Hey everyone. So I’m going to be a freshman nursing major this coming semester, and am trying to shop for college. But I don’t know what to buy for my classes. Of course each class and school are different, but generally, what did you bring? Do most students use their laptops for notes or do they use binders & notebooks? Do professors tell you what to bring or do they not care? Should I just bring one of each on the first day and then see what everyone else has? I hate not having everything figured out beforehand since I’m really organized, but idk. Maybe I should just bring a bunch of stuff and figuring it out then, since it’ll be good to have a few extras anyway. I wish we just got lists like in high school hahah.
It really depends on what you prefer and what the class involves. I would just take a notebook for the first couple classes until you figure out what is best. As far as laptops, some professors encourage them, some don’t want you to use them, others don’t care either way. I personally don’t like taking notes on a computer. I would write everything down, then type into the laptop if that’s where you want to store your notes. For me, it’s always been easier to remember things if I wrote it down first. Typing the notes later helps reinforce the information. But always keep your written notes until you no longer need the info in case of computer problems.
I’m partial to a 3- or 5-subject notebook and an accordion folder- it has the storage of a binder but is way less hassle and doesn’t require hole-punched papers.
@musicfamily Thank you!! I’m actually the same way. For classes that require a lot of memorizing, I prefer writing notes. I guess I’ll figure it out when I actually go to my classes lol.
@Knittergirrl I never thought about using an accordion folder!! That’s definitely something to think about, thank you!!
Usually what you bring to class is entirely up to you (for lecture based classes, at least). Bring whatever you want to take notes on. Usually on the first day of class if the professor has any specific requirements, they’ll discuss them or it will be listed in the syllabus (like if they don’t allow laptops or they want you to bring textbook or lab manual or what-not). If they want you to bring something specific for the first day of class, professors will email the class or post on a student/class portal (if there is one) so everyone is aware, but that’s usually the exception rather than the rule. After the first day of class, you’ll be able to adjust if you need to, but in the beginning, just bring whatever you like to take notes with.
Don’t forget to purchase your “clicker” at the bookstore to answer class questions.
You “register” it such that you carry it to your classes and the professors know who is responding.
Daughter brings 1 spiral notebook and sometimes IPAD to look at some things that the professors are referring to in lectures.
But remember not to get one until you know you need one. Many professors don’t use one, but some might. It might be more of the norm at some schools, rather than others, and not everyone will use one.
Sometimes, the professor may email you with an early version of the syllabus; you can see what you need to bring to class from the professor before class starts.
In general, I recommend getting a multi-subject notebook. If you have a compact laptop/tablet, store e-books on it and take that to class to avoid lugging around textbooks when possible. Essential: carry a calculator, stapler, and clicker (if your school uses one). Don’t be caught unprepared.
Other than that, just carry a pen and a pencil in your pocket at all times.
Except for the textbook, professors generally don’t care about the rest.
It is worthwhile to have your textbook for a class by the first day. You can go to your online bookstore for your college and it should be able to tell you what books you need. Other than that, paper and pencil.
I liked to have a pad of paper and a folder. I would take notes on all my classes and put them in the folder.
At the end of the week, I would transfer the notes to individual binder for each class.
I heard it’s best to wait until the professor hands out the syllabus/tells you whether you really need the textbook or not. Any consensus on that?
@elliebham - I’d say wait - I have only truly needed the textbooks for 3 of the 9 classes I took the past two semesters. For the other 6, the reading was only either supplementary/a substitute for the lectures or we didn’t even crack open the book at all.
If you use the website ratemyprofessor, sometimes it will tell you whether the class really requires textbooks or not based on student feedback. Make sure you have the right class though. In my experience, it is best to order them online, but professors give you some leeway on when you need them by especially during the add/drop period
After my first quarter in college, I waited to get the book until the first day of class, and to be honest, all throughout college I rarely bought a textbook (except for that first quarter when I didn’t know any better). The syllabus and/or the professor usually says whether the textbook is needed or not. In many of my classes, the textbook was used as a reference. It was there for you to learn more about a subject or to have it presented in a different way, but nothing on the test was ONLY presented in the textbook and not in lecture. My library had textbooks on reserve, so I would often use those instead of buying the textbook. Once, I rented the textbook, and sometimes I checked out older editions from the library. But your experience will probably depend a lot on what your major is and what is typical of the classes you are taking. There might be different norms in different subject areas.
I generally recommend waiting until the first day to decide if you want to get the textbook or not. In my experience, every professor was understanding about students not having the book right away, and don’t expect students to have it on the first day (if they do, they would tell the class beforehand). If you want to buy the book and find that you need the book before you can get it (perhaps because you are buying it online and need to wait for it to be shipped to you), check the library for reserve copies that you can use temporarily or ask the TA/professor if they would be willing for you to copy the section you need out of their book until you can get yours or check the return policy for the bookstore to see if you can buy the book and then return it before the return deadline. But really, I’ve never had a situation where I’ve absolutely needed the textbook immediately. There’s usually time to get it if you decide you want it.
Thank you all!
Wow, that is a lot of helpful information. Thank you all so much!!
I’m probably not going to get the textbooks before class starts because I don’t want to waste money on something I barely use.
As for a clicker, my school doesn’t have lecture halls, so I don’t think I’ll be needing that. Thank you for the suggestion though.