Bring Your Own Device (BYOD)

This page is intended for students. Staff members will find customized tips here.
For education at Ghent University you will need a laptop. For most courses a basic laptop in good working order will be sufficient.
For others, a more advanced model might be necessary. Students who take these courses will be informed of this.

Buying a new laptop

Are you considering buying a new laptop for your studies at UGent? On this page we’ve compiled a few guidelines and tips.

Minimum requirements new laptop

We recommend the following for use at Ghent University:

  • Wireless wifi connection
  • Hard Drive:
    a hard disk (SSD recommended) with a minimum size of 256GB
  • Processor:
    for office applications and surfing: processor with passmark score of at least 3000 (what is the passmark score and how do I use it?)
    for specific software you sometimes need a more powerful processor, ask your faculty
  • Memory:
    8GB
  • Webcam
More tips on laptop specifications

The following supplier specializes in offering laptops for students and can be used as a starting point in your search:


Do you really need a new laptop?

Does this mean that you have to replace your current device? No, not necessarily.
If your laptop meets the following minimum specifications, you can certainly continue to use it:


Attention! Some courses have specific requirements. Inform yourself in advance at your faculty.

Financing a new laptop

Need a laptop, printer or other sustainable study material? This can certainly take a heavy bite out of your budget at the beginning of the academic year. The Social Service can help you with this!

There are options for short-term or long-term interest-free loans. Depending on your financial situation, you may even be eligible for a study grant that you do not have to pay back.

Ghent University offers various options for student grants for students through the Student Social Service. Be sure to take a moment to view these options.


Software

  • Via Athena you can use a whole range of applications without first installing them on your own computer.
  • As a UGent student you can use Office 365 and OneDrive for Business for free, see Using Office 365