mikeysoundtrack

How many students use their laptop to take notes in your classes?

Is it annoying to you?

I'm just wondering because my CCI laptop came with that great MS OneNote program, and I'd like to use it instead of paper notebooks in the classes it applies in, but didn't want to be an annoyance.

subrideo

Depends on the class, really. Some, no one; others, eh, maybe about 1/4th (in my experience). I only find it annoying when I notice the person using a laptop playing online games or something. Then I start watching them as if a zombie and not paying attention to the prof. If you think you'll retain the information better that way, it'll save you a lot of hand pain from writing with ballpoint! You'll probably get better notes too. I can't tell you how many times I went back to a notebook and saw something like the lines on a heart monitor on the page and wondered what the heck I was trying to write.

leah377

in big lectures most people have their laptops out (and most are definitely NOT taking notes). i generally used mine to stay awake haha.

in smaller classes most people won't use them. in my first-year seminars and higher-level french classes no one took notes with a laptop, but those courses are more focused on discussion so there weren't really many notes to take to begin with.

whatever works for you!

markpterson

haha yeah depending on the class I'll probably use mine to stay awake too and catch up on soccer games

cloying

I only took mine out when I felt like I was going to fall asleep and needed some artificial light to wake me up. If you really are taking notes, then you'll never come off as annoying in any class (even if you're the only person with it out). But if you get it out and it's not necessary, well, it doesn't sound like you're doing that so I wouldn't worry about it.

Atlmom

what kind of computers did they use this year? notebooks or tablets?

TeachingDad

One note is a great program -- I've seen it used with great success -- once you get the hang of it, drawings are easy, links to files (e.g. powerpoint). Obviously not so great for heavy use of symbols. I teach and had a student show me her class notes made with one note-- the notes looked better than mine.

Just as an aside, most teachers see that there is a rhythm to taking notes, and it is very easy to spot students who are involved in other things even when the teacher can't see the screen -- some students only use laptops for class, some do occasional emails, and some do a lot of other things. In many larger classes at unc, teaching assistants often sit in the back and they see who is playing around. If class grade is just the average of test grades, it probably won't matter, but if there is a class participation grade, that may be considered part of class participation

cs08carolina

So, i hope this follows under the question being asked, but what kinds of school supplies should I look to buy for next semester. A few notebooks, pencils, etc. should be fine, right?

mkm56

My son uses his laptop to take notes in most all his classes. He has only had two professors who didn't want it used (said they were sick of students playing games and IMing). In those cases he got permission, as he has a documented issue with handwriting.

He has said that it is terribly annoying for people to be using them for other things than note taking. In one class this year a professor "caught" a student watching a movie --he made an example of that student! Some of the professors did ask for people using laptops to sit in a certain section so as not to distract others with the typing.

divinevalley

hi, sorry if this is kind of random, I was just reading and I was thinking....
how do people carry laptops to class? do you carry backpacks?

and we'll never need bluetooth on our laptops right? I hope ...

leah377

pretty much everyone has a backpack.

i like to take notes by hand, so i buy a multiple-subject notebook for each day. if i have 3 classes on MWF, i'll get a three-subject notebook for those courses. if i have one class on TR, i'll get a one-subject so that i can minimize the amount of stuff i'm carrying around with me. i usually carry my laptop with me as well in case i'm falling asleep in class or if i want to check emails/do some facebooking between classes.

leah377

also, to be honest, i'm not really sure what bluetooth is but i'm fairly certain my thinkpad has it..

heathergee

Yeah our Thinkpads have it but I only know that because I click it by accident every once in a while.

I brought my laptop to class first semester, but I found that I don't really remember much when I type. I retained a lot more when I took written notes instead. Plus, when I didn't have my laptop with me, I'd do more reading between classes without having to worry about being distracted by facebook or whatever.

divinevalley

haha okay so I guess I won't need bluetooth... good

yeah I think I retain more when I write too... plus the computer is soo distracting (ex. right now haha)
but the 3- or 2- subject notebooks are a really good idea!!