Learning on a laptop has recently received a poor name. A growing body of research suggests that using electronics in class, such as laptops, tablets, and phones, may result in anything from poor test achievement to lousy note-taking, not simply for you but also those around you.
It is not to say that laptops are always negative. If you utilize yours properly, they can still make you a better student. For a collection of advice on how to utilize a laptop for studying and increasing productivity, continue reading.
Study note-taking techniques.
Note-taking on computers in the classroom has received a lot of criticism. Although most people believe that a laptop’s superiority is due to its speed, this is not always the case.
People have the propensity to strive to take item contents and jot down as much of the lesson as they can when typing their notes. Because you can’t write as quickly as you can type, the students taking handwriting notes in our research were forced to be more choosy. And they benefited from the additional material processing that they carried out.
The easiest solution could be to start taking notes by hand again, but in today’s culture, individuals and their electronics are tightly linked. It does not imply that you must accept a lifetime of subpar notes. Instead, there are certain things you can do to improve your electronic note-taking skills, such as “chunking” your notes to make them more attractive, rephrasing important ideas into your own words, incorporating questions to encourage repetition, and summarizing the notes in your terms.
Don’t install distracting apps.
Another significant issue with laptop use in the classroom is a distraction. Although people frequently view the capacity for multitasking as a positive trait, multitasking reduces productivity.
Just getting rid of plainly distracting apps like music and gaming is the beginning. To avoid getting distracted by emails, tweets, directions, Facebook likes, and other notifications, switch off all automatic updates. By doing this, you’ll be able to concentrate on the subject at hand and prevent bothering or disturbing your students.
Please make use of it to interact with your instructors and classmates.
College students and teachers could only communicate face-to-face before the advent of the Internet. It wasn’t always realistic or doable, though. Laptops and other gadgets make contacting instructors simpler, whether you’re looking for an explanation on an assignment or want to set up a meeting to discuss a problem.
Google Chat and other internet communication tools are also widely used in college courses. You can interact with your lecturers and students by using these.
Organize and tidy up your desktop
We can all agree that being organized is crucial for success in college. Yet many students fail to consider one crucial element: maintaining a clean and tidy laptop. A tidy desktop may increase speed and access, while a disorganized one might be confusing and slow you down. Additionally, this is an excellent time to download any valuable programs, including the industry-leading note-taking tool Evernote.
Think about avoiding using your laptop in the classroom.
Different students utilize computers in various ways. It’s crucial to understand how to leverage yours. However, notwithstanding your best efforts, you can still conclude that your laptop is hurting more people than it is helping.
In such a scenario, your best option could be to go back to using pen and paper in the classroom. (Of course, you may still use your laptop beyond the classroom and benefit from all its features.) Even if you might feel like a technophobe for making this choice, you should know that the most recent scientific findings support it.
Using your own words, type your notes.
Remember not to write out word by word what your professor or lecturer says when you are attending a lecture in class. Instead, please pay close attention to what they have to say and make notes on key phrases and ideas. Write in whole sentences if you must, and note any supplementary reading or other resources that your teacher mentions in the lecture.
Use productivity tools to help you maintain your composure in class.
Take a gander for an extension or an app that you can customize to block specific sites and apps if you have trouble exercising restraint or are unsure how to disable notifications without deactivating an app.
You may customize various productivity software options to meet your specific requirements. For instance, you may add a chrome extension that restricts how much time you can spend on particular websites during the day or prevents you from visiting them when you’re in class or studying.
If your laptop is not necessary for class, leave it at home
It is preferable to keep the laptop home if you are not utilizing it for in-class studies. Because if you bring a laptop to class, you won’t be able to concentrate on using it. You will be distracted when studying and unable to focus in class.
To learn more about anything you’re studying, use the Internet.
Utilizing the Internet to learn more about a topic is one of the main benefits of utilizing a laptop for study purposes. However, be cautious to only gather information from reputable sources. As you are aware, the Internet can be excellent and harmful. Which direction you take is up to you.
The features of a typical laptop for students are as follows:
Processor
Like the human heart, the CPU is the critical component of your laptop. If you’re on a tight budget, AMD is a superior option. However, Intel processors are superior to AMD in every other criterion. You may thus get an Intel CPU on a budget.
An Core I7 i3 or AMD A-series A6 or AMD A8 CPU would perform just fine for your requirements and thus save you quite a bit of money versus other options if you only need it for basic usages like surfing and documents, primarily for school assignments, basic games, and applications. Without question, an i5 can handle the majority of tasks without issue. Unless you want to play games often and intensely, an i7 is unnecessary.
Video card
In such laptops, an embedded video card like Intel’s Rainbow or HD series typically results in significantly longer battery life and less heat production. When managing complicated 3D graphics, a specialized graphics card like those in NVIDIA’s GeForce series has its processor and RAM, reducing your laptop’s battery life (and cost). Most games can still play in college with an integrated graphics card, a good CPU, and adequate RAM.
RAM
This specification is essential. Modern computers are required to do several tasks simultaneously. The computer will run more smoothly with more RAM, but just increasing RAM is a terrible idea. 4GB of RAM is sufficient for primary use. However, 6GB is a fantastic choice. However, if you choose 8GB RAM, everything will function at its peak. It is excellent for multitasking and gaming.
Connectivity and Accessibility
One of the laptops’ most significant benefits is enabling students to access material from any location with an Internet connection. It’s simpler than ever to connect to the Internet now that more locations provide free Wi-Fi. Because of this accessibility, students may study wherever but whenever they have the time. Student’s classroom performance can enhance by giving them easier access to notes and learning resources like web pages and educational programs.