Did you get a new laptop over the holiday break?
Chances are it might have come with trial software.
Many laptop vendors today are preloading trial software like antivirus and productivity software onto new machines. This saves the sellers money, because they don't have to purchase licenses for the temporary installation.
But it also gives the consumer more choice.
Once you have tested the products, you can decide whether you want to continue using them, or try something else. Georgia State provides free anti-virus software for students, and other good applications can be found in freeware or opensource versions online.