Any current/recent college students around here?

[diamondsndaisies]

So I'm starting classes in June and I have a few things that I am pretty sure has changed since 2008 when I was in college last. 

How much will I actually use paper? Is everything done on the computer now? Hand written notes or do you use your laptop and type as they talk? 

Binders for papers? I just don't want to go buy a bunch of supplies and then end up not using any of it. And that opposite as well. I don't want to come unprepared. 

Anybody have some good tips for me? 

[aprilz81]

I did grad school in 2010 so my information is a bit dated as well.

I think laptop/paper is going to be a personal preference unless the professor has a rule against open laptops in class. I would probably wait until you get a syllabus to get too many supplies so you don't have to waste time returning things later.

I would show up with your laptop, a notepad and a few pens just in case. That should get you covered for the first class and then you can see what you really need.

Good luck!

[ohinvrtedworld]

I haven't been in college since 2012, but some of your questions are probably up to your personal preference. Many professors of mine were ok with computers being out for notes during class and people even recording the lecture on the computer while they type, but I honestly didn't retain information that way. I did better hand writing my notes in a big notebook where there was a section for each class.

Assignments now are probably more done online, especially research papers, because they can run them through programs to make sure they aren't plagiarized. Online discussion boards with your classmates and quizzes on the computer were pretty popular with some of my professors too!

[thatgirlrachel]

I was last in college in 2013 and we had small class sizes with most professors prohibiting laptops. I would think if it's a bigger class in a lecture hall, laptops will probably be more prevalent. If it's a smaller class, I'd say it will depend on preference and professor rules. aprilz81 made a great suggestion - take a little of both to the first class so you're prepared!

[Rama]

My SIL is in school and she uses a notebook for notes, laptop at home for homework.

I'm no help because I'm #teamAllTheOfficeSupplies

[joy]

How are you comfortable taking notes?

I am only comfortable with paper. I hate computers in the classroom and would basically never take notes on one. I also need print outs and to study with paper so a binder would be necessary for me regardless.

In short, what other people are doing is completely irrelevant to me.

[mugster]

I'm a professor in the humanities. Studies suggest that students retain far more information if they handwrite their notes, so if you don't have a strong preference for typing notes, you might want to handwrite. I don't mind computers in my classrooms, but some of my peers do. I know students are probably on facebook and all over the place, but unless it is disruptive I don't police it. If you want to record a class, you need to get permission from the professor.

A student in my class would not need a binder. I hand out hard copies of the syllabus, but that is about it. I put all class materials online, have students submit work electronically, and grade electronically. Again though, I think it still depends on the field/professor.

In general, my advice would be

1. Take notes -- This seems obvious, but students seem to think that discussions don't contain information. Or that only the things I say matter. I rarely lecture, so if you only took notes during my lectures you would miss most of the content.

2. Find a buddy -- if you miss class, you should have someone else's number or email and you should check with them first before contacting your professor about what you missed. I expect my students to get notes and announcements from their peers in such instances. If that proves a problem, I expect my students to come to office hours to talk to me about what they missed (I refuse to write long emails recapping).

3. Use proper email etiquette -- call me by my title. Tell me who you are and what class you are in. Use a subject line that is informative and not misleading (almost nothing you want to talk to me about is urgent). If you are asking for a meeting, start by suggesting a time that you are free and we can go by there. Spell things correctly. Treat me like a person... you know, little things. Also, don't write emails about the grades you want, write emails about the quality of work that you want to do. To a certain extent, that is just semantics, but I would much rather hear from the student that wants to improve her writing than the student who wants an A.

4. Ask for clarification -- if you are unsure about an assignment and whether you are approaching it, come to my office hours or email me for clarification. If you did not do well on an assignment, make sure you know why before doing a similar assignment so you can avoid making the same mistakes.

5. Go to office hours -- I didn't really understand this as an undergraduate, but even if you are doing well in a class, showing up to talk about an assignment or a reading makes a very strong positive impression on the professor. At the end of the semester, it can work in your favor.

6. DO ALL OF THE WORK -- Even if you turn in crap, turn something in. An F is so much better than a 0 in the grade book.

7. If tragedy strikes -- Most professors are human and will give you extensions or work with you if major stuff goes wrong. However, if you don't talk to them, they don't know. Many of my students try to hide from their problems and by the end of the semester it is too late for me to cut them breaks. Ask for help as soon as you need it.

8. Back-up all your work. Get dropbox. Save all of your schoolwork to dropbox. Learn to save your work frequently.

Sorry for the ramble/rant, but it is the end of the semester and I might be a little frustrated with some of these things at this point.

[ourcrazynavylife]

I'm in grad school right now.

I would say 99.5% of what we do is computer based.

But I still have a notebook & paper for each class. You're going to want a way to organize your papers and any handouts. Plus I don't always like to take notes on my laptop because I retain better on paper.

So I'm team bring a laptop & traditional notebook with paper.

