Are laptops essential?

samsamson

I heard from a friend that it's pretty essential to own a laptop in UCD because it can be really difficult to find a free computer to use when you need one.

I got the impression that this is a big problem coming up to exams when everybody is trying to do research etc.

Just curious how true this really is? I'd rather not have to dish out for a laptop if I get into UCD next year but it does seem like everybody owns one (in which case shouldn't the PC's be all empty?? )

jimi_t

samsamson wrote: »

I heard from a friend that it's pretty essential to own a laptop in UCD because it can be really difficult to find a free computer to use when you need one.

I got the impression that this is a big problem coming up to exams when everybody is trying to do research etc.

Just curious how true this really is? I'd rather not have to dish out for a laptop if I get into UCD next year but it does seem like everybody owns one (in which case shouldn't the PC's be all empty?? )

Couldn't stress the importance of a laptop enough; regardless of what course you're doing it could credibly be the difference between a 1st and a 2:1.

tribulus

Depends on the course, I never needed one at all.

samsamson

The course would be arts, I should have mentioned that.

What are the benefits of the laptop Jimi_t that could make such a huge difference?

lemon_sherbert

If you have access to a home computer, I wouldn't think a laptop necessary. you have to have one if you are doing a quinn business course, but other than that I rarely use mine, for my other classes. I guess if you are going to be doing an essay heavy course, like English or history, it would be useful. It is pretty hard to get one in the library at crunch time, though it can be pretty difficult to get a laptop slot too.
If you are going to get one, they have great student deals in september, not UCD's advertised one, there are better ones, but there are usually flyers handed out about them. To be honest, you should be able to get a relatively cheap one if you are just getting one for word processing, and internet use.

Seifer

jimi_t wrote:

regardless of what course you're doing it could credibly be the difference between a 1st and a 2:1.

Have no idea where you're getting that from. Care to back it up in any way?

In my opinion, as long as you have an internet connection at home you don't need one and if you're willing to look further afield than the Art's block or the Daedalus building, you will find a free computer, regardless of the time of year.

ferdi

Seifer wrote: »

Have no idea where you're getting that from. Care to back it up in any way?

In my opinion, as long as you have an internet connection at home you don't need one and if you're willing to look further afield than the Art's block or the Daedalus building, you will find a free computer, regardless of the time of year.

Exactly.

There are plenty of computer labs on campus, if youre willing to look around you wont have much trouble getting a computer. Furthermore, if I had had a laptop infront of me evertime I sat down in the library to study i would have been boards/youtube/email/msn constantly and not working.

stereoroid

Good examples of places to look for computers are the Newstead building (Civil Engineering, the former Philips building), which has two large computer labs. The top floor of Engineering is another good place, I've never seen that lab full. Both require that you leave the central area around the Library and walk a bit. :pac:

One "trick" I should mention: even if there is a practical class in progress in a computer room, you can generally still use a computer there as long you understand the class gets priority. That means: no noise, and no-one in the class gets left without a computer.

jimi_t

ferdi wrote: »

Exactly.

There are plenty of computer labs on campus, if youre willing to look around you wont have much trouble getting a computer. Furthermore, if I had had a laptop infront of me evertime I sat down in the library to study i would have been boards/youtube/email/msn constantly and not working.

Well given that my modules (mainly English and sociology) are heavily research and essay based, I find that a laptop with wireless internet is vital for taking notes in lectures (my handwriting speed has gone to crap since 6th year) and completing my assignments and such when hanging around campus (ALL of which are required to be typed).

Then socially, when you're in college people often can't be on their phone but my MSN messsenger list is usually fulll. I used to get a lot of use out of it when fulfilling various society duties using webtext (free, group text facilities, faster than using a mobile) and it was the best way of finding out what was going on in campus.

Asides from this, all college correspondence is done electronically - something which necessitates me checking my email three or four times a day.

Of course, there is an adequate enough amount of computers around with free internet but, especially around exam time, you waste a lot of time (when time is most precious) trying to get settled - you can have all your notes and such straight away rather than fecking about with USB keys and the like. Of course, with that you have the problem of dossing about on the web - but you've the same problem with the college computers.

In this day and age I honestly believe that, for me anyway, the idea of 'studying' without a laptop in front of me would be seriously counterproductive and inefficient. If you're the kind of person who gets distracted you're going to get distracted anyways, be it a laptop or just something shiny.

So yeah, I do honestly believe that a lack of laptop would have had a significant negative impact on both my social and academic life in UCD. You can get along without one certainly, but I suppose it comes down to how much your education is worth to you. At the end of the day, I bought a cheap-ass laptop secondhand and added a wireless card for under 300 (before anyone gets on their high horse, paid for by a part-time job). I've seen people go through that going out on freshers week alone.

