Taking a Laptop to Class?

[Algophiliac]

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So I have a desktop right now, but my parents are buying me a cheap laptop over the Christmas break. I have no experience dragging a laptop to class...so I'm wondering if this is recommended or not?

On the one hand, it can save time and keep my files organized (OneNote) while I take notes. I believe there is also a way to record the audio using OneNote, so I can sync the notes and audio?

On the other hand, it might be a hassle to drag my laptop around, there's a chance it may get stolen, and not all classes are especially easy to take computer notes in...for example in math and chemistry, there's really no point in typing out equations.

Any suggestions/tips/warnings/recommendations? While I don't have a laptop, I fail to see how exactly it will be more beneficial than a desktop. But I'm beginning to think that once I do have one, the benefits will be more pronounced.

 

[Zona Pellucida]

I never understood the point of this unless it is necessary.

Use a notebook. Then transfer the notes to OneNote if you'd like as it will probably help in studying the material while you do this.

Up to you though. Try it for a week?

 

[Algophiliac]

I never understood the point of this unless it is necessary.

Use a notebook. Then transfer the notes to OneNote if you'd like as it will probably help in studying the material while you do this.

Up to you though. Try it for a week?

Hmm, so is it not worth buying a laptop at all, then? And when exactly would it be necessary?

 

[avo]

The benefits of a laptop usually show up in other ways. It's convenient to be able to work wherever you want, even if it's just within your own apartment/dorm. Taking it to the library means you can find a table and have plenty of room to work, instead of having to work in the computer lab, where space is usually more cramped. It's nice to have your own computer if you need to give presentations, because you're familiar with the equipment. There's no single benefit that I think makes a laptop worth it (I used to be squarely in the desktop camp due to this), but it just ends up being so useful, somehow.

 

[DrHiner]

I tried using a laptop a few times my freshman year of college, but it ended up being heavy and not that beneficial. And I goofed off on it when I felt bored in lectures. And my ancient laptop had like a 40min battery life so I couldn't even go a whole class without needing it plugged in... assuredly, this wouldn't be a problem for a laptop nowadays.

That being said, I loved having typed notes... 🙂

 

[LateBl00meR]

If you are going to hand write notes in class then transfer them to a computer, why not just type them in class to begin with and save the extra time for something else? Hence, take a computer to class = less work later.

Also most teachers use powerpoint slides that you can keep organized on your desktop instead of printing all of them off.

 

[FloatOn]

I cannot imagine living without my laptop! I've never brought it to class, though, because I like handwriting all notes, even if it means printing out the powerpoint slides and writing in the margins. I bring my laptop when I go home, to the library when I'm working on a group project, etc. More and more places have wireless internet now so you can do work in Panera and eat their scrumptious food at the same time!

 

[bnp07]

I took it to some classes and not others, primarily the ones where the profs lectured so fast it was impossible to keep up with hand-written notes.

 

[Algophiliac]

If you are going to hand write notes in class then transfer them to a computer, why not just type them in class to begin with and save the extra time for something else? Hence, take a computer to class = less work later.

Also most teachers use powerpoint slides that you can keep organized on your desktop instead of printing all of them off.

Right, I was thinking of this as an ideal situation in classes such as biology. Especially since my current biology professor posts the lecture on powerpoint prior to class, so I could just follow along and add on notes to the slides. I could also simultaneoulsy record the lecture on OneNote and coordinate it with the notes and powerpoint attachments...or so I've been told?

Another concern is that I do play MMORPGs. Hmmm. Not sure if an Intel GMA will really cut it.

 

[Zona Pellucida]

I'm not saying it is not worth buying a laptop.. just the whole bringing it to class thing might be more trouble then its worth. I use mine all the time as I can travel with it and it doesn't take up a lot of room in my study area.

 

[b-real]

If you'll be starting med school in the fall, it's probably worth it if you find a good deal. You'll be taking all your notes and exams on it, so you may as well get a head start on the equipment.

