iPad Mini - A&P?

tryingtohaveitall · May 5, 2013

Do you want us to say yes?

__patiently_waiting · May 5, 2013

Do you want us to say yes?

Hm .. no. An honest answer will do. Lol (Yes will possibly help w/ my grade; No will save me money-Its a win win situation either way). I just see alot of posts about iPads and how people are able to study well from them in nursing school. Since alot of studying is associated w/ A&P I wanted to know if it would help with that also.

ashleyjbholmes · May 5, 2013

I use my iPad to take notes and record....I use the inclass app so it has my notes and my lectures all together. You can get a blue tooth keyboard on amazon pretty cheap. I just know I type faster than I can write, and it is easier for me than carrying my laptop.

Stephalump · May 5, 2013

I made great grades in A&P before iPads even existed, so I really don't think it's warranted just as a grade booster.

I have one, I use it religiously, but for me it's a convenience booster, not an academic game changer. Totally worth the money for me, though!

__patiently_waiting · May 5, 2013

I made great grades in A&P before iPads even existed, so I really don't think it's warranted just as a grade booster.
I have one, I use it religiously, but for me it's a convenience booster, not an academic game changer. Totally worth the money for me, though!

Of course it won't have anything to do with academics, its just the convenience factor that will help out being that its much more convenient than carrying around a laptop.

tryingtohaveitall · May 5, 2013

Lol, ok then if youre looking for an honest answer. iPads are awesome. I love mine. I used it for grad school but it certainly wasn't necessary.

Graduation2016 · May 5, 2013

I just recently got one as my birthday present. Must say that I love it. I can download all of the professors power points and just scroll up and down through them. No need to tons of printings, ink, paper etc, plus the battery lasts forever! My classes are 4 hours long and I don't have to worry about sitting by an outlet to plug in a laptop or the inconvenience of carrying one. iPad fits right in my purse even with the Otterbox case.

umbdude, MSN, APRN · May 6, 2013

I wouldn't say it makes the class easier. I don't think it's easy to take notes with anything except pen and paper.

However, it's great to have when you study because you can store your powerpoints or other word documents in it. You can carry it around with you and if you want to review something you can. I have the iPad Mini and love it. Regular iPad and laptop are just too big for me to carry around.

Best_Name_Ever · May 6, 2013

I think it depends a lot on what type of learner you are. I choose to handwrite my notes in class. I cannot type things out or go through the power points on a laptop. I like my notes to be tangible. I learn better that way. Same goes for ebooks, there is no way I'd replace my book for one of those. I do have a kindle fire, but I only use it for non school related things. It might work for you, but I think you need to consider how YOU learn best. Then make a decision based on that :)

goingtothedogs · May 6, 2013

I got an iPad in the middle of this semester... It has helped me to connect more with the info.. Rather than frantically writing my notes, I am able to type them... I have been using Evernote, paired with skitch,my notes can include model photos, quick diagrams, figures from the book... And I hit record at the start of lecture, and when class is over, I just hit 'done' and the recording is attached to the notes for that day. It's been good, though some earlier posters mentioned some other apps I am going to look into. Because I am able to make my notes comprehensive, complete with pictures and recordings, I think it has simplified studying for me (my book weighs so much, it's refreshing to not have it by my side at all times!!)

I still bring paper to class, but just a few sheets. For me personally, my iPad has helped organize things for my life, satisfies my tree hugging tendencies by reducing the paper I use (I read a lot, less paper required reading on my iPad!), I tend to be kind of scatter-brained, so I can keep myself in line by adding everything I think I may need to my notes.

But really, you don't need an iPad. I still make notecards while studying, and while I have the ability to write with a stylus on my iPad, I think that particular functionality has a long way to go. Do what you feel works best for your learning style. My instructor jumped around a lot, so I always wound up rewriting my handwritten notes because they were a mess by the end of lecture.

iPads are expensive. But also useful. But if you can, there are other tablet options out there (think-- iPad still does not support flash) that are just as functional, or moreso, for less money. It is nice to study while traveling without lugging a 30lb backpack everywhere with you, though.

Sleep on it. Check out youtube videos, go to the store and try one. Check ad see if your instructors permit you to use them in class, and if they allow recording of lectures. That would be a key consideration for me.

SycamoreGuy · May 6, 2013

An ipad can be very useful for in class notes etc. I loved using mine, I did not have to lug around several notebooks, had all my notes in one place, and could easily look up a term if I needed to. That being said, you don't need an ipad to be successful.