Are you a lapknob?

Jonny Arson

So as I flick through my endless amounts for 500 euro notes I was thinking to myself ''what could I buy that could possibly help me in college?'' Laptop? Hmmmm....

Then I was thinking to myself is laptop ownership in college essential or is it just a fad? I noticed last year in UCD there were laptops fucking everywhere I went, the year before if you owned one your were proably the son or daughter of some oil tycoon! Then the horrific flashbacks of BOPs, yellow wristbands, Jansport backpacks in my first year arrived and that said to me owning a laptop was fad for knobs to show off... aka ''the lapkobs''

I thought to myself would be owning a laptop be essential or beneficial to me? Making good notes at lectures is one but then I type like shite so that's irrelevant, the only other good reason I can think of is avoiding queuing up for a PC. So why do so many people own laptops? The only students who I can think of who really need one are Comp students.... or students from the country but for the rest of ye... I think you're showing off!

Is there anyone here who owns a laptop that can prove me wrong and explain why the laptop phenomenon is not a fad and say why I should own one?

Thanks

techguy

I dont think it's a fad.. I think it's really handy to have a laptop in college. I bought one last summer with my hard earned summer wages. I thaught I should buy one big thing and save the rest also I am doing electronic engineering and I use computers a lot anyway so.... Most colleges have wi-fi these days so it's really easy to download notes etc from your lecturers. It just seems like a fad because they are becoming really popular, quickly.. Partly because the price of laptops has come down seriously in the last few years... Don't get me wrong, nobody has to have a laptop to do well in college.

snickerpuss

I just got a laptop, mostly for home rather than college, i earned money over the summer so i figured i may as well.

It'll be nice to be able to type up my essays in college instead of doing them out longhand and then going home and typing them up. Otherwise i didn't have one before and i did just fine.

generalmiaow

one thing I didn't see last year at all was something I saw all the time in 03/04: People typing notes in class. Maybe this is normal in Business or whatever but in arts it was like wearing a pink "gob****e" beanie cap. Now everyone has a laptop, but no one brings them to lectures.

Chinafoot

Had them all through college but wouldn't bring one to lecture and tended to just use them at home unless I had essays to finish. Laptops are handy to have, particularly when you're in a rush to get an essay typed and cant get a PC in college.

InFront

Don't listen to him Ivan <hugs laptop> You're loved.

Personally I found a laptop quite important in college, just for taking home lecture materials (found it easier to learn from power point slideshows for some reason). You dont have to worry about printing off lecture slides and losing them, or even queues for the computer lab.

Besides, how boring would lecture halls be without online chatting with mates:)

Pythia

I have a laptop, it's mandatory for my course. But I mainly use it for surfing the net. We're all big into the net in my house so it's needed so there's no fighting.
We never really write essays or anything so it's not that useful for college. I'm sure it'd be much more handy if you did.

DadaKopf

I'm through with UCD, so it's interesting to look at this in retrospect. I rarely saw anyone with a laptop around 1998-2001. I never had one, scoffed (with jealousy probably) at those who did, and got on with my trusty pen and paper. To be honest, I don't think I lost out at all. Computers can't beat pen and paper for scribbling and planning an essay at the last minute, books and journals rock, and with wireless everywhere, it's not like anyone uses those laptops for anything other than flirting on bebo.

Then I returned to UCD for my Masters. Because my life revolved around the library and writing paper after paper, thesis, the lot, I needed a computer bad, but always started on pen and paper (the best way by far for working through ideas before writing). I was lucky enough to be ably to use the posh computer area in the library.

Nowadays, I regularly go into UCD for work to do research in the development studies library. I still don't own a laptop but am planning on getting one because if you're an outsider in UCD, and need to use the library to work, forget about getting hold of a computer.

I don't think the laptop thing's gonna go away. The price of laptops are plummeting so most can afford them, and more and more courses are demanding them as standard kit - think commerce and medicine. So yeah, first only 'lapknobs' have them, then everyone has them.

I'm sure everyone said the same things about books when they were invented.

Dave!

