What laptop should I get for studing Law

Which laptop would be a good buy for a law degree.
Also will the university send out a list of things they recommend you have/ need

Reply 1

Lancaster Student Ambassador

Official Rep

Original post

by Very?

Which laptop would be a good buy for a law degree.
Also will the university send out a list of things they recommend you have/ need

Hi!

I’m going into my last (third) year of Law at Lancaster University, so hopefully I can give you some insight into your questions.

For a law degree (or really any degree), the specific brand of laptop isn’t too important, most students use MacBooks, ThinkPads, Chromebooks, or Dell XPS. I personally use a MacBook, and it has worked wonderfully for taking notes, writing coursework, and completing online exams.

The most important things to look for are that your laptop is lightweight, reliable, and efficient. Good battery life is a huge plus since you’ll be moving between lectures, seminars, and the library. Having enough storage for documents and course materials is also helpful, and a comfortable keyboard makes long writing sessions much easier.

Some students also like to use an iPad or other tablet alongside their laptop. These can be great for annotating PDFs or taking digital notes during lectures. So it’s really up to the individual on what you prefer.

As for your second question, most universities do provide a list of recommended items or things you’ll need for your course. I’d suggest emailing your department to confirm, especially if there are reading lists specifying particular textbooks or resources to purchase.

Hope this helps! Feel free to reach out if you have any further questions.

Rachel
Lancaster University Student Ambassador

Reply 2

Very?

Original post

by Lancaster Student Ambassador

Hi!
I’m going into my last (third) year of Law at Lancaster University, so hopefully I can give you some insight into your questions.
For a law degree (or really any degree), the specific brand of laptop isn’t too important, most students use MacBooks, ThinkPads, Chromebooks, or Dell XPS. I personally use a MacBook, and it has worked wonderfully for taking notes, writing coursework, and completing online exams.
The most important things to look for are that your laptop is lightweight, reliable, and efficient. Good battery life is a huge plus since you’ll be moving between lectures, seminars, and the library. Having enough storage for documents and course materials is also helpful, and a comfortable keyboard makes long writing sessions much easier.
Some students also like to use an iPad or other tablet alongside their laptop. These can be great for annotating PDFs or taking digital notes during lectures. So it’s really up to the individual on what you prefer.
As for your second question, most universities do provide a list of recommended items or things you’ll need for your course. I’d suggest emailing your department to confirm, especially if there are reading lists specifying particular textbooks or resources to purchase.
Hope this helps! Feel free to reach out if you have any further questions.
Rachel
Lancaster University Student Ambassador

Thank that was really helpful. On your first year of study on average do you know how many lectures there are

Reply 3

Lancaster Student Ambassador

Official Rep

Original post

by Very?

Thank that was really helpful. On your first year of study on average do you know how many lectures there are

Hi! Glad to hear that it was helpful!

In my first year at Lancaster University, we had 4 core modules, each with 2 lectures per week, so that worked out to 8 hours of lectures. We also had seminars for each module, bringing the total to around 12 contact hours.

Though this might seem like quite little, you’ll also be doing a fair amount of independent reading and preparation outside those hours but it’s manageable if you keep on top of everything. There are also optional workshops, guest lectures, and careers events you can attend so each week could look fairly different, depending on the work load and what opportunities you decide to take.

This is what it looked like in my first year, but it’s always subject to change depending on the year and teaching arrangements. And of course, this can also vary a lot between universities too, so I’d recommend checking directly with the department at the university you’re going to or interested in.

Rachel
Lancaster University Student Ambassador