Current Pitt students: Get a laptop?

[GOBUCKY!]

Is it worth getting a laptop? Or are computer labs easily accessible (not crowded) to run in an print off lectures? How far in advance are lectures available online? Do students receive a certain amount of $ to use printing? I am trying to keep costs as low as possible, but I would get one if it was worth it. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

GOBUCKY!

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[DrJ2B]

Computer labs are pretty accessible, but I find that many people in my class have a laptop as do I to take notes during class with the Powerpoint in front of them. However, I would not say a laptop is a necessity. There are a few computer labs including Falk, the Engineering lab (very close to Scaife), and Hillman Library. Many people go to Falk so you might want to try the other 2 libraries (especially since they print double-sided) more often than not. Many people print out lectures the morning before at Falk (where you cannot print lectures double-sided as you can at the other 2 labs I mentioned) or the previous day after lectures. In respect to lectures being available online, they are usually up 3-4 days or a week before the lecture (sometimes 2 weeks but these notes may be updated by the lecturer the week of the lecture so I would not advise printing them out too soon), but some lecturers put them up a day or two before. Quite a few professors put them up only after they gave the lecture. However, I think OMED tries its best to get lectures up ASAP as soon as they get them. Students do have printing money with separate accounts at Falk and a combined account usable at the Engineering Library and Hillman. I am not sure how much we will be alotted this year as my class spent much of the money we got for printing and they might decrease our printing money. I think we got like $60.00 for the year at Falk and about 1000 pages at Hillman/Falk (don't quote me on this). If you have any more questions, please feel free to PM me and I will try to answer them to the best of my knowledge. BTW, Congrats on your acceptance! I am taking a year off so I will be graduating with your class! Go Class of 2009!

 

[LionInTheDark]

looks like DrJ answered your questions pretty well. i'll say that i have a powerbook and found it great to have around school, esp. with the wireless access everywhere (including in the lecture halls). i kind of overcommitted myself at times though, so with the laptop, i could multitask in lecture and get other stuff done while listening for key points. just don't sit right up front if you're going to be checking e-mail etc. while a prof lectures. in a less attended lecture, a prof asked me if i had updated my operating system... i felt a little bad that i had been so obvious, as it was a good lec.

DrJ- are you taking this coming year off? did italy get into your soul?

Lion

 

[DrJ2B]

Italy is great. I am off to Rome today then Paris next weekend. I shadowed an ER doc here overnight so I am running on no sleep. I plan to take my year off after 2nd year if I get a Doris Duke Fellowship for UCSF and if not I want to do the Fogarty program in Salvador, Brazil through the NIH. How is your summer going?