Should I get a laptop for school?

[SuziB]

I'm starting at the U of M in the fall and I want to know if I should buy a laptop for school. How helpful or necessary is it?
Thanks!🙄

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[docss26]

I'm starting at the U of M in the fall and I want to know if I should buy a laptop for school. How helpful or necessary is it?
Thanks!🙄

It really depends on the school. Some schools are heavily technology based and the majority of their class material is found online. Some are the complete opposite. I would contact your school or if there is a student at U of M on these boards, they should be able to give you some great insight.

 

[holymolys]

best to ask current students,. a computer/laptop in your apartment or dorm is IMO necessary for study and research, but not everyone wants to brings their laptop to classes

 

[confettiflyer]

i don't know what i'd do without mine. paper? pshawwww

 

[cheeseboy2]

also, some schools lend you a laptop which will or wont be included in your tuition.

be sure to check with your school on that

i decided to get a netbook instead of a full on laptop because i know i will have a laptop next year from the school.

 

[Canes]

I'm starting at the U of M in the fall and I want to know if I should buy a laptop for school. How helpful or necessary is it?
Thanks!🙄

Didnt even know one had an option 🙂 I personally will get a new one. I'd rather type 10 pages than hand write 3. Get it!! Im sure it'll come in handy---so long as you avoid tweeter, fb and youtube...im seeing a specialist for youtube and fb.

 

[Sparda29]

Didnt even know one had an option 🙂 I personally will get a new one. I'd rather type 10 pages than hand write 3. Get it!! Im sure it'll come in handy---so long as you avoid tweeter, fb and youtube...im seeing a specialist for youtube and fb.

I'm gonna have to add Modern Warfare 2 and World of Warcraft to the list of things to avoid doing in class.

 

[NaOH]

I'm gonna have to add Modern Warfare 2 and World of Warcraft to the list of things to avoid doing in class.

Given some of my classes this term, grinding out dailies would be more productive. 😴

I love being able to use a laptop to take notes for classes. Quicker, neater, etc. Just wish I could find some way to use it for my chem/math/physics classes, where being able to quickly produce various symbols is essential.

Ideas, anyone?

 

[kmoogs]

Given some of my classes this term, grinding out dailies would be more productive. 😴

I love being able to use a laptop to take notes for classes. Quicker, neater, etc. Just wish I could find some way to use it for my chem/math/physics classes, where being able to quickly produce various symbols is essential.

Ideas, anyone?

Tablet PC?

 

[Nemuri]

Given some of my classes this term, grinding out dailies would be more productive. 😴

I love being able to use a laptop to take notes for classes. Quicker, neater, etc. Just wish I could find some way to use it for my chem/math/physics classes, where being able to quickly produce various symbols is essential.

Ideas, anyone?

Same problem man, the tablet PCs are an alternative but I just don't like the feel of writing on one. I'd rather write it up the old way.

 

[bacillus1]

I write notes the old-fashioned way, but I still find a laptop useful, for instance when I come home to my parents from my apartment near school, it would be a pain to send all my work from one desktop to another, and send it back. I also sometimes bring it to office hours, APhA meetings, etc...Plus my room is too small for a desktop.

 

[rxlea]

Get a laptop. Lots of places have free wifi so you can have internet access away from school. I saw some when I went to UMN for my interview (I liked that Purple Onion coffee shop in Dinkytown). Sometimes, I find it nice to do some of my schoolwork/reading/studying somewhere other than my house or at school.

 

[MRSA Sucks]

Think long and hard about this. It may seem like a no brainer to get a laptop but for many people it won't be necessary (depending on your school's curriculum). If money is an issue, I would consider not getting one. Notice, I used the word "consider" since many people feel like they need to get a brand new spanking machine once they get accepted. I have the philosophy that one can always do more with less. Ask yourself if it will really translate into better academic performance and learning.

Just like in health care, so many procedures are proved to be ineffective at meeting a goal, yet they are still ordered because in theory, they are effective.

 

[NaOH]

Also: make sure you get a smaller one. Maybe even a netbook type.

I love my laptop but it is MASSIVE. Weighs a decent bit and barely fits in my backpack.

 

[Sparda29]

Also: make sure you get a smaller one. Maybe even a netbook type.

I love my laptop but it is MASSIVE. Weighs a decent bit and barely fits in my backpack.

The weight depends though on how much power you want out of your laptop. My laptop is pretty much all out hardcore, the laptop + power supply + accessories + any other things I need for class weigh about 20 lbs.

 

[desmoulins45179]

I couldn't deal with a tiny laptop but the size is up to you. I don't have a problem with lugging around my laptop since it is pretty much laptop replacement. My laptop case is a backpack -I find that to be easier to carry than the over-the-shoulder type bags.
I like bringing mine to class to take notes - especially when the notes are powerpoint slides.

If you do that though, you have to make sure you have adequate battery life. My laptop is 4 and a half years old and has never had good battery life (it has gotten worse over time and now is only like 2 hours). If you will use it for a lot of classes, I would either invest in a good battery (even if it costs more) or make sure you can find a power outlet around somewhere. Some classrooms have plugs right into the desks but a lot of older classrooms do not.

 

[jet1]

It is just dependent on you and how you take notes.

The school might recommend one or loan you one, but it depends on what you are gonna do with it. I am planning to get a new laptop myself for Pharmacy School, but i will most likely hand write my notes during class, then reproduce them on my laptop later. I need my laptop, but I can live without it... sometimes. I will be primarily using a laptop to study outside of class like viewing the lecture again and cleaning up my notes. Also, writing complex reactions will be hard on a standard laptop.

This decision is like any laptop you bought in the past. WHAT ARE YOU GONNA USE IT FOR? Notetaking then probably a tablet. If anything else, any laptop would do probably.

I would recommend to buy one with a camera, so you can record your lectures. I wished my built in camera on mine could flip around, so I can write/type my notes and record the lecture at the same time.

 

[holymolys]

you can get a cheap note taking kind of tablets easily for around $100, or u can get a notebook/netbook for around $300, i'd go with a notebook, just so much more you can do with it

 

[koercive]

I would wait til classes start to see if it will help to bring a laptop to lecture.

If you do end up using your laptop , check out OneNote from Microsoft which is awesome for taking notes 👍

 

[docss26]

I would wait til classes start to see if it will help to bring a laptop to lecture.

If you do end up using your laptop , check out OneNote from Microsoft which is awesome for taking notes 👍

One note is a very nice system for organizing your notes. I used to have a tablet and used one note for a couple months. I couldn't get used to using a tablet. I prefer traditional paper and pen note taking.