<p>I am attending USC as a freshman next year, and many of my friends are set on buying laptops for college. My first question is how useful is a notebook computer? Is it a necessity or can you get by fine without one?</p>
<p>Secondly, I had the notion of bringing my desktop computer to the dorm, whichever that may be. Would the size of a desktop computer and monitor be a problem in a dorm room? My friends also tell me that a desktop computer is more likely to be stolen out of a dorm room. What are the chances that my computer would be stolen out of my dorm? And if this is a risk, what preventative measures could I take to make sure my computer remains safe.</p>
<p>I'd like to hear back from a current SC student, thanks for your help in advance.</p>
<p>I have not met one person with a desktop at USC. The desks are fairly large, with the ability to extend them, but a desktop would take up quite a bit of space. Not only do they take up space, but you also cannot take them to class or study groups with you.</p>
<p>I do not take my laptop to class that often because I am an Engineering major, but I have taken it to all my GE courses. It is a lot easier to take notes with a laptop in a lecture based class. Math/science courses are better suited for hand notes because of the equations and what not (with some exceptions).</p>
<p>I would think a desktop would be harder for someone to steal because it's more obvious when you see a man walking around with a giant CPU than when he shoves a laptop in his bag. For safety with a laptop, you can get a key that locks into your USB outlet and wraps around your desk. There are also options to lock your laptop shut, which strangers are less likely to steal. Most dorms are safe from outside intruders, but apartments such as Cardinal Gardens have higher theft rates because they are townhomes, so an intruder can walk right in.</p>
<p>I would definitely go with a laptop. A lot of people I know pretty much take their laptop with them everywhere. My major doesn't even really demand a laptop, but I still find it useful anyway.</p>
<p>I would recommend a laptop. When it's warm you can study outside. As for theft remember to always lock your laptop and room when you are not there. You would be surprised to here how many thefts take place because people leave there room unlocked.</p>
<p>WiFi is decent as of now. The next president of USG (student government) has promised to try to improve WiFi as much as possible by supplying it across the entire campus and campus owned buildings. I get WiFi in the majority of buildings on campus, except for rooms in basements (labs) and high stories. I think by the end of next year, WiFi will pretty much be available everywhere.</p>
<p>Every dorm room comes with an ethernet and phone jack for each resident. There are also ethernet jacks at mosts desks in the library, as well as in the study rooms of the dorms.</p>
<p>Wifi coverage is pretty uniform throughout academic buildings on campus though can be hit or miss in residential halls. However, every dorm room has 1 ethernet jack per desk, so it's quite easy to get connected.</p>
<p>There is no filtering of internet access though traffic is limited to 10 gigabytes per 24 hour period. You will get a series of warning from the IT department if you exceed it. The school will also forward you copyright compliance notices if record companies or movie studios believe you have infringed upon their intellectual property.</p>
<p>I have a laptop, but one of my friends has both a desktop and a laptop. Most people just buy laptops, but you can go either way (though if you bring a desktop, probably also get a cheap laptop just in case) Desktops actually doesn't take up that much space on the desk since it's just the monitor and keyboard (and probably the computer under your bed). It's nice to have a larger monitor. And if you need a laptop for class or something, just buy a cheap one that has just the necessities and you'll be good to go.</p>