 

[xanthomondo]

Get a convertible tablet-laptop computer. The prices on these have come down dramatically and you'll be able to save all of your notes and write on them straight into the computer.

 

[s1lver]

The best laptop I've ever owned - http://www.tabletpcreview.com/default.asp?newsID=1217

Some YouTube vids that I quickly searched for:

* http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ihwXsnejMXE
* http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IPIFOViCv8k
* http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MBa399XTRsU


Get a good screen protector/cover and you're set. Beats having a notebook as long as you don't put too many startup programs so your laptop boots up and is ready to use in under 30 sec. It's a TabletPC so it's smaller and lighter than a regular laptop. So much win!

 

[s1lver]

there's really no point in typing out equations.

That's why you get a TabletPC! I use mine with a digital pen or whatever you call it for Chem, Math, etc. There's even a program where you insert formulas instead of writing them out every time and graphing paper etc.

Again, so much win.




PS - I got mine last year so dunno if there's a newer version.

 

[phungus]

Have you considered getting a netbook instead of a laptop? Cheaper, lighter. thankfully my laptop was pretty small so taking it to class was not that much of a hassle.

I prefer taking notes on a laptop. I took a history course and found that I was able to take much better detailed notes while typing versus hand writing. The only downside for me was taking notes in a class that required drawing out diagrams, etc.

 

[Algophiliac]

Have you considered getting a netbook instead of a laptop? Cheaper, lighter. thankfully my laptop was pretty small so taking it to class was not that much of a hassle.

I prefer taking notes on a laptop. I took a history course and found that I was able to take much better detailed notes while typing versus hand writing. The only downside for me was taking notes in a class that required drawing out diagrams, etc.

I would actually prefer a larger screen, but the laptop I am buying is fairly light anyway, so it should not be a problem for me. It is also ridiculously cheap and a very good deal for now, and cost is a huge factor--so I don't think my family will be buying me any tablet PCs for Christmas. I do see the insane convenience of them, though, s1lver!

So how do you guys keep your laptop from being stolen? Obviously I won't be leaving it in public places without supervision, but I'm even worried about it being stolen from my room somehow, since break-ins are common in the area. (Not in dorms, but when I move into an apartment, there's always a chance of robbery.) I hear there is a way to lock your laptop?

 

[GregoryMD]

My university gave me a free macbook instead of a scholarship (I'd have preferred the scholarship, especially since I already have a laptop), but I just use it for schoolwork now, and it's smaller than my laptop so its convenient for class. It's great for social sciences and gen ed. type classes. I also use it for chemistry because it isn't that hard typing chemical equations with subscripts/superscripts and it looks really nice. I was even doing lewis diagrams on Word.

It's also useful since most classes just go off of powerpoint slides. I just download the ppt off the web, then keep it open and take supplemental notes on the ppt as I see fit.

And on those days where lecture is slow and boring, or I already have a handle on the material, I'll just do other homework online or something.

 

[ButImLETired]

I would actually prefer a larger screen, but the laptop I am buying is fairly light anyway, so it should not be a problem for me. It is also ridiculously cheap and a very good deal for now, and cost is a huge factor--so I don't think my family will be buying me any tablet PCs for Christmas. I do see the insane convenience of them, though, s1lver!

So how do you guys keep your laptop from being stolen? Obviously I won't be leaving it in public places without supervision, but I'm even worried about it being stolen from my room somehow, since break-ins are common in the area. (Not in dorms, but when I move into an apartment, there's always a chance of robbery.) I hear there is a way to lock your laptop?

Yup, there are laptop locks (cost around 30 bucks). You basically just lock the laptop onto a chair/table/whatever. They're probably not a perfect system, but they'll definitely make you feel like your computer is safe. I used to use a lock in undergrad whenever I was stuck in the library for extended periods of time and I might want to take breaks. My computer was super heavy so I basically had to leave it there cause it was such a hassle to stick it into my backpack just to go have dinner.