[diamondsndaisies]

This is so helpful guys, Thanks!

joy, I sit in the middle of both. I retain the info better hand writing them, but I write slow. I always get behind and then miss something. If I type, I could probably keep up a little better, but I might not retain as well.

mugster, thanks for all of that advice. Since I am going back as a non-traditional student, and I doing it for job advancement, I don't want to screw any of this up. I am not the same student I was the first time.

I will probably start with the laptop and a notebook and 1 folder for handouts and go from there.

[JoBub]

Just to throw this out there... If you have a touch screen laptop with a stylus, you can sort of have the best of both worlds and hand-write on your laptop. This is how it works in the high school where I teach. We are paper-free except tests.

[thelittleredm]

I graduated in 2012 and we wrote papers all the time. I think I only had a couple teachers ask for things to be emailed. I went through printer paper like crazy! I rarely used binders. I used a file folder drawer and made hanging folders for each class and purchased a few multi-subject notebooks.

[Deleted]

I finished grad school in 2014, but here are some things from my experience.

-paper vs laptop: different professors have different views on this. I had some professors who were very against laptops, because they felt it was a distraction. Personally, I do better hand writing my notes anyway, so I just did that for all classes.

-for a lot of my classes, we submitted papers online because there was an official portal that then does plagiarism checks automatically

-supplies: you won't go wrong getting a ream of paper, some pens and some #2 pencils. Scantrons are still a thing, at least where I was, so those #2 pencils are still necessary

[cjchio]

I take notebooks and folders for handouts. I learn better by writing.

I also take pens for regular class because I prefer to write with those. I take pencils for tests and finals.

I also highlight the shiz out of notes so I have multi colors for that.

Eta: We also do most work submissions via Blackboard, which is our online portal. It has an app, so I like it.

[kbpkitty]

I graduated in law school in 2011. I could do everything on my laptop. I *chose* not to sometimes because writing by hand makes me learn better.

I'd show up with a laptop, a notebook, and a couple good pens. They'll tell you if you need something else.

[diamondsndaisies]

May 5, 2016 12:59:30 GMT -5 kbpkitty said:

I graduated in law school in 2011. I could do everything on my laptop. I *chose* not to sometimes because writing by hand makes me learn better.

I'd show up with a laptop, a notebook, and a couple good pens. They'll tell you if you need something else.

I'm going for paralegal, so this is helpful to know. 

[spicysalmonroll]

you should definitely do this.....

[cjchio]

May 5, 2016 13:07:02 GMT -5 diamondsndaisies said:

May 5, 2016 12:59:30 GMT -5 kbpkitty said:

I graduated in law school in 2011. I could do everything on my laptop. I *chose* not to sometimes because writing by hand makes me learn better.

I'd show up with a laptop, a notebook, and a couple good pens. They'll tell you if you need something else.

I'm going for paralegal, so this is helpful to know. 

Hello fellow Paralegal student!

Rent the books on amazon or buy a resale on amazon...don't buy from the bookstore.

Eta:digital copies or digital rentals are also cheaper. I got a book for 20 bucks that was originally over 200 because I rented it digitally.

[diamondsndaisies]

May 5, 2016 13:21:31 GMT -5 cjchio said:

May 5, 2016 13:07:02 GMT -5 diamondsndaisies said:

I'm going for paralegal, so this is helpful to know. 

Hello fellow Paralegal student!

Rent the books on amazon or buy a resale on amazon...don't buy from the bookstore.

Eta:digital copies or digital rentals are also cheaper. I got a book for 20 bucks that was originally over 200 because I rented it digitally.

This is exactly what I planned to do. I have already found my books and will probably buy them soon! 

How does the renting process work? I wonder how many of these books would be helpful to keep around instead of returning or selling. What have you noticed so far?

[diamondsndaisies]

spicysalmonroll,I'm already looking at some super cute messenger bags to use for school.

[lilsneezy]

I graduated in 2013 and most people took notes the old fashion way - paper and pen/pencil. Some people had laptops and I never had a professor who had a problem with it, but I personally would find it distracting. I think it all depends on what you're most comfortable with. I've seen all types of note taking/studying styles. Hand written notes, typed notes, voice recorders, etc. I've seen people who walk into class with nothing and just listen to the professor the whole time. Me, on the other hand, I probably wouldn't even bother showing up to class if I didn't have a way to take notes. Personally, I would just wait until the first day to see what the syllabus says before I bought anything. I would still bring a notebook and a pen, just so I don't look completely unprepared. Good luck!

(ETA: One thing that always came in hand were folders. You can never have too many folders! Especially on the first day when you have a bunch of handouts and syllabuses(syllabi?) to sort through).

[cjchio]

May 5, 2016 13:55:08 GMT -5 diamondsndaisies said:

May 5, 2016 13:21:31 GMT -5 cjchio said:

Hello fellow Paralegal student!

Rent the books on amazon or buy a resale on amazon...don't buy from the bookstore.

Eta:digital copies or digital rentals are also cheaper. I got a book for 20 bucks that was originally over 200 because I rented it digitally.

This is exactly what I planned to do. I have already found my books and will probably buy them soon! 

How does the renting process work? I wonder how many of these books would be helpful to keep around instead of returning or selling. What have you noticed so far?

