Laptops for lectures?

I use my netbook for the lecture (business) because I am faster at typing than writing however no one else used laptops before I took my netbook. Then more people decided to do it, if you are in a big lecture hall then it won't be as noticeable as a small room.

Must say though when I did tasters of criminology (week at university) before they were based in class room so that might be a problem (always ask your lecturer before hand if they mind though).

Original post by claurm1

Can any current students tell me if we can bring laptops to lectures to take notes or if people do? (if we even need to?) I am doing criminology - maybe it is subject dependent. Also if we usually need to bring many books to lectures or just take notes.
thanks

Reply 4

PiscesPrincess92

1

I wouldn't bother, I think I brought my laptop to about two lectures throughout the whole year and I still ended up writing my lecture notes in my notebook :rolleyes:

Reply 5

Andylol

You can yes, but it's more hassle than it's worth. Good old pen and notepad will do just fine!

Reply 6

You can, but if you have handouts it's normally easier to just write on that. Plus, people who type normally end up very hated within 5 minutes.

Don't take your textbooks - that's to prepare for the lecture.

Reply 7

Summer of 69

I always find it funny when you get certain people who literally try to bring their kitchen sink to lectures - laptops, textbooks, big pencil cases, flasks, pack of biscuits etc. The actual desk space is only small!

You only really need the slides printed out, a pad of paper and pen.

Reply 8

Original post by Summer of 69

I always find it funny when you get certain people who literally try to bring their kitchen sink to lectures - laptops, textbooks, big pencil cases, flasks, pack of biscuits etc. The actual desk space is only small!

You only really need the slides printed out, a pad of paper and pen.

They bring food? God, the noise they'd make would make me want to hit them! It's hard enough to hear as it is.

Oh, and yeah I'd forgotten how small the desks are - my laptop is too big in all directions to fit on the table and in the space I'd have.

Reply 9

Andylol

Original post by Aemiliana

They bring food? God, the noise they'd make would make me want to hit them! It's hard enough to hear as it is.

Oh, and yeah I'd forgotten how small the desks are - my laptop is too big in all directions to fit on the table and in the space I'd have.

Too big in ALL directions?! :eek:

Reply 10

Original post by Andylol

Too big in ALL directions?! :eek:

Yeah, the tables in the lecture halls I've been in are really skinny and can struggle with a pad of paper, let alone a fat laptop with a 17" screen!

Reply 11

DPLSK

claurm1

Can any current students tell me if we can bring laptops to lectures to take notes or if people do?

You could do it, but I wouldn't bother.

A more effective way, if you have rather need handwriting, is to write it up using pen and paper in the lecture and then use a scanner in combination with OCR software to scan the pages.

This will create an electronic copy of your notes and means if you ever lose them or spill something on them then all is not lost.

The only time this doesn't work is when you do mathematics or something like Asian studies because OCR software is just crap in those situations.

Darren

PS: Scanning your notes in general is a good idea to save space, but having OCR software makes it more efficient to search them.

Reply 12

Hanvyj

17

Original post by claurm1

Can any current students tell me if we can bring laptops to lectures to take notes or if people do? (if we even need to?) I am doing criminology - maybe it is subject dependent. Also if we usually need to bring many books to lectures or just take notes.
thanks

Considering I can type faster (and clearer) than I can write, and my hands are retarded and have somehow broken causing stupid cramp, I considered this.

One thing set me back though - I was doing a science degree (physics) and I couldn't do diagrams easily. Also, most of my course had equations every third line which take about a half hour to write out on a computer properly, so unless you get one of those touch-screen laptops, or was doing a degree without diagrams/equations then it wouldn't have been very good.

Electronic storage and the "search" function would have been very useful...

Reply 13

Tanguerro

I am going to take all lecture notes on a laptop this year. Putting them straight into Mathematica which natively supports equations (they brand it as the language of technical computing) and from what I have seen - they're not lying.

Reply 14

DPLSK

Tanguerro

I am going to take all lecture notes on a laptop this year. Putting them straight into Mathematica which natively supports equations (they brand it as the language of technical computing) and from what I have seen - they're not lying.

So long as you can use Mathematica to effortlessly write equations then it will be fine. I personally recommend using a graphics tablet in this case, but you do what you think is best.

Just bear in mind that lectures are very fast, so keeping up can be a very difficult task.

Darren

Reply 15

guitarist2oo8

Nice to see you're doing Criminology; I'm also doing it (entering second year next month) So if you want add me on facebook I'll give you some help if you need any advice! :biggrin:

As for your question, yes people frequently bring laptops to lectures :smile:

I did it myself a few times, it largely depends on the way your lecturer formats their powerpoints. Some will have them in a blackboard format which you can't download or edit.. meaning it's literally pointless to take a laptop as you can only make notes on word, but if you prefer that to note taking that's fair enough. Others upload the actual presentation on blackboard before the lecture, which I always thought was brilliant so you could edit it and add to it during the lecture, save it, and use it for revision.

If you don't have a laptop yet, don't buy a bloody 17" one they weigh a tonne and aren't convenient for it... but don't buy a tiny notebook cause they can barely multitask... get an 11-15" one it'll be ideal for you :smile:

Good luck with your course!

Reply 16

cdoyle

2

Its much easier to bring books and laptop to lecture when theres 150+ in the lecture hall/room not 16. lol. believe me.

Reply 17

cdoyle

2

ps: i always have to plug mine in which sucks as it goes out after you open one document. battery buggered.

Reply 18

Tanguerro

Original post by DPLSK

So long as you can use Mathematica to effortlessly write equations then it will be fine. I personally recommend using a graphics tablet in this case, but you do what you think is best.

Just bear in mind that lectures are very fast, so keeping up can be a very difficult task.

Darren

touchscreen equation input is a PITA. Not only can you input them, once they are there you can then graph, animate & solve them. There are also graphical pallets for greek letters, commonly used symbols, equalities, logical symbols etc.

Reply 19