Lenovo LOQ 15 for MSc Information Security at Royal Holloway?

Hi.

I’m starting MSc in Information Security at Royal Holloway soon and I was wondering about laptop requirements. A few months ago, I got a Lenovo LOQ (Windows 11, FHD 144Hz, Intel Arc 5, Intel Core i5, 24GB RAM, 512GB SSD).

From what I can tell, the LOQ should have more than enough power for running VMs, security tools, and coursework, but I know that a lot of InfoSec tools (like Kali, Metasploit, etc.) run better on Linux.

I will say, I am concerned about battery life as it is a gaming laptop and doesn't last long off the charger. Lectures will likely be a challenge.

Will my current laptop be okay or should I use my DSA to buy a new one, and if so, does anyone have any suggestions as I may just do this anyway as I only need to pay about £200 towards it.

Should I set up dual-boot Linux, use WSL, or just stick with VMs for Linux-based labs/tolls?

Is it likely that Linux will be essential day-to-day, or is Windows enough with virtualization?

Would be really grateful for advice from anyone doing this sort of course.

Thanks.