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Things for College
- Thread starter xparaparafreakx
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obrien234 said:
I have to respectfully disagree with you. Everyone needs an office suite irregardless of their major. I am an Engineering major and use a word processor and spreadsheet etc. Also, there is a lot of good shareware like Physics 101 out there that could aid in coursework that most professors would not know about and would not recommend. Does this mean that they aren't worthy of getting?
I wouldn't recommend getting any expensive course specific software such as Maple unless you know you will use it. I'm an Engineering major so I know I will but it probably isn't necessary for many majors. Some examples of useful all around apps would be MS Office or iWork, Omni Outliner, Omnigraffle Pro (at least for many technical majors) etc...
To be honest, I find professors in general clueless about technology and software. Usually, they can't even figure out how to work a calculator unless it is the one that they were given by TI. Actually, they usually (at major American Universities) can barely speak English and are horrid teachers so technology is the least of their concerns... I'm not advocating doing everything with calculators and computers but I do advocate leveraging it to your full advantage i.e. working out your homework and using computer programs and calculators to help check your work or solve difficult problems.
You are right though, many schools at least provide large discounts on Microsoft and Adobe products but others provide the same as what can be found on the Apple website. Case in point, the Premium Mac version of MS Office sells for $60 at my school and the student/teacher version sells for $150 on Apple's website. There are other schools that get it for like $5.
BTW if you are a chemistry major and haven't taken College Chem I & II you should get Chemistry Success in 20 Minutes a Day by Michael B. Mcginnis. I have 3 or 4 chemistry study guides and this is the best one made for easy understanding of basic concepts. Plus, its only $10!
What I recommend for college:
Desktop if you plan on staying on campus/apartment for most of the year
Notebook if you plan on frequently traveling/going home
Notebooks - Buy a nice five subject notebook and another one for work. It's nice to have two seperate notebooks
Pencils - If possible buy wooden ones with nice erasers (or invest in a pink Pearl). Wooden pencils last longer.
Pens - Depends on what you do, if you are like me invest in a nice one for keeping a lab journal.
Calculator - Ti 36 Solar. If you bring a graphing calculator, you are just hurting yourself. Learn the Calculus by hand, it makes life much simplier.
MS Office - I don't care what anyone says, this suite is king. If you have a professor emailing you something, it most likely will not be a PDF.
Backpack - don't get something elaborate, you won't use it. A simple backpack will provide the same effect and you will save money.
Thumbdrive - Transfer materials between dorm and lab
Printer - Buy one printer for your room, share it with your roommate, and buy additional ink from eBay.
I am still finishing up my freshman year at Ohio State and I have lived by the above. I used an eMac (large but cheaper than iMac!) and I have made it through my courses unscathed!
Desktop if you plan on staying on campus/apartment for most of the year
Notebook if you plan on frequently traveling/going home
Notebooks - Buy a nice five subject notebook and another one for work. It's nice to have two seperate notebooks
Pencils - If possible buy wooden ones with nice erasers (or invest in a pink Pearl). Wooden pencils last longer.
Pens - Depends on what you do, if you are like me invest in a nice one for keeping a lab journal.
Calculator - Ti 36 Solar. If you bring a graphing calculator, you are just hurting yourself. Learn the Calculus by hand, it makes life much simplier.
MS Office - I don't care what anyone says, this suite is king. If you have a professor emailing you something, it most likely will not be a PDF.
Backpack - don't get something elaborate, you won't use it. A simple backpack will provide the same effect and you will save money.
Thumbdrive - Transfer materials between dorm and lab
Printer - Buy one printer for your room, share it with your roommate, and buy additional ink from eBay.
I am still finishing up my freshman year at Ohio State and I have lived by the above. I used an eMac (large but cheaper than iMac!) and I have made it through my courses unscathed!
Azadre said:
I agree that you should do all of your homework by hand but I think it is important to have the best calculator you can use for tests. If you get stuck on a problem you can use the calculator to check the answer. If you are in difficult Engineering or Hard Science/Math classes then you need all the advantages you can get. Since most math classes make you show your work it only gives you the advantage of knowing the answer in advance.
Plus, if you forget how to do an integral or something knowing the answer can point you in the right direction for working it out.
