Could students currently in college say how common it is for students to carry laptops with them all day?
Do students usually have them open during class?
Do they carry them “just in case” they need them for something?
Or these days does a phone suffice for carrying around all day and the laptop stays in the room?
Trying to decide between a 13" (3lb) or a 15" (4.5 lb) model.
An earlier thread on this (from 2009) was pretty mixed.
Depends on the student. Depend on the course.
Many professors do not allow laptops in class.
Depends on student and class, but both my public flagship kid and my LAC kid carried their laptop in their backpack all day for class. Even if they weren’t using it to take notes in class, they’d use it do school work in the library, do group projects in the student union, print materials for class etc.
D20 attends a LAC and is old school when it comes to taking notes (she feels she retains more info when actually writing). That said, she still carries her laptop in her backpack all day. She will go straight to the library or student center without having to go back to her room. Also, one of her classes this semester uses an online textbook so she occasionally needs to refer to something in class. She has a 13” MacBook Pro and is ecstatic that it’s lighter than the school-issued ChromeBook she needed in high school.
My nieces and nephews don’t carry their laptops around all day…they use their iPads & apple pencil/stylus with the Notability app (upload the class syllabus into the app) to take their notes in class. That’s what we’re planning on getting for S21 when he starts next fall.
My D has it in her backpack whenever she’s out, whether she uses it in class or not. She usually heads out before first class and then home at the end of the day, maybe stopping back once. Between classes she’s in the library studying, in the lab, in team meetings, etc., where she’s constantly using it.
I used to have a 17’’ laptop in HS and now have a 13’’ Macbook Air. I would recommend 15.6’’, as it’s the perfect size to not be so large that it weighs more than all your textbooks combined, but not so small that you have to squint to see the screen (13’’ is fine if you’ll be buying a monitor, which you can get from Bestbuy for below $100.)
Idk if there’s a Costco nearby to you, but if there is, have you considered buying one from there? If your parents have Costco’s credit card, you can get 4 years of warranty for free (2 years through Costco and 2 years through CITI Bank I think) and Costco usually has great deals on Windows laptops----Mac tends to be during the holiday season or at other times (IIRC Costco is not the one discounting the items but there’s just passing on the manufacturer’s discount to you.) The only disadvantage is that they don’t price match, but again, the warranty service (I’ve only used the Costco warranty, not the CITI one) is pretty good----I sent my laptop in for a broken hinge and they ended up replacing the battery, OS, and entire screen for free.
hmm thanks for all the replies
had not thought about buying a monitor … is it common for students to have them in their dorm rooms?
My D had no monitor at college. She carried her backpack all the time, and her laptop was always in it because she often left her room in the morning and didn’t return until the evening. As far as notetaking though, she is also old-school about it and used notebooks.
My son also carries his backpack all the time. I am guessing that he uses his computer for notetaking when he can, as he has atrocious handwriting. Son has a monitor because he now lives off campus and likes gaming.
Depends on how large your computer screen is—IMO anything about 15’’ doesn’t require a monitor.
D18 said she does carry it in her backpack all day to avoid having to go back to the dorm to retrieve it. Some of her professors ask that it not be used during class as they feel it impedes discussion.
None of my D’s roommates had a monitor in her 4 years of living on campus. She confirmed by text that she doesn’t know anyone who does.
Hers is a 14" screen - no problem.
A monitor in your residence can help give you more screen area if you need to be looking at multiple things at a time (e.g. video conference for remote class attendance in one screen while having notes or class-relevant material in the other screen).
A keyboard and mouse in your residence may also help if you find laptop keyboards and touch pads to be less convenient than regular keyboards and mice.
Both kids carried their laptops. There are lighter ones out there that work well. My son has a 32 inch monitor for gaming and for work. Not needed of course but for somethings it can make what their working on easier. Also more fun to watch some Netflix stuff on… Lol
D16 started college with a 15" laptop, but when her mother needed one after freshman year we took the opportunity to give that one to her and buy a 13" for DD. She found she was taking it everywhere and didn’t need the larger screen the way she anticipated.
s21 will also be taking a monitor and his gaming desktop (he built himself) with him…the monitor will help with Netflix etc as well.
My daughter does a bit of everything. She carries it sometimes and leaves it in her room at other times. I think it just depends on her schedule. She actually prefers to handwrite and then type later and not all classes allow laptops. She does have a school issued ipad with keyboard/pencil that some professors request I know freshman year she had to put notability on it so perhaps she uses that.
My daughter uses a macbook pro which I think is 14" and has never complained. She would however hate to only have a desktop. Depending on her mood if in her suite she may use her desk but just as apt to use her bed or if it is quiet the sofa in the living area. She has done work outside a lot too in nice weather.