You should get the M3 MacBook Pro
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Not really. 18 hours with the M2 Air is already amazing. Unless the OP is a zombie that doesn't need to eat, sleep, or poop, an additional 4 hours from the M3 won't make a difference.
Why not M1 Pro 14”?
I am third year CE. I use a i7 MacBook Pro 13 for a bit, but upgraded to a 15 inch air with 8gb. It's good, but the only downside is the lack of boot camp. I really hope it comes back, but in the meantime I found a friendly Indian who showed me how to get parallels/windows key for free so I can still use windows programs without having to pay an arm and a leg for something that was free.
Needed, no. Preferred, yes.
Get a refurbished M1 MacBook Pro 14-inch. It can do everything and is light enough to carry around the college campus. The price is in the same range or less than the M2 Air. The base specs come with 16GB of RAM and 512GB of SSD.