The first time I decided to attempt to go fully digital for school was back in high school when I grew tired of talking to class with a backpack as heavy as... you've guessed it - a pile of textbooks! My plan was to use my Macbook for class. Everything worked perfectly fine throughout high school but I actually still had to bring paper with me due to the possibility of having to draw diagrams & charts during lectures. I tried to fix that problem by purchasing an iPad. It worked out pretty good. However, I never had the intention to actually write on the iPad, just use it for drawing exclusively.
Skip a few years forward and here I am...
when the iPad Pro was first announced, I just thought what many others thought - "It's just a giant iPad!" This is true in so many ways. I laughed even harder when Apple announced the Apple Pencil. I almost thought it was a joke for a minute. It wasn't until I decided to visit the Apple Store and try out the Apple Pencil. I realized that the iPad Pro with the Apple Pencil had huge potential for students. The pencil worked perfectly. I purchased the iPad Pro along with the Apple Pencil a week later.
I've used the iPad Pro for my college lectures for about a month now. I can happily say that I went completely digital for college. The iPad does seem pretty big at first, but you'll get used to it and realize that the size of the iPad has a huge advantage in the classroom. It's about the same width as a piece of paper, and about an inch longer than a piece of paper. Aside from that, it really is just a bigger iPad aside from the nice four speakers on it which makes it perfect for another purpose I will mention soon.
Where the iPad Pro shines is when you combine the Apple Pencil with it. It writes very accurately and the feel and weight of the Apple Pencil is very natural. The only complaint I have with the Apple Pencil is that I tend to write harder and put a lot of strain on my fingers. However, putting on a grip from another pen onto the Apple Pencil made a world of a difference. The app I use for taking lectures in class in Notability. Not only is it suggested by many people, I happened to have the app for free when it was app of the week way back in the stone ages. The first few days definitely felt weird when writing with the Apple Pencil. It was mostly because I was writing on glass, and not actual paper. For those struggling with this, I suggest you stick with it because it will get better as you get used to it.
Notability has the ability to record while you take your notes. What's even better is being able to tap on your notes and listen to the recording during the same time that you wrote that note! It's now possible to take shorter notes and still be able to refer to it if you have trouble understanding it! It has dropbox functionality, which is pretty neat. You can export your notes and recording and do whatever your heart desires with them. The four speakers on the iPad is a pretty huge advantage if you sit in a larger classroom or not close to the professor. With the speakers on max volume, I was able to listen to the recording and understand everything my professor said clearly.
People asked me why I ditched my MacBook and iPad Air & settled with the iPad Pro when the MacBook has so much more functionality (running full desktop apps & programs, etc.) There are three main reasons why. The first reason is that I actually never really use my MacBook to its full potential. By the time I'm home, I'm on a desktop instead. My second reason why I switched was because it was a MacBook. With the clamshell design of a laptop, the screen facing upwards created a "shield" between me and my professor. The last and third reason why is the desk size. This seems a little overboard but the size of the desk makes a world of a difference. A lot of lecture rooms tend to have individual desks with a desk size that will probably fit either only a MacBook or an iPad.
You all know what I mean.
Because of this, using an iPad with a MacBook was pretty much a hassle.
By using an iPad Pro, I was able to view documents/textbooks & write my lecture notes all on the same place. It has saved me a lot of trouble and money! The price of the iPad Pro 128 gb cellular with an Apple Pencil costs over $1,000 but it pays for itself in so many ways. The average cost of textbooks and materials exceed well over $1,000 within a year. You also get to save the environment by decreasing or eliminating the use of paper (Save the trees! ) In addition to using the iPad, I suggest getting a glass screen protector. It will protect your iPad from the possibility of scratches due to dirt getting in between your Apple Pencil and the screen. I also suggest the 128 gb and cellular. We've all had that time when we forgot something important at home. With dropbox, you're able to access everything you have and you can also download whatever you need online. The larger storage options means that you don't have to worry about storage space, but I also found that dropbox solves this problem as well.
I'm writing this review because I know that many students are always looking for ways to make their hectic college life more bearable. If you're looking for a way to go digital, this is definitely a good way to do it. The only thing I bring to class now is my iPad Pro and Apple Pencil. There are no more notebooks, pens, pencils, highlighters, etc. Making flashcards online and studying through your phone/iPad, taking notes, and watching Netflix (because every student needs a break sometimes) are all enjoyable. I highly recommend this to every college student out there. It has made lectures so much more enjoyable by removing the unorganized mess I was dealing with before.
If I didn't cover anything you want to know, feel free to ask!