It's far from essential, but I find it quite handy because;

(a) I can take better notes with it. I type faster than I write, and my hand doesn't get sore from typing. I can also delete things and put in new things, without winding up having scribbles all over the page! And also, less paper = better, because it = less scrumpled up balls at the end of my bag! It's also easier to file things, because I can chuck everything into *electronic* folders, rather than having a bit steel box full of folders (as I have now)

(b) The internet! It's great not having to wait for a computer like the rest of you plebs! It's less time wasted really, especially if I'm doing something important (yeh... *snigger*). It's also handy if I'm in a lecture and the lecturer says somethin that I don't understand, I can just hop onto Google, or wikipedia, and update myself! Or else go onto Blackboard. There is however the constant distraction of having access to boards during lectures...:(

(c) Programming! Cos I do computer science, it's handy having access to a computer all the time. If I didn't, and I had a project or somethin, I'd always have to go to the labs, which is a load of d*ck. This way I can be in the library workin on a program.

Now, since the summer started I don't think I've touched it twice! But during the college year, it proves very handy. I see it as an investment too, cos I mean, the way I have it now, it's perfect for me. I don't really wanna have games on it cos I don't wanna clog it up, so I can check emails, go on the internet, write essays, make programs, and other basic stuff. And I'd say in 5 years' time it'll still be workin fine (touch wood!)

Buy a Mac, BTW

PS. I paid for mine by getting a loan off my brother (who had loadsa money and nothin to spend it on, the pr*ck), and I paid him back in 2 installments after about 3 months. I had no trouble paying thank god.

arbeitsscheuer

I know plenty of people who have laptops, and plenty who do not. Obviously I am of the latter category (I spent much of 1st and 2nd yr in the Daedalus tbh).

Laptops are fúcking handy, but hardly essential. Besides, Grimes bought a laptop and spent most of his time last year playing Silent Hunter III in the Library or in lecture theatres. I hardly think that was a productive return, in purely academic terms (although SHIII is a deadly game, and he probably got hours of enjoyment on that score).

Ya don't really need them. If you have essays to finish, there are other ways to go about finishing them (plus, if you've got a laptop I'd argue you'd be more likely to "put it off til later" than if you have to go to LG3 or something).

Bottom-line is: I got a damn good degree sans laptop. There's no reason why you can't do the same. If you want a laptop for the heck of it, and you've got money to spend, well, that's a different argument.

Stepherunie

Okay I have one, tbh it was a present - wasn't planning on buying one until 4th year.

I'm only going into third year now and having had it for 8 months now, yes it's been handy but not totally necessary for my course - In the two years I've been in college I've only had one essay to hand up and that was due the 30th of January so it wasn't a time that there was a huge demand for computers so it wasn't like I needed to have my own computer for it.

We asked our head of school about the need for our own computers in all honesty and her opinion was that you could easily do without one until 4th year - in fourth year she felt you did need pretty good access to a computer and if you weren't from Dublin she basically said investing in a computer, however cheap was a great idea that she's recommend just to even make doing your thesis easier.

mloc

Am about to buy one. Bought one in 1st year but never really used as a) it was far too heavy to carry around, my mistake and b) the first three years of my course didn't really warrant one (I'm doing science).

However, entering 4th year which involves a hefty research project, I think it will really come in handy. I can type much faster than I can write so I guess for note taking it will be good too.

the evil lime

Commerce, so it was compulsory. Tis useful though, as my writing is illegible, and I can type faster. On top of which, I would just have lost written notes.

Pet

Why is that Commerce and Medicine need laptops?

I don't think laptops are necessary, because the battery life tends to be **** anyway (4 hours or so), so unless you wanna lug your charger in too, you're gonna have a hard time getting much done.

Riamfada

Zane wrote:

Jansport backpacks in my first year arrived and that said to me owning a laptop was fad for knobs to show off

I really dont like that kind of attitude. I took out a loan for 1500 last year and worked damn hard to pay it off. Right i took my laptop to most of my Theater Lectures and damn was it handy. I was able to type whatever the lecturer was saying word for word which made it great for study and for essays. It cut down on tons of paper and writing. I never once cued in the deadalus for a PC . Always access to Connect when I needed it. Was able to do my essays anywhere no problem often last minute and made life a hell of a lot handier.

That said 2 weeks before the exams i dropped my laptop and lost all my notes and had to turn to many a person to give me theirs (thanks Zane btw ) .

SebtheBum wrote:

Besides, Grimes bought a laptop and spent most of his time last year playing Silent Hunter III in the Library or in lecture theatres. I hardly think that was a productive return, in purely academic terms (although SHIII is a deadly game, and he probably got hours of enjoyment on that score).

Silent Hunter 3 is a game which "quality" can not even begin to describe. I still did better than ok in all my exams so somthing must have gone in. As above I did use it for work and recreation. I just didnt say "man i just did some deadly study on my laptop in the library. Quality study, quality"



Just because people work and save and buy a loptop dosnt mean they are showing off. One can get through college without a laptop but a laptop makes it a hell of alot easier and alot more fun.