I don't keep them. I have not found a need to. Most are generalized and don't have exact rules and statutes for a specific state.

I like the rental. You get it and then send it back to amazon by a certain date at the end of the semester.

Most if the things you need to retain are practical application from the professors anyway. Do yourself a favor and see if your school has access to pro docs or something similer. They have the Court forms for your state. And Student Lexis. That has saved my ass in regards to homework quite a few times.

[kbpkitty]

May 5, 2016 14:00:18 GMT -5 cjchio said:

May 5, 2016 13:55:08 GMT -5 diamondsndaisies said:

This is exactly what I planned to do. I have already found my books and will probably buy them soon! 

How does the renting process work? I wonder how many of these books would be helpful to keep around instead of returning or selling. What have you noticed so far?

I don't keep them. I have not found a need to. Most are generalized and don't have exact rules and statutes for a specific state.

I like the rental. You get it and then send it back to amazon by a certain date at the end of the semester.

Most if the things you need to retain are practical application from the professors anyway. Do yourself a favor and see if your school has access to pro docs or something similer. They have the Court forms for your state. And Student Lexis. That has saved my ass in regards to homework quite a few times.

I kept a bunch of law books and they're practically useless. Stuff changes all the time. Agree on practical application being the most important. Also, your books are almost certainly just general principles, where you'll almost certainly need to know state-specific rules in practice.

[diamondsndaisies]

May 5, 2016 14:00:18 GMT -5 cjchio said:

May 5, 2016 13:55:08 GMT -5 diamondsndaisies said:

This is exactly what I planned to do. I have already found my books and will probably buy them soon! 

How does the renting process work? I wonder how many of these books would be helpful to keep around instead of returning or selling. What have you noticed so far?

I don't keep them. I have not found a need to. Most are generalized and don't have exact rules and statutes for a specific state.

I like the rental. You get it and then send it back to amazon by a certain date at the end of the semester.

Most if the things you need to retain are practical application from the professors anyway. Do yourself a favor and see if your school has access to pro docs or something similer. They have the Court forms for your state. And Student Lexis. That has saved my ass in regards to homework quite a few times.

Apparently Nebraska sucks, they won't ship to Nebraska. Boo. 

[siouxsieq]

Will you have to write papers? If so, a program like Perrla that does all the formatting for you will save you a ton of headaches. It works with Word and will do all of your MLA/APA citations for you. I would french kiss this program if I could.

[cjchio]

May 5, 2016 16:23:18 GMT -5 siouxsieq said:

Will you have to write papers? If so, a program like Perrla that does all the formatting for you will save you a ton of headaches. It works with Word and will do all of your MLA/APA citations for you. I would french kiss this program if I could.

Does it do Blue book formatting?

[cjchio]

May 5, 2016 15:30:17 GMT -5 diamondsndaisies said:

May 5, 2016 14:00:18 GMT -5 cjchio said:

I don't keep them. I have not found a need to. Most are generalized and don't have exact rules and statutes for a specific state.

I like the rental. You get it and then send it back to amazon by a certain date at the end of the semester.

Most if the things you need to retain are practical application from the professors anyway. Do yourself a favor and see if your school has access to pro docs or something similer. They have the Court forms for your state. And Student Lexis. That has saved my ass in regards to homework quite a few times.

Apparently Nebraska sucks, they won't ship to Nebraska. Boo. 

That sucks!

Honestly, I rarely use any books. If I need to do a document I snag it off of Pro Docs.If I need a court case I go to Lexis.

The only book I have used throughout is my Blue Book. I hate it.

[siouxsieq]

May 5, 2016 16:56:33 GMT -5 cjchio said:

May 5, 2016 16:23:18 GMT -5 siouxsieq said:

Will you have to write papers? If so, a program like Perrla that does all the formatting for you will save you a ton of headaches. It works with Word and will do all of your MLA/APA citations for you. I would french kiss this program if I could.

Does it do Blue book formatting?

I don't believe Perrla does, but there has to be something like it for Blue Book, I would think.

[TheEleventhHour]

I just finished nursing school a year ago. I think note taking depends on you. I prefer to hand write my notes because I feel that when I write vs type I commit it to memory better. As far as my program everything was on the computers - exams, presentations, etc. You could chose to print off professor's materials if you wanted but I found it to be a waste of paper. I would just read/review on my laptop and write out notes myself (again, helps me learn better). I wouldn't go crazy buying supplies but get a few things and see which way you prefer to do things!

[butlerfan]

I haven't been in college since 2005 but I know for me personally I retain so much more taking notes by hand than typing them. I remember writing down the definition of each of my accounting terms instead of just reading each one. Yes, it took longer but I remembered them so much more and could then use and remember them in the proper context rather than do a blank stare when the words were used.

I know some of my classmates thought I was nuts with the amount of effort I put into my classes but I was also the one getting the good grades while they wanted everything graded on a curve because they didn't study enough.

But it's all personal preference. I like computers and love the ease of e-mail and dropbox, etc but for retaining info it needs to be handwritten.