Bubs101

jimi_t wrote: »

Well given that my modules (mainly English and sociology) are heavily research and essay based, I find that a laptop with wireless internet is vital for taking notes in lectures (my handwriting speed has gone to crap since 6th year) and completing my assignments and such when hanging around campus (ALL of which are required to be typed).

Then socially, when you're in college people often can't be on their phone but my MSN messsenger list is usually fulll. I used to get a lot of use out of it when fulfilling various society duties using webtext (free, group text facilities, faster than using a mobile) and it was the best way of finding out what was going on in campus.

Asides from this, all college correspondence is done electronically - something which necessitates me checking my email three or four times a day.

Of course, there is an adequate enough amount of computers around with free internet but, especially around exam time, you waste a lot of time (when time is most precious) trying to get settled - you can have all your notes and such straight away rather than fecking about with USB keys and the like. Of course, with that you have the problem of dossing about on the web - but you've the same problem with the college computers.

In this day and age I honestly believe that, for me anyway, the idea of 'studying' without a laptop in front of me would be seriously counterproductive and inefficient. If you're the kind of person who gets distracted you're going to get distracted anyways, be it a laptop or just something shiny.

So yeah, I do honestly believe that a lack of laptop would have had a significant negative impact on both my social and academic life in UCD. You can get along without one certainly, but I suppose it comes down to how much your education is worth to you.

Jimmy, thats a long post when essentially you're just trying to say that the reason you're in stage X is you didn't have a laptop in first year

ferdi

eh, hold on there jimi. Some of the stuff you've come out with there is a little crazy. I just finished arts with two quite text heavy subjects and not having a laptop never caused me any bother.

jimi_t wrote:

I find that a laptop with wireless internet is vital for taking notes in lectures

fair enough if you have problems with handwriting but why do you need wireless internet to write down what the lecturer is saying?

jimi_t wrote:

Asides from this, all college correspondence is done electronically - something which necessitates me checking my email three or four times a day.

yes, you and everyone else. believe me, you dont need a laptop for this reason.

jimi_t wrote:

Then socially, when you're in college people often can't be on their phone but my MSN messsenger list is usually fulll.

yes msn is handy but it would have had been bad from my studying and why cant people be on their phones? you can text away discretely in lectures, the library or anywhere else without annoying anyone.

jimi_t wrote:

you waste a lot of time (when time is most precious) trying to get settled - you can have all your notes and such straight away rather than fecking about with USB keys and the like.

my notes are usually in a copy book so no usb hassle for me...if i need to transfer word/pdf docs around i just use email. plus with no laptop you dont waste time doing circuits of the library looking for a seat with a nearby socket.

jimi_t wrote:

You can get along without one certainly, but I suppose it comes down to how much your education is worth to you

so anyone in college without a laptop doesnt care about their education? silly comment, get real mate.

I've no problem with laptops, they are dead handy no doubt but as to the OP's question - are they essential? absolutely not.

jimi_t

ferdi wrote: »

eh, hold on there jimi. Some of the stuff you've come out with there is a little crazy. I just finished arts with two quite text heavy subjects and not having a laptop never caused me any bother.

And which would they be?

fair enough if you have problems with handwriting but why do you need wireless internet to write down what the lecturer is saying?

Moot point, any laptop you buy nowadays has wireless internet.

yes, you and everyone else. believe me, you dont need a laptop for this reason.

No, but its certainly a consideration in weighing the value of purchasing a laptop

yes msn is handy but it would have had been bad from my studying and why cant people be on their phones? you can text away discretely in lectures, the library or anywhere else without annoying anyone.

You can't get a signal in Theatres L and M - and most people who do text and stuff in the library have bloody vibration on which is nearly fecking worse than a discreet 'beep'.

my notes are usually in a copy book so no usb hassle for me...if i need to transfer word/pdf docs around i just use email. plus with no laptop you dont waste time doing circuits of the library looking for a seat with a nearby socket.

You'll very quickly learn that keeping a soft copy of everything is handy if your bag (and a4 pad) gets nicked from crunch/bar/campus/houseparty

so anyone in college without a laptop doesnt care about their education? silly comment, get real mate.

Look at the world we're living in. EVERYTHING academically is done electronically at this stage, and for good reason too. Anyone who goes out and spends the price of an entry level secondhand laptop on a couple of nights in town - unless they truely believe they can get by without one - is showing a certain negligence towards their education certainly.

I've no problem with laptops, they are dead handy no doubt but as to the OP's question - are they essential? absolutely not.