I still have an old-ish (couple of years) macbook pro that works wonderfully and has a big hard drive, and I use it at home to watch movies and listen to my music and stuff. It's the laptop that I used to cart around, but now that I have med school books on top of things I really can't fit that thing into my backpack. So, I bought a second laptop that I can carry with me (weighs under 3 pounds, greatest thing in the world) and I take it pretty much everywhere. It also helps me separate "fun stuff" from "school stuff" since I don't have anything like music or movies on it. If you're going to have a desktop and a laptop you might want to consider that system.

As for note-taking: I never used a laptop for it in college. I always would hand-write on my slides or just write stuff on a notebook. Again though, my laptop was huge and heavy and I just didn't want to deal with that weight.

I find though that I prefer taking typed notes in med school. Often times there's simply too much to write for it to fit next to a printed slide, and I can't hand-write that fast. Also, it helps me keep things organized, move paragraphs around, put stuff that's related close together, etc. I take notes in class, then I take notes from the syllabus, and I put them together into review sheets. I have won tons of brownie points in my class because I send those sheets out, AND everything is in one place.

See what works for you though. Try a few different methods.

 

[ThaliaNox]

I used a laptop to take non-chemistry/math notes in undergrad. I loved it. I can type much faster than I can hand write, so it let me take better notes without losing what the teacher was saying while writing. It also has the added benefit of being legible when you write quickly, unlike my hand written notes, at times!

I'm suprised that nobody has brought up another aspect of bringing a computer to class, though, and that is the distraction factor. Many people have a hard time resisting the temptation to do something else than take notes in class. (Facebook, read the news, play solitaire, etc.) My husband, for example, had to forbid himself from taking his laptop to class because it was too much of a temptation for him.

 

[Dr McSexy]

I use my laptop in all my lecture based courses that are not Chem/Math/Phys.

1.) I take notes faster by typing and my handwriting is terrible.
2.) It's easier to do stuff in a heirarchal outline with lappy than when I handwrite it
3.) Can easily go back to edit/add stuff in notes if needed
4.) It's convenient to be able to just grab your laptop and head to the library and have all your material to study or look at instead of packing several notebooks, binders, etc.

Cons:
1.) If the lecture is really boring, I'll be on various websites instead of listening to the prof. talk. Though, I've found that sometimes it doesn't really matter what the prof says and I'll just be studying extra material for no reason.
2.) As the year(s) go on, your battery life will continue to worsen. So either, you bring your charger (hopefully there's an outlet) or you shell out some monies for a new battery (not so cheap) to make it through an entire lecture

The people who complain about having to lug the laptop around are wussies. If you can't handle carrying around your laptop in your backpack, you need to do some working out. It only becomes uncomfortable if you are carrying your laptop AND several notebooks, books, etc. (which you shouldn't be doing, unless it labs).

 

[SirGecko]

The best laptop I've ever owned - http://www.tabletpcreview.com/default.asp?newsID=1217

Some YouTube vids that I quickly searched for:

* http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ihwXsnejMXE
* http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IPIFOViCv8k
* http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MBa399XTRsU


Get a good screen protector/cover and you're set. Beats having a notebook as long as you don't put too many startup programs so your laptop boots up and is ready to use in under 30 sec. It's a TabletPC so it's smaller and lighter than a regular laptop. So much win!

+1 An excellent computer. (I take all of my notes for medical school on mine)

 

[zinki949]

...i find that having a laptop handy during lectures is a very resourceful tool...

 

[Danae00]

.

 

[Aromatic Amine]

i used to go the old method of using a notebook and pencil...that is until i bought a laptop.

laptops are good for classes where your professor talks alot and just about every word he/she says is testable.

it does suck however, when your professor draws figures and stuff, cuz then u cant really copy that down unless you have a tablet, (which in your case wouldn't fit the description of a cheap laptop, and personally i don't think u need one.)

Also, using a laptop to copy down notes, makes it alot easier, because your hand wont kill you at the end of the class, and at the same time, your able to type more information since you can type faster than you can write.

personally, i think a cheap netbook (can get one for about 350 bucks) does the trick.