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Computer Science Student Equipment?

Going to be doing computer science at university later in the year, I have absolutely no clue how to prepare i.e. what equipment I'll need for the course if any at all? :confused:

Would appreciate some advice, thanks.

Reply 1

codemonkey

pen and paper? But if you have the money then a powerful laptop for work and a asus eeepc for just browsing, you dont want to be carrying your main constantly. Also buy big java and a book on discrete maths.

Reply 2

Apocalypte

12

Laptop, notebook and pens. That's all I've found I needed. I've bought books as needed, but I haven't bought anything that wasn't a compulsory textbook.

Reply 3

laser

10

Just pen and paper and books from a reading list are handy (or just get to the library). Laptops aren't really necessary, every Uni should have a pretty decent computing lab for CS students, but it's handy to have a fairly powerful machine for at home.

I transcribe lectures using pen and paper, other people prefer laptops though. It's up to you, my laptop very rarely comes onto campus with me.

Reply 4

KirstyLoouise

I'll be taking my laptop with me... but I'm not sure what you'll need. I think you'll need a note book and a pen to take down some notes but thats about it :smile:

.

Reply 5

Xenomorph v2.1

OP

14

Thanks guys! Appreciate it all the advice.

Reply 6

Psyk

16

I get pen and paper near exam time, don't need it any other time. A calculator's quite important for exams. I'm not really one for textbooks. I have two which I've barely read at all. No laptop either, I just have a fairly powerful machine at home. Which I wouldn't say is necessary for the course, in fact most of the labs machines are faster considering a lot of the programs I write for the course are in Java which in my experience is significantly faster on linux, they are single threaded and are not graphical so don't depend on the GPU. My PC is better overall but the lab machines have faster individual cores.

If you want to take notes, I recommend pen and paper. Unless you have a fancy tablet PC that you can hand write on, a laptop involves too much faffing. A lot of the notes you take will include diagrams and formulas and it's not easy to do those in a hurry on a laptop. Most people with laptops in lectures use them to look at facebook or get on with coursework. Which is a bit stupid imo. If you're not going to pay attention to the lecture then why bother going? No one forces you to go to lectures, they are completely optional.

Reply 7

jermaindefoe

15

Psyk

I get pen and paper near exam time, don't need it any other time. A calculator's quite important for exams. I'm not really one for textbooks. I have two which I've barely read at all. No laptop either, I just have a fairly powerful machine at home. Which I wouldn't say is necessary for the course, in fact most of the labs machines are faster considering a lot of the programs I write for the course are in Java which in my experience is significantly faster on linux, they are single threaded and are not graphical so don't depend on the GPU. My PC is better overall but the lab machines have faster individual cores.

If you want to take notes, I recommend pen and paper. Unless you have a fancy tablet PC that you can hand write on, a laptop involves too much faffing. A lot of the notes you take will include diagrams and formulas and it's not easy to do those in a hurry on a laptop. Most people with laptops in lectures use them to look at facebook or get on with coursework. Which is a bit stupid imo. If you're not going to pay attention to the lecture then why bother going? No one forces you to go to lectures, they are completely optional.

i agree with this, i am using a trial and error approach, 1st term i used pen and paper and had a fair wack of decent notes at the end of term, neatly written and ready to go for revision from come exams, this term i tried a laptop out, ......

lets just say its really not such a good idea

Reply 8

Bucky!

8

jermaindefoe

this term i tried a laptop out, ......

lets just say its really not such a good idea

I tried that at school, and it was a disaster. You may be able to type quicker than you can write, but you can't format quickly enough, and when it comes to a small diagram, you're sunk, since you can't create it in such a short period of time.

Computer Science Student Equipment?

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