For those who’s kids have/had their own printer in their dorm room, do you have any recommendations on make/model? Also - did your student and their roommate both take a printer or did they share? Thanks!
Five years ago now, we got three basic Canon printer/scanners on clearance from Target for only $11 each. Replacement ink cartridges cost more than that.
S at Columbia had a single and found he did not use it all that much. D at Stanford shares hers with her room mate, but most of their stuff is submitted online.
We gave the other one to a niece, who is at Wellesley. She said it was not a necessity but it did save her a few times from walking to the computer center in the snow.
First find out if this is needed. Many kids use flash drives…and just go to the printer someplace else if they need to print something.
My kids both took very small Canon printers to college…because back when they went…there wasn’t a computer room in practically every dorm.
Flash drives are even becoming old school with wireless. I sent a printer with one and it came home in the box never opened and that was 2007-8. If I were the OP, I’d just ask the question on the college forum here or on a college FB page. I can’t imagine there are very many colleges still that cause students to need to bring printers.
@momofthreeboys There’s been mixed feedback re: son’s college so I wanted to bring the question to a broader audience. Copy/print costs are pretty steep per page, but the printers are cheap. I have a feeling he won’t need one and are going to wait until Thanksgiving break to see if it’s worth buying one. I think it’s probably a convenience issue more than anything else.
He needs to figure out college specific needs. You need to figure out the cost of ink- never get a printer with all in one ink cartridges- when one color/black runs out a whole new one needed (unless usually just black a tank needed). Use depends on major as well- my son managed to get enough free printer pages per semester because of CS courses. Today I wonder if some things can be submitted electronically, not needing printing at all.
I’d get an inexpensive monochrome laser printer. If there is a need for scanning, I’d get a monochrome laser 3-in-1.
If you don’t want to encourage sharing (I wouldn’t), get one that requires USB connection, no networking capability.
If once in a while the student needs something fancy (e.g. color photos), there’s always a printing shop at the corner.
Also see if his roommate has one…my DD shared her roommates the first year and now shares her with her apartment mate…they just took turns buying paper/cartridges.
With my experience with printers, make sure it is easy to put the paper in the printer.
Son had one I picked up so cheap that it was worth it. He used it a few times (glad for it) and now it’s back home.
I didn’t like the Epson we had as it was in a low printer drawer and difficult to put paper in. I gave that to my daughter and got myself an HP.