Protect your Computer!
You are off to college with your trusty laptop or desktop. And, you will find your computer will be your best friend. You will use it to type papers and reports; store class information like notes, blogs, and teacher posts; do online research; and, of course, keep tabs on all your online social connections. (Maybe you are not even yet going to college and are doing the all the above in high school.)
Some colleges, for instance Wellesley, offer anti-virus software free, but that means you have to have have their campus IT maintain it. And, what if such software is not available? How do you evaluate cost and quality of anti-virus programs?
Some things to consider when purchasing software for computer protection are support for installation, comprehensive and up-to-the-minute updates, fast scan time so you can use your computer without being stalled, identify theft protection, firewalls against hackers, and anti-spam for your email. CollegeBasics suggests you start with a well-known company, like Symantec. Be sure to check out this Internet Security Program and compare it to others. Know as much as you can about protecting your computer so you can be proactive—and hopefully not reactive.
As an aside, CollegeBasics now has a new e-book The Basics for Writing College Application Essays: Simple How-to Steps for Writing All College Essays from the Personal Statement to the Short Activity Essay that outlines every aspect of writing the college application essay. This book explains how to write different kinds of application essays from the short activity essay to the personal statement to scholarship essays and more and offers samples of essays and essay edits. This book can really help you if you still need some help developing that dreaded college essay!
