<p>So I was wondering if I could get some opinions on this. Should I bring my laptop to class to take notes or should I just take notes on paper? I'm a freshman so I don't really know what would be best.</p>
<p>I’d have sworn we just had a thread on this not that long ago, but I can’t find it. </p>
<p>Like all things in life, it depends. I personally don’t like taking notes on a laptop, I prefer to hand write them in a spiral bound. Here’s why:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>I find laptops distracting in class. If you don’t have it out, you aren’t tempted to spend the whole time on Facebook or playing games. </p></li>
<li><p>It’s a lot easier to draw graphs and diagrams by hand than it is to try to do it on a computer. There will be some classes where this isn’t an issue, and others where it will be. </p></li>
<li><p>I can write a lot faster than I can type. Again, sometimes this isn’t an issue, but sometimes it is. I’ve had professors that wouldn’t slow down their lectures for anything short of a national emergency. </p></li>
<li><p>I find it is easier to build a rapport with the professor and get engaged in class if you don’t have a laptop sitting in between you. </p></li>
</ol>
<p>I could probably come up with more, but that’s my take. I’m certain other people can come up with a list of why taking notes on your laptop is better as well. You need to figure out what works for you, and probably the only way to do that is by trial and error.</p>
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<p>If you have a tablet PC , #2 and #3 would be the same as if you were writing on paper.</p>
<p>Personally I liked writing notes directly on my laptop (which was a Fujitsu Lifebook T5010).
I have now upgraded to a Lenovo Thinkpad X230t and I will be using that to write AND type notes on.</p>
<p>Another useful thing about laptops is that you can run simulation programs (PSPICE , MATLAB , etc) on them while in class.</p>
<p>@del_psi: </p>
<p>Are you EE? If so is Matlab and PSPICE used a lot in your classes? I know PSPIcE is used in the circuits 1 lab and Matlab is used in the analyt. Methods.</p>
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<p>I didn’t do my undergrad at UF so I don’t know if you normally use them in class.
At my other school we were allowed to use MATLAB , Multisim , PSPICE , etc in most upper level classes.
Also I found myself using my laptop for Intel assembly language and C programming during some lab sessions.</p>
<p>Ohhhh no I’m not EE. I’m a Microbiology major and pre-health student. So would you guys say for classes like chem or calc it would be easier to just write out notes?</p>