<p>I’m an incoming freshman coming in as a biochemistry major and I was wondering how often you guys take your laptop to class. I’m asking because I am debating between a 13 inch and a 15 inch laptop, and if I will leave the laptop on my desk pretty much all the time I’ll take the 15" with the 1080p resolution. However, if I need my laptop in class often, I’ll buy a more portable laptop with a 13" display.</p>
<p>So how often can I expect to take my laptop to class?</p>
<p>While I carry my laptop with me very often, it’s basically useless unless it’s a tablet for taking notes in math and most science courses. I can count on both hands the number of times I’ve used it for lecture; it usually turns into internet browsing as it’s almost impossible to type up chemical equations with a laptop. You CAN theoretically open up PowerPoint presentations and use One Note to make notes on them, but personally I find it a PITA. I use it for the occasional last minute paper/hw assignment/class registration, things that don’t happen very often. </p>
<p>I carry my giant 15" ThinkPad T520 with me because I don’t have a smartphone or tablet and rely solely on it for connecting me to the outside world. If you have a smartphone I think the 15" should suit just fine. If you don’t, the 13" + external will be better.</p>