®îçhå®? said:
i'm gonna go out on a limb and say they are using their student loan refund. most college students leave college with hella loan debt. i worked my way through college. having no debt when you leave school is a great feeling, plus now i can afford the things that i couldn't back then.
i am a huge proponent of financial education starting in jr. high or high school. most young peoples' financial education comes from how their parents managed money. unfortunately, most americans live in a never ending cycle of consumer debt. i'm not saying that's what everyone with a computer in college is doing, but i'm sure there are enough to make it an issue.
What kind of printer do you have? Going to the lab to print everything is a huge headache, and inkjet printers break left and right. You should get a cheap laser.
obrien234 said:
As a chemist, I find chemdraw indispensable. See if your school (especially the chemistry department) has the Ultra version. The nice thing about this program is that you can :
1) get the nomenclature from the structure and vice versa
2) get "theoretical" 1H NMR and 13NMR spectra (very useful for organic chemist)
3) get 3D models
Another useful program your school might have is EndNote. This way, you DON'T have to type out all the references. Just download the needed reference and let the program sort out for you.
Hope you enjoy organic chemistry as much as I do!
I just finished freshman year and I'd say I had the most unusual experiences of anyone here (unless anyone else goes to Tulane). I had to evacuate my dorm on freshman move-in day because of Katrina and spend my first semester at college at RPI instead of Tulane. So the essentials, some of which I sorely missed at RPI are:
Sleeve/case- I bought an STM sleeve for my Powerbook and its survived many knocks around in my bag. Whatever you choose, try to get something made with high-impact foam if you go for a sleeve, it absorbs/spreads impacts.
A printer- many schools charge for printing, and not having a printer means having to wait for library/dorm lab printers when its exam time and everyone is printing out notes and papers. Coordinate with your roommate on this, you really only need one per room. Having a build in scanner/copier will come in handy when you least expect it.
MS Office- the only time I used this was for Chem Lab every week to print out graphs of my data. Wait on buying the software though until you find out what kind of discounts the school's computer store/software program offers. Also wait on buying other software like Maple/Mathematica/Matlab until you find out what standard on campus- many schools will provide
Flash drive- an easy way to transport files.
Scientific calculator- many Calc I + II classes will only allow a scientific calculator rather than a graphing one; both Chem + Physics I at RPI banned graphing calculators also.
3-Hole punch- good for putting printed notes, old tests and class handouts into binders. Binders mean safely organized and not lost under the bed, in the back of textbooks, etc.
Stapler- good for stapling together lab reports and papers, many times there wasn't on in the classroom.
Pens and mechanical pencils- make sure you like the pens and can write comfortably with them. Mech. pencils write cleaner and are perfect for science and math tests when its inevitiable that mistakes will be made.
Binders and single subject notebooks- binder to keep in your room with handouts, old tests, ect and the single subjects to bring to class and take notes.
Pop-down hamper- try to get one with sturdy handles, as you never know how far the laundry room will be.
Messengers bag/backpack- something sturdy and comfortable to carry around your books and laptop. Go with whatever styles more comfortable.
Desklamp/clip lamp- something to put by your bed so you can work/read in bed (or at your desk) while your roommate sleeps.
Sheets/towels- one set is all that's absolutely necessary, but it's nice to have two so that when one gets rank you can pull out the othher without having to do laundry right away.
As for the computers, only take one. I went back to NOLA in November to retrieve some things (checkbook, IDs, etc.) and also got my Powerbook. RPI had loaned all of the displaced students a T-43 Thinkpad so from the middle of November until the semester ended I used two computers, it was honestly more trouble than it was worth. Back up your files regularly, and leave the TiBook at home in case of tragedy (theft/breakage).
That's what I'd recommend to start with, depending on what your room looks like and your personal habits you can always buy more at school (just avoid the bookstore, usually its overpriced) but especially if you'll be flying to school remember you'll have to pack this all up at the end of the year.
Sleeve/case- I bought an STM sleeve for my Powerbook and its survived many knocks around in my bag. Whatever you choose, try to get something made with high-impact foam if you go for a sleeve, it absorbs/spreads impacts.
A printer- many schools charge for printing, and not having a printer means having to wait for library/dorm lab printers when its exam time and everyone is printing out notes and papers. Coordinate with your roommate on this, you really only need one per room. Having a build in scanner/copier will come in handy when you least expect it.
