Laptops and uni. (1 Viewer)

[Spider786]

well, i was gonna ask, are laptops really usefull at uni?, but i already ordered mine.

My friends sister, whose a 3rd year says, that alot of the 1st years bring it with some weird perception that it's really important to have one (which i do, well had), and she said after the first semester or so, you kinda get sick of lugging it round espec since they already got comps at uni. (but im thinking as an it student it will hopefully come in more useful to me then it did for her as an accountancy student)

anyway what i really want to know, is since im getting one anyway now, how would i go about using it most effectively, (anyone willing to share their experiences?) e.g how to organize stuff on it, how to take notes etc.

and also do they have power sockets in lect rooms ( my laptops kinda a gaming machine so its battery goes for aprox 2.5 hrs donno if that'll be enuf for the whole day), also i was thinking do the lecture halls have those headphone sockets? (i heard some do to enhance hearing aids), and if they do, i could prolly hook it up to my laptop and record the lecture, cuz that would be cool.

 

[mr_brightside]

I don't believe they have power points in their lecture halls.
Maybe just buy another battery off eBay,

or get a new lightweight laptop.

 

[goan_crazy]

Yeah i use my laptop in uni
your lectures will mostly be 2 hours
usually in tutorials there will be a power point where you can charge up.

 

[jemsta]

well if i have huge breaks....3 hrs or something in the vicinity of that, ill just bring my laptop to uni to type notes, or finish an assignment, instead of wasting a couple of hours bludging around doing nothing

i remember stas saying that he achieved better marks by bringing his notebook into lectures, but this varies from person to person

 

[kami]

Laptops aren't really useful to use at uni - it won't grant you much technical advantage (you need to use the uni computers to print things from anyway). It also gets to be annoying having it in your backpack; its more weight that you don't need and means you need to be more careful about how you lug your backpack around.

As for using it efficiently, make sure you have MS word on it as that is compatible with EndNote, has a spellcheck, and has a wordcount function (which is v. important for assignments), its also compatible with all the UTS computers. Also have a powerpoint program - also good for assignments. Lastly, have a pen drive so you can transfer all of these from your laptop to the UTS computers in case you need to print something.

Most lecture theaters won't have power sockets for you to use, however some will. It would be a really bad idea to plug your laptop into those though as someone will probably trip on the lead. You don't really need to recharge it during lectures though - not many lectures will go over 2 hours so after your lecture you can just sit somewhere and recharge it (there are heaps of sockets around the campus).

Regarding the lectures that have headphone sockets, I doubt you'd get access to them, they're for special needs students only. Besides, you can just record the lectures on your mp3 player if you sit up front.

 

[jemsta]

haha before i started uni, i puposely bought an mp3 player just so i could record the lectures

turned out i just wanted it for music, and recording then listening to the lectures proved easier to say, harder to do

 

[kami]

haha before i started uni, i puposely bought an mp3 player just so i could record the lectures

turned out i just wanted it for music, and recording then listening to the lectures proved easier to say, harder to do

lol, its not that hard to do though - just set it on record and pick a good spot.

 

[jemsta]

haha yeah but going home and then listening to the hour lecture that you recorded
'boredom'

 

[kami]

haha yeah but going home and then listening to the hour lecture that you recorded
'boredom'

Thats why its good for train trips.

 

[Nakashima]

I considered buying one for uni last year but decided against it because:

• It's a pain in the ass to carry around
• You'd think typing is faster than note-taking but on a laptop keypad, it really isn't
• There are usually no power sockets in lecture rooms
• It provides entertainment during boring lectures, not a good thing if you care about learning and stuff
• Most people find it easier to study off written notes anyway, which means you'd have to end up printing everything
• There isn't always a need for computers/laptops, so you'd be carrying the thing around all day just for a couple hours' use

Since good laptops are expensive, I don't reckon it's worth it. The most I had to wait for a computer in the library was about 20 minutes anyway.

If you want something for the train trips, buy a PSP.

 

[jemsta]

Thats why its good for train trips.

but my train trips are only 15 mins

 

[joolee]

make sure you pack it up before the lecture ends.

 

[jemsta]

make sure you dont leave it lying around!

 

[joolee]

make sure it's charged.

 

[Silver And Cold]

Laptops are useless at uni, almost. Its better to hand write notes. Though its probably useful in your degree.

I just bring my laptop to uni to take advantage of super fast FREE internet. I download episodes, movies and songs all day long. <3

lol thats hot kylie

 

[Spider786]

make sure i actually remember to use it for what i got it for :\,


the thing about the headphones sucks.., meh i might situp the front and record with the inbuilt mic so meh, and im gonna be putting office 07 on it XD, as soon as it finishes dling :\

 

[Silver And Cold]

No, you are

no really, you

 

[jemsta]

bec and kylie are both HOT

 

[Silver And Cold]

bec and kylie are both HOT

 

[Jessica_00]

Isnt it against uni policy to download stuff that are not related to "education" or risk being fined "$1000"? Well thats what I read at UNSW website.

Would they be able to track us down by laptop to laptop anyway? lol

Also one thing you guys have missed out on is the risk of being waited on after uni by some mug and getting your laptop snatched or stolen if you are not carefull on the trains at night. You never know people! Using a laptop on the train isnt a good idea to me.