I guess I just believe in life's luxurys. I went out and worked for a car because I hate busses and I went out and worked for a laptop because I hate writing. I can get busses and I can write. I just prefer to work danmn hard in the short term and reap the benifits in the short and long term. With car and laptop bought ive worked nearly everyday all summer to afford a month in Thailand and college fees when I get back. Ill also continue to work 4 days a week while im in college through second year , no parental assistance for me im afraid.

elmyra

I got a new laptop back in February or so. I've had a laptop since I was in 6th year in school (I was a spoilt child), and back then I genuinely didn't need it, I just used it to mess around and it kept me from doing any study for my leaving cert. Worse again was that when I came into 1st year I never even bothered to reg it with Comp Services and because it didn't have a wireless card it was useless for college.

I finally got my act together this year and I have to say I find it immensely useful. The biggest plus I think is that I can do essays in the library. I tend to type essays straight off without ever doing a handwritten draft and it's far, far handier to do that in the library where the books are and whatnot....laptops ftw!

Like Dave McG, I type faster than I write, and really really would like to do my lecture notes on my laptop. What normally happens though is that I write in lectures and type the notes up when I get home.....pretty much because it's so uncommon in an arts lecture that I don't want to be considered a Lapknob. The stigma is there and I'm silly enough to care what people think, but yeah, laptops are great for college.

Riamfada

elmyra wrote:

The stigma is there and I'm silly enough to care what people think, but yeah, laptops are great for college.

Exactly in my Arch lectures I was the only person typing but It saved me tons of time. And as you said doing essays in the library with 20 books infront of you and not having to do a draft essay makes it so handy.


it seems UCD is so full of various stigma and people afraid of being seen to be part of the 'wealthy parents ' brigade they are afraid to get a laptop . To them I say let them eat cake , grow up and get a job or hit YOUR wealthy parents for more cash

*im not assuming you dont have jobs

singingstranger

I'm a Quinn-head so I didn't have any choice, but - similarly to elmyra - I type far, far faster than I can write (why didn't they let us do the LC on laptops...) and I always find it far, far easier to type an essay rather than contemplate writing it. The problem especially for me is that I'm a sloppy-ish writer but also a neat freak, so doing an essay and then scribbling out a word would have been sheer torture for me.

the backspace button.

irlrobins

Laptops ftw!

TBH, give it two years and laptops will be seen as an essential item for a student, whether required by the course or not. It will be like when mobiles came out, first it was the rich few, then pay as you go arrived and a few more people took the plunge. It was a big deal to have one and seen as a yuppie item. Year after that the banks were giving them away free and everyone had one. Now no one bats an eyelid.

UCD is moving away from providing labs of computers to providing laptop hot swap areas. Which is a good thing in my opinion, as you can fit more laptop users into an area than desktops. Also since the user is more likely to look after their own laptop, you don't have to worry about a certain precentage of machines not working. And everyone likes to customise their own PC to make it easier for them to use, which is a plus for laptops.

As regards cost, well prices are always falling and you can get a laptop that is suitable for college for 600e. Spread over the three or four years you're in college, that's nothing compared to other expenses. And you don't always have to buy brand new ones. A second hand laptop would be more than adequate for college use.

If the laptop is a requirement for the course (i.e. comm) then ucd offers deals and options to pay over the three years. And every year they pay for laptops for a few students who they deem unable to afford a laptop. So its not as if discrimnation is happening.

hullaballoo

Just to annoy everyone, I'm going to use the word "labtop" instead of "laptop" for this post.

I'm in Quinners as well, so the old labtop was a must-have. I don't reckon I could get through too much of the year without my labtop at this stage.

My labtop helps me organise pretty much everything (although I'm still not all that organised), and I type all of my lectures. I reckon it's just something you get used to and can't live without.

One thing that annoys me (more than the word "labtop") is that the keyboard on a labtop is so different from normal keyboards. I like the labtop keyboards, but being so used to it makes it more difficult to use normal keyboards.

rain on

I don't really do handwriting. even in school i wrote essays directly onto a computer. given the amount of writing i've had to do for my various courses, a laptop's pretty much essential. there are people in my class who've managed without one but they're of the school of thought that writes everything out by hand beforehand and then types it up. it just doesn't work that way for me.

Umaro

I go to Quinn so the laptop was compulsory and I do find it handy that I can have it with me all the time and I don't have to queue for PCs. But you see people in Arts who are using their laptops primarily for Bebo (it would seem) and you do realise that they are becoming a fad now they are cheaper.

panda100

Ive got one and while its far from essential I find it really handy.

