I'm a little undecided about the backpack situation. I don't feel that a North Face would even hold the books. What is everyone else doing? Totes?

Backpack and locker (hopefully--btw, when do we find out if we got a locker?)

Most people probably won't want to do this, but I've also heard of people stripping the bindings off of their books and 3-hole punching them (at a copy store), and then placing them in a binder. Then you can get a small 3-ring binder with 5 tabs, and just take the cases you need for class each day in the binder. Back problems be-gone! Of course, you couldn't sell the books back then, but you're not going to get a very good price on a highlighted, used book anyways...

I'm not eligible for a locker I think the binder thing is a bit extreme for me, so I guess I'll just lug around a backpack that hopefully fits at least the number of books required for one class. I now appreciate the breaks in between classes even more.

I'm in Gropius, so I think I'm just going to back to my room between classes.

Yeah, I thought about the binder thing, but the thought of taking my nice, new law books and stripping them like some tawdry prom night date made my stomach turn. Again, I am gun shy...

Being in the Grope (PLEASE let this catch on), I'll also be running back and forth between classes to change books probably. Also, I'll be the one person in class who doesn't bring their computer with them, so this will free up space/ounces for books in my bookbag.

No computer? I thought they were absolutely essential for in class notetaking, which is why I bought a laptop today. How are you going to manage?

Oh, I'll have a computer. It'll just more be for my alone study time/library time rather than class time. I find that computers are too distracting and also that I'm a formatting fascist, so I lose half the lecture while I'm trying to get the margins right or the bullet points to line up right. I'm also a rather, um, "emotive" person when it comes to school (and life in general) so some days I take notes in outlines, some days in more concept maps, some days just scribbles everywhere (something I find is easier with paper and pen). It's all about how I'm feeling that day. Also, I suck at typing which is its own can of worms, I know.

As a side note, I'm actually concerned that the first day I sit in class and hear 79 other people typing all at once it'll be really distracting. I come from a rather small undergrad where, in my four years, I think I saw three people use computers to take notes in class. Whether it was because we mocked people who did it or because our network was just so ridiculously bad, we just didn't do it so I'm not used to it. In fact, when I sat in on the class at the ASW, I almost started laughing, hearing all those keys clackety-clacketying all at once. It reminded me of one of those steno pools in the old movies.

I guess the cliffs of this post is: I guess school, like life, is just about what you are used to.

Fully unpacked and set up, staring out the window at the NW corner project!

lol, what a view!

Seriously, though, that must be a load off of your mind. I'm SOOOO not looking forward to moving in...

It really is...except for the fact I forgot to buy a box spring so have to sleep on the couch tonight. It'll be here tomorrow though!

pfft, who needs a box spring? weeeak

yeah c'mon, platform bed + memory foam ftw

yay!

I'm the handwriting type too and it never even crossed my mind to not follow the trend and do what I'm used to...you have just empowered me iago! I think I might try handwriting notes and then typing them neatly at home (I like my format pretty too). The good thing is that it'll definitely help me memorize my outline easier. The not so good thing is that it probably won't do much to help me type faster, which could be debilitating at exam time. Decisions, decisions...

I'm so glad I'm empowering. Power to the people! (actually, I dislike populism, so no...)

And it isn't like you will never type if you don't bring your computer to class. You will typing a lot with your notes and outlines. If you are concerned about your typing speed (like I am about mine), you could always just practice typing online w/ those speed tests.

Question for you, as one old-schooler to another, are you retyping your notes and ALSO typing an outline, or are you simply going to add what's valuable from your notes to your outline? I keep going back and forth but I'm leaning towards the latter and was wondering if there was a virtue to the former that I'm missing.

Peapod.com is the best thing that has ever happened to me.

Here is a suggestion re: notetaking:

If you're not going to take notes electronically, why not employ some version of the Cornell note-taking method instead of retyping them? Leave space at the bottom of the page, and then in the time that you would have used to retype your notes, summarize them instead. Seems that it would serve one of the purposes of retyping (retention) but would take less time. Do this once a day, or once a week, depending on your own personal style. And then when you do this summarizing, also add the most important information (i.e., what's not already in there, or something personal to your professor) to the outline.

I’m planning to take notes electronically in class, but when I read on my own I like to take handwritten notes to cut down on computer distractions. I’m planning to use the summarize and add important info. technique that I suggested above when it comes to outlining, rather than just incorporating all of my notes into an outline.

Fun note-taking link (is that an oxymoron?): http://maclawstudents.com/blog/techniqu ... on-method/

I like option 2 better. I want my notes to be the backbone of my outline so I'll keep that into account when I format. It seems a little more efficient too. I also like AZjenna's suggestion and definitely plan on leaving space for future updating. It's a pretty easy/convenient option once you're in Word anyway.

Also, I think I'll have to get on the typing speed tests. This 4-finger typing business is no goooood.

You won't be the only one in 5 without a laptop Iago. I can't pay attention if I'm typing away on a computer.

Thanks Jenna! You are always so helpful. I think the excitement I feel about having another note-taking plan to read and study truly reveals what a loser I am, haha. The only thing I definitely WON'T be employing is the "write everything in Moleskin notebooks." As much as I love them (I have a tiny one which I carry with me everywhere so I can jot down important notes I need during the day.), I don't think my thoughts and reductions of what my professor is saying are worth $18 apiece. Five Star all the way!

We should start a club, lol. Also, it will be rather apparent in our section who we are as, I'm guessing, there won't be that many of us notebookers. I better start playing nice around here!

One of my profs doesn't allow laptops in class. Not a fan of that, but yeah. I haven't taken notes by hand since...high school?

Really? What prof is that? Wowza I hope this isn't common!

Donahue (Property)