<p>hey I just bought a really small 13.3’ toshiba laptop…mainly for the reason to keep it portable from the dorm to the lecture hall and back. Do many other davis students whip out a laptop instead of a notebook these days? Is it a good idea to get a small lightweight one? Do professors allow/care about this notetaking method?</p>
<p>In my personal experience almost everyone uses the ol' pen & paper to take notes. The most laptops I ever saw out was in the linguistics GE that I took... and still it was only 5-10 people out of about 100. You can try typing, but the sound of your keys clicking might be distracting to those around you.</p>
<p>The longevity of laptops is so low. Plus the extra weight in your backpack sucks especially if you bike around campus.</p>
<p>pencil/pen and paper is much easier, especially when teachers make notes on the board in the form of charts or drawing out diagrams. Even following powerpoints on my laptop was not as helpful as just printing them out on campus.</p>
<p>I was extremely distracted when I would bring my laptop to class, especially when wi-fi was available.</p>
<p>I for one enjoy bringing my laptop to class. I find that I take clearer and more organized notes with a program like Microsoft Office Onenote. If you feel more comfortable taking notes with a pen & notebook, by all means, do what's best for you. I would highly recommend NOT taking your laptop to small classes such as discussions. The clicking of the laptop's keyboard is quite audible!</p>