Laptops: Yay or Nay
Many of you might have read my last post with the question, what about my laptop? “Can I bring that to class?” Really, it depends on your professor. Some will allow it, others won’t. It also depends on your class. Do you really need a laptop when you go to Financial Accounting to write out your debits and credits? Didn’t think so.
Here are some pros and cons of bringing your laptop to class:
Yay: You can type your notes faster. At least, writing for me is a lot faster with a keyboard than with a pen. I’m one of those people who likes to record every driblet that comes out of the professor’s mouth. Quantitative writing over qualitative writing.
Nay: Studies show that writing by hand makes kids smarter. If scrawling with a pen, you are writing down only the most pertinent information. Also, the actual movement of forming the letters helps you to remember the information better. You should read the linked article; the results are fascinating.
Yay: If you don’t understand something the professor is saying, you can just get on the Internet and look up that word he/she just used in real life rather than just the SAT Reading section context. Its more engaging.
Nay: The world wide web is a dangerous place for distraction. If you are sitting in a large lecture, you will, more oftentimes than not, see someone stalking friends on Facebook, responding to an email, or watching the latest plays on ESPN. You are in class to fill your mind with a specific skill set, and you or your parents are not paying $60,000 for you to look at the latest article on Buzzfeed.
Yay: On the other hand, you can exercise the extent of your self-control if you bring your laptop to class.
Nay: If you can’t practice this discipline, then you are sidetracking people like me, who are already easily distracted by shiny buttons on a sweater. Please help me to concentrate!
Yay: Laptops are getting smaller and more portable.
Nay: Notebooks are still lighter.
Clearly, I have an opinion, but this doesn’t mean I don’t bring my laptop to class ever. Laptops are usually interesting conversation starters. For instance, you could discuss whether Macs or PCs are better for an hour. Trust me, this “discussion” is still going. Back to the topic at hand, as long as you have the goal in mind of utilizing your laptop/tablet/smart device in a productive manner, go ahead and type away!