue but it does mean there's a little less space in my bag for my first day back on Monday.