Terrible for college. You will have to lug the thing around, and any gaming laptop is going to be massive and heavy. You would do best getting a small ASUS notebook.
I've never had a problem with mine, nor has anyone else that I know with one. Just because you've had a problem personally does not mean that they are unreliable either ya know.
And an Alienware would be awful for college. They aren't exactly great on battery life..
It's always a really stupid thing to say Acer laptops aren't reliable... I've had my one for ages and had no problems. But I agree, Acer or Asus notebooks are perfect for college.