I download all my notes,past papers and timetables instead off printing them all off which I find a big nuisance and really expensive. Its really handy for downloading extra research and info for your course too......ha who am I kidding its great for going on to hot or not and boards.ie when your bored I also use it as my stereo for when I am away from college and to mix lots of toons for house partys.

Zane,I do think you'll find it handy and I dont think you'll regret buying it but tis really up to yourself

blondie83

Didn't need a laptop for my undergrad (although it would have helped!) because the eng building in UCD is pretty well stocked with computers. The only year I might possibly have needed one would have been in final year for downloading programs to help with the FYP, but in final year all elec heads get their own PC in the project lab so there was no need.

Now the masters is a different matter entirely; if I didnt have a laptop this year I'd have been completly lost. Part of it is because DCU is a laptop-oriented college, but mostly because I move around so much and need acces to a load of info no matter where i go. All the assignments we had to do (and there were a lot) required use of your own laptop, as well as a myriad of different download packages that I couldnt put on a college PC. I've literally been on it for at least 5 hours a day for the past year, and would say that its an essential tool for anyone doing a masters...no matter what its in. I'm on mine now actually cos I'm in UCD!

Blowfish

I've had a laptop for the past year, and used it pretty much all of the time. Strangely though, I think that it definitely is possible to do comp. sci. and not have one. There are several in my course who don't have one, and they get on fine, although thats probably to do also with the fact that the CSI building is never full, in fact I don't think i've ever had to wait for a desktop. The only comp. sci. people who would need one are people who don't have a desktop in the house/flat they are in. We quite often have projects which you don't have time to finish during the day, and CSI closes at 6:30 for 1st-3rd years. The desktops in the daedulus don't actually have any of the software needed for a comp. sci. either.

Stabshauptmann

Im poorly organised, i loose everything. SO all my notes, slides etc on the laptop are a god send. Also with the ammount of work you've to hand in for commerce, a laptop is essential for research and typing.
Thats why for us its compulsory. Niffty social tool too, ie MSN, BEBO and cant forget Boards

m1ke

During my undergrad years I rarely saw laptops around and of course was jealous etc... and thought people taking notes in lectures looked like knobs.

I find them now almost completely essential for the work I do. More so for electronic journals. I've got about 1000 articles on my laptop. I've stopped printing them out to read, because it just takes too much time and I need to be able to take them home to work on them and put them into endnote as I read them.... this would be a real hassle if I had to use ucd computers and them go home and copy everything onto my hard disk. This isn't to mention all the endless other useful programs and email n stuff.

I never thought they'd be essential in arts (although I think we're called human sciences now) but it's now a necessity. It allows you work at a much faster pace then otherwise.

Font22

going into 4th year B&L and the laptop was compulsory. have to say i will never do without a laptop now! saves so much hassle. i type way way way quicker than i write, notes are organised, typing is legible etc. for these reasons i disagree with laptops being fads!!!

Jonny Arson

Hmm some interesting points. General consensus seems to be that it's handy but not essential but the vast vast increase in the amount lapknobs last year can only indicate that it must be fad for alot of students. I'm standing by that because

1) laptops may be cheaper than they were before but they're still **** expensive... if you want a pretty decent machine it's still gonna cost you about E1000 plus a carrier bag, disk key, software, insurance add another E100-E200.... that isn't easy money to piss away if you're a student not living off mumsie and dadsie
2) no exaggeration, when you look around at the lapknobs in the library 4 out of 5 are arsing around on B*B*, showing their mates their porno vids or worse on Boards! Laptop does not = academic productivity for alot of people!

I'm still not convinced! No doubt it would be handy but the essentiality factor still isn't getting tightarse with my wallet moi splashing the cash yet. One of my Arts subjects is very IT orientated which could nearly force me buying a laptop but I could only see myself arsing myself around on the wireless which could hamper me. I think I said in my opening post the decreasing amount of computers on campus is worrying and I can see that forcing many students buying a laptop.

May invest in some textbooks for the time being!

Riamfada

Zane from MTV2 wrote:

May invest in some textbooks for the time being!

Or get your parents to give you the money . You are an arts student afterall

Jonny Arson

Grimes wrote:

Or get your parents to give you the money . You are an arts student afterall

Funny thing is they'll probably try to give me the money to buy some textbooks and I'll tell them to piss off..... I know I'm weird!