<p>This is pretty random but do you need a personal printer or can you just rely on printing at the library/other computer labs?</p>
<p>I would buy a $30 printer just for convenience. If you need to print a high # of pages just go to the library.</p>
<p>When it's pouring or freezing or 4 in the morning, you don't want to travel a long distance to print something. Just get a printer if it isn't too difficult. Between travel, finding a computer, logging in, and printing, I find trips to the library to print take 20 minutes when the libraries aren't too busy.</p>
<p>We weighed this question last year; since there aren't printers in dorms, and the printer labs were pretty far from my daughter's dorm, we got her a printer. We bought a Brother black and white laser printer -- the ink cartridge can print 1500 pages. Many of those cheap $30 ink jet printers have ink cartridges that run out quickly and cost as much if not more than the printer. We figured if she needed a color printer, that she would access through the university. It worked out great -- and she had to do a lot of printing, because many of her profs posted reading assignments online that she then printed out.</p>
<p>I got by just fine my first year without one. My roommate had one so if I needed to print something out at an ungodly hour for a morning class, she came to my rescue, but other than that I would just have to remind myself "remember to stop by the SciLi to print XYZ" today and it was pretty easy--you walk a lot in a day getting from class to class or to eat, you're bound to pass by a library. </p>
<p>Another great idea is to befriend an engineer and become good enough friends for said person to share his/her username/password with you so you can access their free 70pages a day at Barus& Holley...</p>
<p>FYI The school gives everyone $30 worth of printing every year. So if you want to buy an expensive laser printer go ahead but you already paid for printing at the library - you may as well use it. </p>
<p>And yes, the cheap printers take expensive cartridges which is why you just use them for convenience or low page counts.</p>