<p>I'll going to Lafayette next fall, and for graduation my parents are buying me a laptop to bring. </p>
<p>So, current Lafayette students or alums, did you use your laptop in class to take notes regularly? Or was it mostly just for use outside of the classroom? </p>
<p>My friends at big universities tell me that they use their laptops all the time in their lectures, but Lafayette is a bit...smaller.</p>
<p>I have a MacBook Pro, and don’t bring it with me to classes. I always use a pen and notebook for in-class notes, as do most other students I know. It actually seems simpler that way - you don’t have to worry about a computer crashing, running out of battery life, or otherwise acting up during class. The only occasion of students bringing computers to class seems to be for specific computing-intensive courses (computer science, etc.). If you want to bring a laptop to your classes, full or partial wireless access is available in the majority of academic locations. Here’s a listing of the campus locations with Wi-Fi: [Wireless</a> Access | Information Technology Services](<a href=“http://its.lafayette.edu/facilities/wireless]Wireless”>http://its.lafayette.edu/facilities/wireless).</p>
<p>As well, here’s a link to a page from Lafayette’s IT service providing info on choosing a computer for use at Laf, including links to recommended system configurations. This should be a helpful starting point as you look into purchasing a computer: [Student</a> Computer Purchases FAQ | Information Technology Services](<a href=“http://its.lafayette.edu/help/faqs/studentcomputers]Student”>http://its.lafayette.edu/help/faqs/studentcomputers)</p>
<p>I concur with WaWaPard. My son is a junior at Lafayette. He tells me he rarely brings his computer to class. He mostly takes notes by hand. If he has to give a presentation or something he brings his flash drive to class and uses the computer in the classroom. He does bring his laptop to the library occasionally. He bought a new computer last summer and chose an HP Pavilion, he said that’s a pretty common laptop on campus.</p>
<p>I’m a senior at Lafayette, and I have never taken my laptop to class. Everyone takes notes by hand, and Lafayette has an online-blackboard program called Moodle where professors actually post slides and handouts, so that you can print them out and easily follow along in class, so you don’t have to scribble down the notes (and then you end up spending more time paying attention to writing everything down than actually listening to the prof!). I actually had a professor who did not allow laptops in the classroom, because, of course, websites like Facebook can get really distracting.</p>
<p>My brother goes to a large university and brings his laptop everywhere, but at a smaller school, classes are very interactive, so no one brings them to class.</p>
<p>Also, the ENTIRE Lafayette campus is wireless, so you can literally do your work anywhere! I always keep my laptop in my room, and if I go to the library, I use either a Dell or Mac, do my work, and then save it to my flash drive. It’s a great system!</p>
<p>I was wondering which type of laptop (dell or mac) would be better for Lafayette. I know many schools say that Macs aren’t very compatable for group work, but with new software that is out it seems like they are compatable. At the same time, Macs don’t get viruses like Dells do. So which does anyone suggest for Lafayette?</p>
<p>@laf2014 :</p>
<p>It depends if you are planning on doing a computer intensive course (CS, ECE, etc). In that case, I would recommend getting in touch with a student from that major. (PM me if you want the contact info of someone who is in that field).
If you’re a regular student, then the only thing that matters in choosing a laptop is personal preference. I know most film and media majors prefer macs because the audio / video / image editing software on macs is better. But for regular students, just choose the one you feel most comfortable with. We have sufficient support for both mac and pc on this campus.
I use a PC and although I do get more viruses than my friends using macs, it’s not enough to be a problem or a hindrance.</p>
<p>Hi Laf2014,</p>
<p>I have a concentration in Arts & Media studies, but I do have a Dell. I have rarely had any problems with my laptop since freshman year. The facilities in the library are great, so if I need to edit or do video work, I use the MACs there. It’s really a personal preference. There are so many advances nowadays that just about everything is compatable with every other computer on campus. My brother is a freshman at another school and he also got a Dell this past year, and has said that it’s about even between MACs and Dells…so it’s really your choice!!</p>
<p>ryanshroff & leopard2010 - thank you both!</p>