MS Office- the only time I used this was for Chem Lab every week to print out graphs of my data. Wait on buying the software though until you find out what kind of discounts the school's computer store/software program offers. Also wait on buying other software like Maple/Mathematica/Matlab until you find out what standard on campus- many schools will provide
Flash drive- an easy way to transport files.
Scientific calculator- many Calc I + II classes will only allow a scientific calculator rather than a graphing one; both Chem + Physics I at RPI banned graphing calculators also.
3-Hole punch- good for putting printed notes, old tests and class handouts into binders. Binders mean safely organized and not lost under the bed, in the back of textbooks, etc.
Stapler- good for stapling together lab reports and papers, many times there wasn't on in the classroom.
Pens and mechanical pencils- make sure you like the pens and can write comfortably with them. Mech. pencils write cleaner and are perfect for science and math tests when its inevitiable that mistakes will be made.
Binders and single subject notebooks- binder to keep in your room with handouts, old tests, ect and the single subjects to bring to class and take notes.
Pop-down hamper- try to get one with sturdy handles, as you never know how far the laundry room will be.
Messengers bag/backpack- something sturdy and comfortable to carry around your books and laptop. Go with whatever styles more comfortable.
Desklamp/clip lamp- something to put by your bed so you can work/read in bed (or at your desk) while your roommate sleeps.
Sheets/towels- one set is all that's absolutely necessary, but it's nice to have two so that when one gets rank you can pull out the othher without having to do laundry right away.
As for the computers, only take one. I went back to NOLA in November to retrieve some things (checkbook, IDs, etc.) and also got my Powerbook. RPI had loaned all of the displaced students a T-43 Thinkpad so from the middle of November until the semester ended I used two computers, it was honestly more trouble than it was worth. Back up your files regularly, and leave the TiBook at home in case of tragedy (theft/breakage).
That's what I'd recommend to start with, depending on what your room looks like and your personal habits you can always buy more at school (just avoid the bookstore, usually its overpriced) but especially if you'll be flying to school remember you'll have to pack this all up at the end of the year.
tristan said:
My printer is kindof old but I have an HP 1100. It is a laserjet with scanning and copying on the front. I really love it as I have only purchased one toner cartridge since I've been in school. Laserjets are so much better if you can afford them (you won't use color that much and if you do you can go to Kinkos). It was hard to get wirelessly networked with a mac but I did it using a little Buffulo print server.
Oh, and I would advise you to live in the dorm as long as possible. I moved into an apartment as soon as I could and regretted it hugely. The dorms are so much more convenient and are really fun. I just wanted some privacy for girls etc as my dormmates kept walking in on me haha. It was a really dumb reason to move out...
MS bulldog said:
I'd like to chime in too and say that if you are financing all this through student loans, BE CAREFUL!
It may seem like no problem while you're in school but being frugal in college will pay dividends when you get out.
I, unfortunately, financed an education at a private university through loans 100% on my own and am now paying it off. I left the school with $100k+ in debt and let me tell you, my friends without any payments are so much better off!
So spend only what you need, dont waste your time with all that stuff you might need until you get to school and are sure of it.
if you're going to college, you need a facebook. but be careful, they will completely destroy your academic career because of there insane addictiveness.
yeah for real, my gf has one and she does that over any work she has to do....but she DOES have one hell of a social life.....i actually think facebook was the reason for her losing the Hope scholarship (i think it's only in GA).bluedevil14 said:
tkidBOSTON said:
Good advice about not getting too much into debt but I would say spend what you need to on academics to get through. If you don't graduate the money spent will be even more of a waste.
I currently attend USF and before that Texas A&M and I'm lucky that my parents pay all of my school related expenses and my girlfriend pays half of our living expenses. Even so, I had an 18 hour class load and worked part time last semester. I do contract drafting on the side so I make pretty good $$ per hour.
I know a few people who have tons of student loans but I know many who get at least partial monitary support from their parents. I don't know what the socio-economic climate of my school is but I assume that most people are middle class or wealthy as impoverished individuals are at a disadvantage in High School due to a lack of good teachers, supplies etc. If someone is from a poor family they probably are on some sort of assistance.