Strokes for folks I suppose

ferdi

jimi_t wrote:

And which would they be?

totally irrelevant to this discussion imo.

jimi_t wrote:

Moot point, any laptop you buy nowadays has wireless internet.

eh, you were the one who said "I find that a laptop with wireless internet is vital for taking notes in lectures". If its a moot point, why make it?

jimi_t wrote:

No, but its certainly a consideration in weighing the value of purchasing a laptop

a very small consideration i would have thought.

jimi_t wrote:

You can't get a signal in Theatres L and M - and most people who do text and stuff in the library have bloody vibration on which is nearly fecking worse than a discreet 'beep'.

lack of signal in Theatres L and M does not make a laptop essential for college. I switch off vibrate and sound on my phone, it just lights up.

jimi_t wrote:

You'll very quickly learn that keeping a soft copy of everything is handy if your bag (and a4 pad) gets nicked from crunch/bar/campus/houseparty

this is the best point you've made but you certainly do not need a laptop to keep soft copy.

jimi_t wrote:

Look at the world we're living in. EVERYTHING academically is done electronically at this stage, and for good reason too. Anyone who goes out and spends the price of an entry level secondhand laptop on a couple of nights in town - unless they truely believe they can get by without one - is showing a certain negligence towards their education certainly.

You are introducing a whole new argument here. The majority of people in my classes did not have laptops in lectures. Were they all neglecting their education? of course not - silly comment. The topic is "are laptops essential for college?" - I say again, absolutely not.

jimi_t wrote:

Strokes for folks I suppose

pretty much.

pljudge321

I only got a laptop during my second semester of college, and while handy I didn't really find it essential in the least.

I will say to tell your friend not to spend a dime over 500 euro on the laptop,
the amount of people walking around the place with dell xps's when the most complicated thing they do is upload pics of themselves getting smashed to bebo is ridiculous.

Hudson 4 ever

They Are Essential

princess-sprkle

not essential but really helpful.

pljudge321

Hudson 4 ever wrote: »

They Are Essential

No they're not, if they were essential you'd be required to buy one, they're just quite handy to have.

I know several friends who have managed perfectly fine without one, and even more who have them and yet rarely use them.

redcar

I do a Quinn course so we have to have them, but I have done electives from outside Quinn and from what I have experienced it is indeed very handy to have a laptop but not essential by any means.

Like there are so many computer labs and then you have the SUAS computers all over the place so it's not too hard getting a computer if you need one. Although thats just my opinion on it.

Dave!

My laptop is pretty essential so that I can post on boards whilst in lectures

It's also handy for programming, etc.

I could live without it though.

SuperHans

samsamson wrote: »

I heard from a friend that it's pretty essential to own a laptop in UCD because it can be really difficult to find a free computer to use when you need one.

I got the impression that this is a big problem coming up to exams when everybody is trying to do research etc.

Just curious how true this really is? I'd rather not have to dish out for a laptop if I get into UCD next year but it does seem like everybody owns one (in which case shouldn't the PC's be all empty?? )

A lot of peple do own laptops, but this doesn't mean that they are academically essential. As already said by others, it is not difficult at all to find free computers at any time of year. Yes, the most popular computer rooms will be occupied at busy times, but many comp rooms always have free computers.
I bought a laptop back in first year (just finished 4th year there) and never really used it for anything academic except for downloading notes and typing up the odd project.
It is course dependent so I can't really speak for everyone, but if you only need to work off notes, I think that the best thing is to print them off as opposed to reading them from your laptop. From personal experience I find it hard to concentrate reading notes from a screen(also gives me a headache).

On the other hand, I use my laptop a lot at home to browse the net, play poker etc, but all that stuff isn't really related to college.

If you do get one, don't spend to much. I spent a lot on mine through ucd 4 years ago when I didn't really know any better(although the ucd technical help was excellent whenever anything went wrong with the laptop).
You can probably get one that will meet all your needs for less than 500 if you decide to go down that route.

Red Alert

Just to note on that point, if you're buying one new you are better off getting the best you can afford. But if you're not willing to spend much cash, you're better off getting one second hand. Laptops depreciate very fast, so if you look on the second hand market you can get a very good machine for little money.

Another option might be to look at something like the Asus EEPC or Macbook Air if your primary machine at home is a desktop.

arbeitsscheuer

pljudge321 wrote: »

I know several friends who have managed perfectly fine without one, and even more who have them and yet rarely use them.

This goes for me too.
In January, having done perfectly well sans laptop for my BA and most of my MA, I decided to buy one cos I figured that as the exams approached (and more to the point, my thesis deadline) I'd need it to do more work and to help with research etc etc.

Not a bit of it. The thing has, for the most part, lounged in my bedroom. Used only for watching films, BSG and Heroes. And playing HL2. That's pretty much it. Haven't even switched it on in about a month.

You're fine without one.

Stepherunie

I got mine as a present halfway through second year.

I could have without any problems, survived until this year without a laptop. I found it useful in final year with my thesis and stuff as I used quite often work until late at night when I was on a roll, at times that the library and stuff is open.

