[kpwxx]

(Original post by tcrwt)
Yeah I think this is what I'll end up doing; getting an incredibly cheap laptop (perhaps refurbed) for taking around, then do anything fun on the desktop.

This sounds like a good plan for you. It really does depend how you like to study, and varies a lot.

I studied maths and I took my laptop in to uni perhaps once in the whole three years? I wrote all my notes by hand as I would not physically have been able to type them quick enough lol. When I revised I read lecture notes (from my paper) and question sheets/other notes (which I printed out because I prefer that to looking at a screen). So I had no need for a computer to study.

Obviously I only had limited essays etc to do in a couple of modules, and you will have more on nat sci, but you have to ask about how you procrastinate as well... You say you like to go to the library to avoid procrastination, but if you had your own laptop there would you not procrastinate just as much? My procrastination is mostly online stuff, but if yours is something else this obviously won't apply. When I went to the library it was to get away from technology, taking it with me would have made the trip unproductive.

Xxx

posted from the TSR Android app

[danny111]

(Original post by tcrwt)
Was this at Cambridge?

no, sorry forgot you were asking specifically for cambridge.

[tcrwt]

(Original post by Inverse)
What do you mean? It's overpriced and you can get laptops with far higher specs for less.

Ah yes, sorry, should clarify. I don't want to spend the amount I'd have to spend on a windows equivalent laptop; with SSD/1080p/dedicated GPU etc., it would cost in excess of £1000 and not offer nearly the same as a desktop would for a couple of hundred less.

(Original post by kpwxx)
This sounds like a good plan for you. It really does depend how you like to study, and varies a lot.

I studied maths and I took my laptop in to uni perhaps once in the whole three years? I wrote all my notes by hand as I would not physically have been able to type them quick enough lol. When I revised I read lecture notes (from my paper) and question sheets/other notes (which I printed out because I prefer that to looking at a screen). So I had no need for a computer to study.

Obviously I only had limited essays etc to do in a couple of modules, and you will have more on nat sci, but you have to ask about how you procrastinate as well... You say you like to go to the library to avoid procrastination, but if you had your own laptop there would you not procrastinate just as much? My procrastination is mostly online stuff, but if yours is something else this obviously won't apply. When I went to the library it was to get away from technology, taking it with me would have made the trip unproductive.

Xxx

Yeah, this sounds exactly like me to be honest. My procrastination is mainly computer based so I expect it'd be the same or similar with a laptop. Thanks

(Original post by danny111)
no, sorry forgot you were asking specifically for cambridge.

No worries

[Theflyingbarney]

You could probably get away with both, especially if you dedicate the laptop for note-taking and studying etc only. For that, you'd only really need some word-processing program, and for it to not be too slow when accessing the internet etc (maybe a large hard drive too). Then you could put anything else you wanted on your desktop, if it was a half-decent one. You could probably get a laptop to take notes on for under £200, especially if you go second-hand, thus leaving you way more to get a delightfully good desktop.

[tiddlytom]

First thing to note is you don't need anything with high performance for those options, in first year certainly. For stuff you do in your free time that is different though.
Most of your notes you can get online for your lectures. Those that require gaps to be filled in (no lecture course requires you to take all your own notes) you can just keep as paper copies.
Barely anyone uses a computer in lectures for the options you're thinking of taking, a few use tablets.
You need to keep barely anything you write on paper, so not much point scanning it in. The lecture notes are pretty decent.
If you are wanting to do computer intensive stuff in your free time then I would recommend a desktop, otherwise most people seem to go with a laptop, but barely take it out of their room!

[tcrwt]

(Original post by Theflyingbarney)
You could probably get away with both, especially if you dedicate the laptop for note-taking and studying etc only. For that, you'd only really need some word-processing program, and for it to not be too slow when accessing the internet etc (maybe a large hard drive too). Then you could put anything else you wanted on your desktop, if it was a half-decent one. You could probably get a laptop to take notes on for under £200, especially if you go second-hand, thus leaving you way more to get a delightfully good desktop.

Yeah I expect I'll get a budget laptop and an awesome desktop, for about the price of an awesome laptop

(Original post by tiddlytom)
First thing to note is you don't need anything with high performance for those options, in first year certainly. For stuff you do in your free time that is different though.
Most of your notes you can get online for your lectures. Those that require gaps to be filled in (no lecture course requires you to take all your own notes) you can just keep as paper copies.
Barely anyone uses a computer in lectures for the options you're thinking of taking, a few use tablets.
You need to keep barely anything you write on paper, so not much point scanning it in. The lecture notes are pretty decent.
If you are wanting to do computer intensive stuff in your free time then I would recommend a desktop, otherwise most people seem to go with a laptop, but barely take it out of their room!

Sounds perfect, thank you! BTW, I saw a thumbs down on your post, so I thought I might have pressed it by accident when aiming for the 'Quote' button. So I pressed it again, to try to toggle it off and cancel the negative, but it added another negative. And now I can't seem to remove the negative, even though I wanted to press positive! Sorry about that!!

[tiddlytom]

(Original post by tcrwt)
Sounds perfect, thank you! BTW, I saw a thumbs down on your post, so I thought I might have pressed it by accident when aiming for the 'Quote' button. So I pressed it again, to try to toggle it off and cancel the negative, but it added another negative. And now I can't seem to remove the negative, even though I wanted to press positive! Sorry about that!!

No worries. Wonder why I got the other neg. Oh well

[kpatb]

(Original post by tcrwt)
So you think pen and paper will suffice?

For Phys NatSci, DEFINITELY.
(I've just finished my first year as a Phys NatSci)

As you get practically complete notes or notes that are only partially filled, you either won't really need to take too many notes or you'll need to really do it with pen and paper anyway. Also, due to the maths nature of stuff you're doing, I always found pen and paper easier to use despite preferring to always take notes with my computer in the past. (Plus not many people take laptops to the options you're thinking of taking)

Also, GET A LAPTOP. It's SO much more versatile. As someone has already said - you can take it home with you if you go away for the weekend. If all the computers are taken at the library, you can take it there and also, it takes up less space (although thats a bit of a crap reason ) Laptop all the way. Desktops at uni just don't make sense to me.

The only thing you'll really need your laptop for, academically, is to do your Physics Lab Report and to look up past papers online. (Not sure how much you use it in Compsci though)

[tiddlytom]

(Original post by kpatb)
For Phys NatSci, DEFINITELY.
(Not sure how much you use it in Compsci though)

More than any other subject. Each week/two weeks you have a task set for submission which you do mostly on your own computer. They aren't computer intensive though. If you want to you can practice the stuff they go though in lectures in your own time on your computer too.