Laptop vs iPad for university

2

I’m starting university in September to study psychology at hopefully Bath or York, I already have an iPad Air but am wondering if I should get an iPad for all the essays I’ll have to write and if I’ll be able to access everything I need including essay assignments on an iPad does anyone have any thoughts

Reply 1

LJMUStudentReps

Official Rep

18

Hi there,

Personally I prefer a laptop (just because I find them easier to use and access files one etc), but if you have an ipad/don’t already have a laptop, then I wouldn’t get one as they can be quite expensive

I usually found myself doing my assignments in the uni library, on their PCs as they had bigger screens and I just found it easier to work with and also concentrate, so you could always use your ipad in lectures for notes, but write your assignments on your uni’s library computers (making sure you save everything to the correct place)

Quite a few people in my classes used ipads - some had keyboards to go with them and some wrote notes by hand on whatever app they use on there - I would just do whatever you think is easier for you!

Hope that helps :smile:

Jorja (LJMU Student Rep)

Reply 2

Matt-WrexhamUni

Official Rep

7

Original post

by incongruous-card

I’m starting university in September to study psychology at hopefully Bath or York, I already have an iPad Air but am wondering if I should get an iPad for all the essays I’ll have to write and if I’ll be able to access everything I need including essay assignments on an iPad does anyone have any thoughts

Hi

This is a great question!

I think that it totally depends on how you work best. I personally use a lapop as I feel that I can access everything I need in one place in my lectures and whilst studying. If i am working on a longer project I can plug the laptop into my monitor for improved function.

I found across my different classes that people used a variety of different devices, so I feel it is completely what you feel would be the best.

I hope this helps,

Matt
2nd Year Physiotherapy Student
Wrexham Uni Reps

Reply 3

hallamstudents

Official Rep

18

Original post

by incongruous-card

I’m starting university in September to study psychology at hopefully Bath or York, I already have an iPad Air but am wondering if I should get an iPad for all the essays I’ll have to write and if I’ll be able to access everything I need including essay assignments on an iPad does anyone have any thoughts

Hi there!

I have only used a laptop at Uni, although I do have an iPad too. I just prefer using my laptop as I like the bigger screen and find the keyboard easier to use, but this is just a personal preference. If you already have an iPad, this will be fine too, especially if you have a keyboard which you can attach to it as these are often easier to use and will make writing your assignments a lot easier.

I also like going to the library and using the PCs that they have for you to use there too. These are good as you can see your work on a bigger screen and use this to write the work, and have your laptop/iPad there for an extra screen or if you need to look things up.

Overall, both would be fine. If you already have an iPad, just use that and if you already have a laptop you will be fine with this. Use what you have for now and if it doesn't work well for you then look into getting something else, but there is not point buying something new before you have tried what you have got already!

I hope some of this helps,

Lucy - SHU student ambassador 🙂

Reply 4

Chester Student

12

Original post

by incongruous-card

I’m starting university in September to study psychology at hopefully Bath or York, I already have an iPad Air but am wondering if I should get an iPad for all the essays I’ll have to write and if I’ll be able to access everything I need including essay assignments on an iPad does anyone have any thoughts

Hi there,

Great question!

It really is down to each individual person and what works best for them. I know a few people who prefer an iPad, many who use laptops, and some who use notebooks in class and then library PCs!

I personally prefer a laptop, and use it for more than just my academic studies. It is just what I'm used to! I like having a slightly bigger screen, and I am familiar with navigating everything.

I'd also just note that if your course requires any additional programs/apps (e.g., SPSS for psychology), these may be easier to navigate and use on a Windows device rather than Mac. I've heard of students who use Apple products having issues with these things, so just something to keep in mind. However, if you don't mind going to the library to use the PCs it doesn't sound like this would be a big issue!

If you already have an iPad and are comfortable using it, I'd say stick with it. You can always try it out for a few weeks and change your mind, but there is no use spending a lot of money if you don't feel like you need to!

I hope this helps,

Isabella
Geography (With a Year Abroad)

Reply 5

University of Bath

Official Rep

14

Original post

by incongruous-card

I’m starting university in September to study psychology at hopefully Bath or York, I already have an iPad Air but am wondering if I should get an iPad for all the essays I’ll have to write and if I’ll be able to access everything I need including essay assignments on an iPad does anyone have any thoughts

Hi!

Congrats on your offers 🙂 I just wanted to throw in another suggestion based on my experience...

Why go somewhere in between by getting a touchscreen laptop?

I absolutely loved my touchscreen laptop at uni. I could flip it on its head and use it as a tablet but also use it as a laptop when I wanted to type things such as essays and reports. I also found certain software (such as SPSS and R) were easier to use with keys rather than a touchscreen. Its an option worth considering if you're a tablet person who wants the convenience of typing quickly.

I hope this helps, best of luck for this year!

University of Bath

Reply 6

Emma L - UOS

Official Rep

1

Original post

by incongruous-card

I’m starting university in September to study psychology at hopefully Bath or York, I already have an iPad Air but am wondering if I should get an iPad for all the essays I’ll have to write and if I’ll be able to access everything I need including essay assignments on an iPad does anyone have any thoughts

Hey there 👋

Looking at everyone else's answers, I think I'm the odd one out here, but I personally prefer using my iPad! I found I was able to access everything I needed, and I liked being able to represent the information in a way that made sense to me (lists, diagrams, etc)
If you are concerned about not having a laptop, libraries have PCs that you can access. I don't know about York or Bath, but at Sunderland we have laptops you're able to borrow from the library. So that might be an option for you as well.