To be fair, that was more to do with me doing placement and having a ****ed up timetable where I had to travel a lot to do stuff so yea, it's useful. But not essential.

If I had a more simple timetable and didn't have to go off campus to do work, I could have easily survived without one.

For convenience, yes it is useful, but not essential.

stereoroid

I might get one of those new subnotebooks (eeePC, MSI Wind), but I don't think it's that crucial. Apart from those, inexpensive notebooks all seem too big to me: they're all chunky with 15" screens, and anything smaller is vastly more expensive.

My experience in my first year suggests that paper is the way to go when it comes to taking notes in lectures - I did best when I printed out what notes were provided and scribbled on them. I could then use those notes anywhere, and go to a computer if I needed one.

pretty*monster

My parent's finally caved and bought me a laptop for Christmas during my final year (English and Philosophy). While the awesomeness of lounginbg on the couch checking bebo while watching telly cannot be overstated the laptop had zero impact on me academically. In fact, if I remember correctly, I handed up one late essay in the first semester sans laptop, and two late essays in the second semester with the laptop.

Pride Fighter

pretty*monster wrote: »

My parent's finally caved and bought me a laptop for Christmas during my final year (English and Philosophy). While the awesomeness of lounginbg on the couch checking bebo while watching telly cannot be overstated the laptop had zero impact on me academically. In fact, if I remember correctly, I handed up one late essay in the first semester sans laptop, and two late essays in the second semester with the laptop.

I nearly fell into this trap. Its a good thing microsoft office 2007 sucks balls.

Red Alert

One of the lads in our lab got the Macbook Air - it's not an awesome machine in terms of power, but if I was taking notes it'd be my first stop. Actually I've often wondered would lecturers mind being recorded? If I was lecturing and the attendance was generally ok I'd be quite happy to put podcasts of my lectures online. Pen and paper is still definitely the way to go I think.

Notorious

Hudson 4 ever wrote:

They Are Essential

... for Quinn students.

I have a laptop and while I couldn't do without it now, as all my notes are on it, I do think that I'd be just fine in college if I didn't have one to start with. You'll be grand without one, you can print notes and sure all the info you need is in the library!

Raphael

Red Alert wrote: »

One of the lads in our lab got the Macbook Air - it's not an awesome machine in terms of power, but if I was taking notes it'd be my first stop. Actually I've often wondered would lecturers mind being recorded? If I was lecturing and the attendance was generally ok I'd be quite happy to put podcasts of my lectures online. Pen and paper is still definitely the way to go I think.

I know when my dad was in college he used to bring in a tape recorder, in case he missed anything, so I'd say lecturers would be ok.

rainbow kirby

<-- CS

Couldn't live without one.

Stabshauptmann

tribulus wrote: »

Depends on the course, I never needed one at all.

qft

ferdi

rainbow kirby wrote: »

<-- CS

Couldn't live without one.

friend of mine just finished CS, he rarely used his laptop.

Tom65

I'm doing Arts (History & Politics) and I'd agree that laptops can be very helpful, but aren't essential. I couldn't type an essay in one of the computer rooms, plus with a laptop you can do the essay whenever suits. But none of that makes it absolutely essential.

I'd be surprised if lecturers minded getting recorded. I was going to record lectures last semester on my mp3 player; but around October it broke, so that plan went out the window.

mo-me-mi

i think a laptop is pretty essential, i dont think i would not have got through 1st year without one, especially if you live on campus might aswel avail of the free broadband youre getting..

Donald-Duck

ferdi wrote: »

friend of mine just finished CS, he rarely used his laptop.

I don't know about everyone else, but I know a lot would agree with me on this. The resolution on the monitors in the computer labs just aren't big enough to fit everything you need on the screen.

And I've heard laptops are essential for the new first years doing CS

ferdi

Donald-Duck wrote: »

I don't know about everyone else, but I know a lot would agree with me on this. The resolution on the monitors in the computer labs just aren't big enough to fit everything you need on the screen.

And I've heard laptops are essential for the new first years doing CS

?? and you think your gonna get more on a laptop monitor?

All i can say is that my friend who just completed 4 years of compuer science rarely used his laptop and stuck instead to his home PC and college machines.

Personally i think a lot of people like having a laptop (makes them feel cool and important) and like to justify having one (even though no justification is needed) by convincing themselves and everyone else that they are essential.

Breezer

ferdi wrote: »

Personally i think a lot of people like having a laptop (makes them feel cool and important) and like to justify having one (even though no justification is needed) by convincing themselves and everyone else that they are essential.

I may as well echo everyone else and say "nice to have, not essential for most courses."

I have one, it's been very handy, it doesn't make me feel cool and important but it does save me some time and hassle. But I'd have gotten through without it no problem, as many people in my class have done.