A laptop is a college staple, and there's no way around it. Choosing a laptop for school is a big commitment because while you want it to last all four years and offer great speed and function, you need to find one that suits your major or degree program. Be sure to check out your program's website (or contact a department chair) to see if there are any recommended laptops, operating systems, or specs.
My 2021 HP Envy x360 2-in-1 laptop lasted three years of school (it was my second laptop after breaking the screen on my first Lenovo 2-in-1), offered dual tablet and computer functions, and was perfect for all the writing I got up to, even through my master's program. Reviews editor Kyle Kucharski reviewed last year's 2024 Envy x360 and found it to be a productivity powerhouse. I love that the HP Envy can be used as a tablet and a laptop, which makes it great for taking notes, writing papers, and doing classwork. It's also awesome for streaming shows or movies and working on creative projects in Adobe. The laptop can be adjusted to customize your viewing angle and automatically flips to tablet mode. The storage capacity was more than enough for my needs. I did find the larger display to be just a tad heavy walking across campus frequently, but it really comes down to what you want for your needs. HP offers several other 2-in-1 laptop models in smaller display sizes.
Also: One of the best productivity laptops I've tested is not made by Dell or Apple
Many Reddit users said that they would recommend the HP Envy x360 for first-time college students, with several confirming that they, in fact, did purchase an Envy -- just like I did. Current owners said they only had slight worries about the hinges becoming loose after prior research, but Redditors on the thread said this only applied to older 2-in-1 models and that HP has since rectified the issue. I have had no issues with the hinges on my laptop, and I used it in tablet mode often. This laptop remains my personal, at-home laptop.