Good luck with your studies!

Reply 7

YSJ_Alex

Official Rep

12

Original post

by incongruous-card

I’m starting university in September to study psychology at hopefully Bath or York, I already have an iPad Air but am wondering if I should get an iPad for all the essays I’ll have to write and if I’ll be able to access everything I need including essay assignments on an iPad does anyone have any thoughts

Hey!

I’m a psychology student going into my third year and I use both an iPad and laptop for my degree, so I can give a quick overview of the pros and cons of both:

Laptop pros

•

can download statistical software needed for course (though the university will provide it on their computers, having a laptop means you can utilise it from home)

•

comes with a keyboard already attached for working - if you buy an iPad, it’s more on top for a keyboard

•

larger screens - useful for split-screen work during lectures (lecture slide on one half, notes on the other)

•

can often be much cheaper than iPads

Laptop cons

•

can be heavy to lug around all day (depending on what size you get), especially the chunky chargers

iPad pros

•

lightweight and easy to transport, with a smaller charger

•

great for reading papers - i read and highlight all the academic papers and research articles on my iPad and use my Apple Pencil to highlight - so much easier than reading on a computer or laptop screen

iPad cons

•

some features of PowerPoint/Word are not accessible on iPad (or are more difficult to find/use) than on a laptop - formatting may also not translate properly if you write something on iPad but your lecturer is reading it on a computer or laptop (this has happened to me before)

If you’re considering buying Apple laptop, I bought my iPad in September (when I got my student ID) and I managed to get a student discount which made my haul go down from around 700 to about 500, so it’s worth enquiring about!

If you have any more questions about this just let me know :smile:

Alex, Student Ambassador

Reply 8

LancashireRep5

Official Rep

9

Original post

by incongruous-card

I’m starting university in September to study psychology at hopefully Bath or York, I already have an iPad Air but am wondering if I should get an iPad for all the essays I’ll have to write and if I’ll be able to access everything I need including essay assignments on an iPad does anyone have any thoughts

Hey there,

My name is Siobhan and I’m a third-year physiotherapy student at the University of Central Lancashire. This is a great question and one that found myself asking myself as well as I had an iPad for the first two years and got a laptop for third year as a present.

Either iPad or laptop is great for uni as most resources will be online and from using both, and you should be able to access your assignments and lectures on there.

Me and my friends used our iPad’s when we were in lectures as it was much lighter and slimmer than my laptop which was so much better when we had to travel. Also, the chargers are lighter for iPad which is better for your back if you have to bring a lot of stuff.

You can get gadgets which suit how you take notes on your iPad which I found helpful such as detachable keyboards if you prefer to type or iPad pens if you prefer to write. Also, you can get screen protectors that feel like paper when you write on your iPad if you prefer the old-fashioned way of note taking.

For writing assignments, I used the library computers there because they had two monitors and put me in a ‘study enviornment’ so I could focus better, but I also did parts on my iPad at home and managed this fine.

When I got my laptop in year 3, I did end up using this more because it had a bigger screen, but I found no real difference in terms of writing assignments and accessing content.

I wouldn't jump the gun and buy a laptop straight away, I would see how you manage with your iPad first and use the library computers to help you make a pros and cons list.

Hope that helps with your question and please let me know if you need any more help 😊

Siobhan (Student Ambassador for the University of Central Lancashire)

Reply 9

University of York

Official Rep

13

Original post

by incongruous-card

I’m starting university in September to study psychology at hopefully Bath or York, I already have an iPad Air but am wondering if I should get an iPad for all the essays I’ll have to write and if I’ll be able to access everything I need including essay assignments on an iPad does anyone have any thoughts

Hi there,

I hope you're enjoying your summer break ☀️ Hopefully we'll be welcoming you onto campus this September! 🎉

It's personal preference, really. For example, when I did my degree (not that long ago, I graduated in 2022) I usually handwrote my lecture notes, then typed these up later as part of my revision. For assignments, I used my laptop, or I would go to the computers at the library or one of the other study spaces on campus and use the computers there.

I think you should be fine with an iPad Air for your lecture notes etc. I remember a lot of my friends used to take their iPads to lectures, download the slides and then simply annotate them throughout. Personally, I think for writing essays you might benefit from having a keyboard attachment for your iPad, or perhaps having a laptop. But, as has been mentioned, these can be quite expensive, so instead you could easily make use of the computers available across our campus.

I hope this helps! Is there anything else on your mind about university?

Best wishes - Hannah 😀

Reply 10

gin_n_tonic

18

I use an ipad with an apple keyboard, but many of my friends just use keyboards of amazon, it just makes it feel more all in one like a laptop. I also find it helpful being able to use touchscreen like highlighting things, formatting work, drawing rough mind maps or notes. I think its also better as smaller so can take with you more places which makes you feel more obliged to do work.

Gosh that sounds like an ad and a half, promise I’m just passionate 😅. But honestly its down to personal preference - neither option is detrimental unless of course you chose an ipad with no keyboard for a computer science degree for example.

Reply 11

ErasistratusV

21

Microsoft Surface. A laptop which is also a tablet and has a detachable keyboard and pen. Will be cheaper than an Apple product, too.

Laptop vs iPad for university

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