<p>Yes, a durable and reliable laptop is key. Many students accidentally drop their laptops - a good one will hold up, while a cheap one will shatter into pieces. I bought both of my kids Dell Latitudes - which are designed to be durable for business travelers, with metal cases, strong hinges, etc. Also, solid state hard drives are also much more durable over time than regular hard drives, because there are fewer moving parts. I bought these on Dell’s factory-refurbished website, and they didn’t cost any more than a crappy plastic laptop in a store.</p>