Why not macs?
Some people have budgets.
OP doesn't make it sound like he needs something really powerful. You can get a decent enough laptop just to take notes on, use MS Office and browse the internet for a fraction of the price a Macbook will cost you. I would strongly advise against getting one in OP's case.
Why not a Chromebook? They're cheap, light, and the battery lasts a long time. If you're just using it for school stuff, I don't see why not.
So you just need something cheap that you can take to college with you? Doesn't need to run any demanding software or games?