Do I need a laptop for uni? (1 Viewer)

[trolface]

Uni is starting soon and I'm not sure if I need a laptop for uni. I'm doing a degree in actuarial studies and have a desktop at home for myself. So do I really need to take a laptop to uni or can I manage notetaking with pen and a notebook?

 

[Squar3root]

do I really need to take a laptop to uni

no

can I manage notetaking with pen and a notebook?

yes

 

[seremify007]

Use a notepad and print out the materials that you need.

IMO if I were doing uni again the only thing I would want is an iPad or tablet to carry around electronic versions of the course material and access to the net. I would still take notes manually.

 

[BLIT2014]

Don't need a laptop for uni

 

[OzKo]

Use a notepad and print out the materials that you need.

IMO if I were doing uni again the only thing I would want is an iPad or tablet to carry around electronic versions of the course material and access to the net. I would still take notes manually.

I agree with this.

Laptops are only useful if you are under the pump, and don't have much time to do your assignments at home.

 

[enoilgam]

Uni is starting soon and I'm not sure if I need a laptop for uni. I'm doing a degree in actuarial studies and have a desktop at home for myself. So do I really need to take a laptop to uni or can I manage notetaking with pen and a notebook?

You need a reliable computer at home obviously, but taking a laptop in is pretty much a waste in my view. Good old pen and paper is all you need I think.

 

[seremify007]

Don't forget that carrying a laptop will only slow you down as you run between classes, and you wouldn't want to be so dependent on it that if yours ran out of battery (say because it didn't go to sleep mode when you thought it did) then that could really ruin your day.

I think unless you're someone who must take down notes of every single thing said (as opposed to taking down important notes which is a skill in itself) then pen and paper is more than sufficient. I also assume that in most subjects you get lecture slides before the lecture so you can print those out and scribble on them- you won't have to worry about fancy formatting or text alignment, and can just get thoughts down. I think some people effectively annotate onto PDFs of slides but at least in my experience trying this, I didn't feel it was as effective as pen and paper because you end up getting distracted by other things in the respective apps.

 

[InsoulvencyReaper]

Uni is starting soon and I'm not sure if I need a laptop for uni. I'm doing a degree in actuarial studies and have a desktop at home for myself. So do I really need to take a laptop to uni or can I manage notetaking with pen and a notebook?

I have a Mac air in place of a desktop, just because I only really use it for surfing net - word processing for assignments.

Yeah as most people have said in the thread, you really don't NEED bring a laptop to uni unless you're intending on doing some study (i.e typing out notes) or doing assignments on the go. You can get by bringing pen and paper to lectures - imo it's better for your memory and having to think about how you're going to set information out because you have to physically write it down (at least for me anyway).

If you really need to, bring your work on a USB and go to the library. Save you the hassle of having to crap around with you. Since you've got a desktop, I'd assume you could just do your assignments at home - it might be a bit of bitch trying to go group work or whatever.

I'm only bringing a folder, loose leaf paper/dividers, my lecture slides printed and a pencil case.

Edit - as seremify said; it's bloody distracting. You'll probably end up fiddling with your calendar, or colour coordinating shit when you could do that home. Oh and social media is the death of study, you're better off without it.