Personalize Your MacBook to Express Your Personality and Style
While a lot of people value MacBooks for the simplicity of their design, that doesn’t mean that your MacBook has to be boring. Your MacBook can be the ultimate expression of who you are as a student and as a person. Though there are many, many ways to personalize your MacBook, this article covers the 10 most effective ways to personalize your MacBook for back to school – from a MacBook keyboard cover to your desktop background image and everything in between.
Coming back to school from a summer vacation can be tough. Whether you are headed to college for your freshman year, or just returning after a summer away, it might seem daunting to come back to early morning classes and late nights studying instead of late nights partying. Either way, one solution to soften the blow is to inject a little fun and personal flare into your college preparation plans. Of course you will need to buy all your textbooks and complete your summer reading, but you should also add to the list “Personalize My MacBook.”
Since MacBooks are both incredibly powerful and portable, it’s likely you chose a MacBook for school so that you can carry it with you everywhere you go on campus. You’re likely to have your MacBook in your dorm room, the library, all your classes, and even in the dining hall – and this ubiquity presents a unique opportunity. Personalizing your MacBook is going to be the easiest and most effective way to express your individuality and style both in and outside of class.
1: A Custom MacBook Keyboard Cover
First things first. Get yourself a good MacBook keyboard cover before you do any other personalizations. There are two main reasons why a MacBook keyboard cover tops this list. The first is practicality: your keyboard is one of the only two input mechanisms on your MacBook, with the other being the trackpad. If something happens to your keyboard, it would be essentially impossible for you to use your MacBook. And, the more places you use your MacBook, the more chances there are for dust or even food and drink to spill onto your keyboard. Imagine your roommate accidentally spilling some mac-and-cheese onto a keyboard without a cover, lodging itself under the ‘M’ key. How are you going to finish your paper on the “Macro and Microeconomics of Myanmar’s Municipalities” now?
The second reason why having a good MacBook keyboard cover is key to personalizing your MacBook is the simple fact that every time you open your MacBook to use it, your keyboard is visible. Your MacBook Pro might say “I’m all business,” while your pink MacBook Pro cover says, “but I still know how to party.” When it comes to available space to personalize a MacBook, the keyboard is essentially prime real estate.
2: A Custom MacBook Case
This one almost goes without saying: if you are going to personalize your MacBook, you need to get a custom MacBook case. In fact, there are so many MacBook cases available, that choosing the right one in and of itself might seem daunting. The best advice here is to first think broadly about what kind of case you want – do you want a hard shell or rubber case? Do you want a case that is a solid color? Or one that features a design or custom pattern? Do you want it to match your MacBook keyboard cover? Or provide some contrast? If you start by knowing the broad category of your preferred case, it will be so much easier to narrow your selection down to the perfect case for you.
3: A Screen Protector
Surprisingly, not all stylistic expressions have to be bright and colorful! One of the most practical ways to personalize your MacBook, MacBook Pro, or MacBook Air is with a screen protector. Customizing your MacBook with a screen protector actually has the capacity to communicate something about your work ethic, rather than just your personal style. Covering the brilliant 13-inch MacBook Pro Retina screen with a MacBook Pro 13 screen protector says a lot about the kind of person you are – someone who not only cares about style and functionality, but also about protecting their MacBook and keeping everything in their life pristine and orderly.
4: Stickers
After you get the perfect MacBook keyboard cover, case, and screen protector, now’s the time to kick your personalization into high gear. Stickers are a great way to promote any organizations or causes that are especially important to you, all while adding some visual appeal to your MacBook. And who knows, maybe your school is full of One Direction fans (assuming you’re also a proud member of the 1Dfamily) – and the quickest way to find out is to see who compliments all your One Direction stickers.
5: Skip the Case for a Sleeve
If you can’t commit to a rubberized or hardshell case, getting a custom MacBook sleeve might be a better all-around choice to personalize your MacBook. While sleeves provide the same protection against everyday wear and tear when you transport your MacBook from place to place, they still allow you to enjoy the sleek and simple design that Apple is famous for. Pro-tip: If you end up choosing a sleeve over a case, pick a MacBook keyboard cover that compliments the sleeve. It’s a subtle way to let people know you have an eye for color and thoughtful design without making too loud of a statement with a bright case.
6: Your Desktop Background
When personalizing your MacBook, you want to make sure that you’re choosing customizations that bring you joy, in addition to customizations that communicate your style. In that vein, choosing the right desktop background can be one of the most satisfying personalizations you end up making to your MacBook. While everyone around you at the coffee shop or library is going to get a glimpse of your sleeve, case, or MacBook keyboard cover, your desktop background is for your enjoyment in particular. Select one of Apple’s high-resolution defaults (the majestic lion is a staff favorite at Kuzy), or select a folder of pictures from your last vacation and set the desktop to change backgrounds every 15-30 minutes – this latter option can provide a necessary mini-break in the middle of long study sessions.
7: A Good Password
Another personalization you’ll want to make for your MacBook before heading back to school, is to make sure you have a good password and your MacBook is set up to require a login. A lot of writing and studying in college takes place in shared workspaces. While this can foster a positive environment for completing a paper or project, it also leaves your account vulnerable to potential attacks. Pick a good, strong password for your account, and ensure that it’s required every time you open your MacBook to log in.
8: Your Screen Saver
Unlike your password and your desktop background, your screensaver is more for others to see – much like your MacBook keyboard cover or case. There are tons of options for screensavers, and each one will say something slightly different about the person who selected it. For example, if you choose the default “Flurry” screensaver, people might infer that you’re too busy or too lazy to pick a more interesting one. On the other hand, if you are an aspiring writer you might want to select the “Word of the Day” screensaver to communicate your love for words.
9: Custom “Graffiti” and Designs
Though this suggestion is made with caution, one of the only ways to ensure your MacBook is totally unique to you, is to draw designs onto it yourself. A few caveats here: we do not recommend drawing directly onto the MacBook (as this could permanently change the appearance of your MacBook and affect the resale value). Instead, get a solid color hardshell case and then use a permanent marker to draw your pre-planned doodles, designs, or graffiti onto the case. Also, if you choose to personalize your MacBook with custom designs, do not draw on your MacBook keyboard cover, even with permanent marker, as the marker is likely to wear off with consistent use.
10: A Matching (Paper) Notebook
Even paper has its place. And while most of our lives are contained on our MacBooks, iPhones, or on the internet, sometimes it’s still necessary to write something down using good old pen and paper. If the internet goes out or you’re tired of staring at a screen, it’s a good plan to have a notebook on hand, even if it’s just in case of emergency. So, as you look for the perfect paper companion to your digital notebook, why not make sure it matches your MacBook keyboard cover, case or shell? It’s an easy way to make even your accessories act as a cohesive, stylistic statement.
The Possibilities are Endless
As you prepare to go back to school, make sure you personalize your MacBook to express your style. Hopefully, this list armed you with at least 10 solid jumping off points as you consider personalizing your own MacBook. Can you think of any other ways to personalize your MacBook for school? What are you waiting for? Get started with your own unique personalization by selecting the perfect MacBook keyboard cover and running with it. The sky’s the limit!
Kuzy Products
Author