<p>Hey guys, it's my first post in the forum. So I'm starting my freshman year come January, and I have a tech question.</p>
<p>I have a beast of desktop PC for my dorm. For being in the classroom, would it be wise to get a laptop/tablet? </p>
<p>I have never once used a laptop/tablet in the classroom. Some people use them a lot, but it’s by no means necessary, unless you’re in a computer science related major. I have a laptop, but I rarely even bring it outside of my house. I’d say that getting a laptop would be a good investment because you’ll have that portability when you want it. </p>
<p>I couldn’t live without my laptop. Portability’s important to me. I can surf the web/work on assignments while eating, in between classes, etc., without stopping by my dorm room. It’s also great for bringing to the library for meetings where everyone in the group needs to grab a file from Google Docs (thinking about mock trial meetings, but I’m sure this happens in many clubs). I occasionally take my notes on my laptop, but only for classes where the professor doesn’t post the lecture slides online. </p>
<p>IMO, it’s a great decision. Another friend of mine runs a beast in his dorm room and loves his laptop for its portability.</p>
<p>A lot of it is personal preference. In classes with powerpoints, I like being able to use my tablet to annotate the slides directly in all sorts of colors, or to write code in my CS classes. But it can be very distracting if you’re not careful, and some classes (including CS classes) outright ban laptops because of this. Having a laptop for the portability outside of class could also be useful, though. I’d consider looking into a cheap laptop, netbook, chromebook, or tablet. Or, try the start of the semester without and perhaps get something if you think it would be helpful partway through.</p>
<p>I think taking notes on paper helps you learn the material. Computers could be a distraction in class.
But if you find yourself needing to look up material then bring it.</p>
<p>A laptop is definitely useful but not for using in class. Similar to what Vctory said, you need it for working on group projects. For engineers it is essential because you will need to have five to six people working on programs at once. I think the only classes that a laptop would be good to bring to are gen eds that have power points as a heavy part of the lecture.</p>
<p>It’s worth pointing out that some professors outright ban laptops and tablets in the classroom. Many of them ban phones in the classroom too. </p>
<p>These are policies that I agree with very strongly. Technology is great, but it’s also incredibly distracting. I don’t even like using ebooks for my classes. I bought a tablet a couple years ago because I wanted to try using ebooks. I found that I couldn’t stand it. I like having an actual, physical book to use. I kept the tablet for another semester after the semester that I used it for the ebook, and upon realizing that I had not turned it on a single time in 3 months, I got rid of it. Some people love their tablets, but it’s not really useful for me in any way. It really all depends on the person. </p>
<p>I am not very tech-oriented and I’m not a STEM major, so I can’t speak as to whether or not a laptop/PC is necessary for Engineering or Computer Science - however, in the classes that I’m in, a laptop is not necessary, and more often a distraction.</p>
<p>In the classes where a lot of students bring their laptops, a lot of kids spend class time either on Twitter/Tumblr/Facebook/Instagram or they’re typing up assignments for other classes. Granted, you don’t necessarily have to be engaged 100% in all of your classes day in and day out, but it is helpful to not have a screen with a social networking site pulled up dividing you and the lecturing professor. </p>
<p>Laptops ARE however, great for homework and other assignments - we have computer labs at our school that fill up rather quickly, so if you have a laptop, you don’t have to fret about finding a computer - you can just hunker down pretty much anywhere and do your work. </p>
<p>For me personally, I cannot live without my laptop. In class, I can take notes, keep track of homework, and look up information with a few keystrokes. I would say that having a laptop gives you a HUGE advantage and makes your life a lot easier. If you have group projects or presentations laptops would come handy as well. However, you won’t suffer (too much) without one.</p>