Pit or Spit? The OG Holy Grounds or Starbucks? Wells Fargo or the Finn?
These are just a few of the many debates that have divided Villanova’s campus for years. However, more recently, a new topic of contention has emerged in the classroom, one where every student is forced to take a stand for their side, whether they realize it. That’s right, I’m talking about using tablets instead of computers for school.
As a liberal arts major, I’m loyal to my MacBook, and when starting college, I assumed that the same would go for everyone else in my classes. After all, if most of one’s work is centered around reading, typing papers and working on presentations, wouldn’t a computer be the best choice? Surprisingly, though, I’ve seen many students in classes from philosophy to English using iPads to take notes in class.
Lots of factors come into play when it comes to choosing which device is better: not just field of study, but learning style and personal preference. While some would rather stick to typing and having the traditional screen and keyboard setup, other students appreciate being able to write using a stylus while still keeping these notes organized using their iPads’ digital features, a perfect happy medium between paper notes and the rigidity of the computer.
Aside from being more portable and convenient for math and science-based courses, iPads can help students reduce the amount of paper they have to use. For example, if I need to complete a worksheet for my Spanish class, I have to download the PDF, upload it to VPrint, find the nearest printing site and then finally get to complete it. However, my friends who use iPads can simply click on the document and get to scribbling out their answers, saving time and paper.
However, challenges can quickly arise in the classroom when not everyone relies on the same devices to get their work done.
“As a STEM student who doesn’t use an iPad, I am definitely in the minority,” freshman biology student Quinnie Vandewalle said. “I’m largely okay with not having an iPad, but I feel that some professors have begun to gear note taking (such as inserting pictures, drawings and expecting students to take digital notes instead of paper notes) to those with tablets. This can sometimes make the class a bit more difficult, and I feel at a disadvantage.”
Constance Huber, freshman engineering student, echoed the importance of using the two different kinds of devices.
“As a mechanical engineer, I think having both an iPad and a computer is essential,” Huber said. “My iPad acts as a sort of notebook for all my notes taken in class while my computer is used to reference textbooks or other problems.”
Sophomore business major Brielle Meneszes agreed with this sentiment.
“I definitely think that having both a computer and a tablet is better because I remember more when I physically write it down on my iPad,” Meneszes said. “For the most part I’ve seen a lot of people use iPads. Sometimes, when people use just an iPad, I wonder how they manage to do that. It’s just supplemental, and you can’t do everything on there.”
Villanovans know that nobody can escape the core requirement classes, which emphasize lots of reading and writing, but questions of access might make it difficult for everyone to buy both a computer and a tablet.
These pose an interesting point: depending on the classes one is taking, is the only answer to double up and make use of both devices’ unique advantages? Figure out how to make the most of whatever device you can get the best use out of it? At the end of the day, maybe it isn’t about which one owns but using the resources they have to the best of their ability. As some say, just showing up to class in college is half the battle, so coming prepared, whatever that may look like for you, can go a long way.
