Do I Need a Disc Drive Like a Blu-ray Drive or DVD Drive?

It is a good idea to have a laptop with a drive that can read CD-ROMs. DVDs and Blu-ray discs are hardly ever used for class, but they are often used for impromptu dormitory movie-watching parties.

Most of the time you won’t need to use a Blu-ray, DVD or CD-ROM drive. However, certain courses of study require it more frequently than others, and there are times in almost every student’s career when he or she is glad to have a disc drive available.

Many course textbooks-especially for language and math, engineering and computer science courses-come with a CD-ROM that has a specific program and serial number. In some cases, this serial number is actually necessary to log in with via an online account and use as an assignment portal. In others, it is merely a helpful resource.