Is It Necessary?

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Hi all! I start my nursing program this fall 2014 and I have been reading this forum religiously to get different tips on being prepared for school....however I have been confused to whether if it's necessary to purchase an ipad for school. My hubby wants to get one but I have been hesitant to make that expensive purchase.

For the students who have ipads, do you feel it makes your life easier for studying and note taking?

Specializes in Hospice, Palliative Care.

Good day, Nkiru14:

My wife is the only one working, so we do our best to keep spending to a minimum. Even so, my wife and I treated me to an iPad this past Christmas. I was not sure how it would work out since I was pen and paper for so long. It turned out to be among the best investments we made for my going back to school. Even if I don't have an e-version of a book, I still use it to take notes.

I use GoodNotes which works wonderfully with a stylus (I use a $7.95 stylus). Other apps I've found helpful include Scanner Pro, iThoughts HD (for creating and editing mindmaps), Amazon Kindle, FlashCards Deluxe, Quizlet, CoursePad (it works well with Coursera.org), and Calendars 5.

Thank you.

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Specializes in ICU.

I have one. I use it for different things. Pmabraham is the expert on the ipad. I do not take notes with it. Most of my teachers would print out outlines and we would use them. I did download the quizlet app and I absolutely love that. After I would take notes in class I would convert them into quizlet and that is how I would study. Also if you transfer your notes into it, it is much easier to carry around than a giant binder and paper everywhere. I would just take my ipad and study from that. I wish there was an app for flash player on it so I could have done things like math lab and such on it. That would have been my dream.

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I would never buy an Ipad for college, never, when Android is so much better.

I wish there was an app for flash player on it so I could have done things like math lab and such on it. That would have been my dream.

Android has flash ;)

But all kidding aside (though Android is still better), I think the idea is good, but I can do anything on my Android enabled BlackBerry that I could do on a tablet. I much prefer to take notes and write flash cards by hand, and schedule and use quiz apps (Android usually) on my BlackBerry.

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Specializes in critical care.

I have an ipad. It is hands down the best investment I've made in school. I use their pages, numbers and keynote apps, Which are convertible to doc, exl, and ppt, email able (even groups of files), I use a recording app (highlight), and use Noteworthy for those profs that upload in pdf. My ipad present contains every note, every written assignment, every lecture, EVERYTHING. And for those times when the prof wants you to take notes without them spoon feeding you powerpoints, you have the notes app, which is native to the device. With a wireless enabled printer, you are able to print wirelessly form it. I love that if someone asks something random that I know I have in my ipad, I can just whip out my phone and find it since they both use the same iTunes account. If there is anything I recommend to a student, it's to do research on tablets and GET ONE. Let's say you need to know in semester 4 that was part of lesson one day one, you just go back in your app and find it. It's no more digging through old papers you probably threw away. There is no more, what did instructor say on Momday? Just play back the recording! It's all there!

Yes, yes, yes! Get an ipad! And if you promise not to judge. I'll take some screenshots. ?

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Specializes in critical care.

This is the layout of the screen, and when you tap the folder you need. It expands

Then, of course, you get I

Into whatever app you need.

I started with pages because it is the one that worlds as Word does. It is capable of exporting into any file you would need. It also (as you can see) allows you to organize. I have folders from specific classes and stuff for my kids. ? The spread sheet and slide show apps that parallel MS office are structured the same way.

Only two of my textbooks couldn't be put in my bag because they weren't the same published. ??

This is the program is used for recording. Other prefer the other one I'm about to share. This app was like $3 and quite worth it. No more handhelds for recording!

This is notability - an app that allows you to take notes during lecture and directly on the powerpoint (with a stylus).

This is just what blackboard looks like, of you happen to use it. It's been nice being able to get through writing on breaks without lugging around a laptop.

Obviously these are just the basics. But you have to ask yourself - I do want to carry a back overloaded with books. Binders and folders? Or would you rather make life easier I knowing you are can just go grab this thing and not worry about finding your textbooks, or whether you should being last week's materials because she never did through last week's.

I absolutely agree with getting one, and find ways to get your textbooks in there. Get in touch anytime with any onequestions!

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Specializes in public health, women's health, reproductive health.

I have a macbook and a tablet. All my textbooks are available on both devices. I wouldn't want to be in nursing school without them. I take my MacBook to school and record lectures on it, which I later transcribe when I am listening for the second time. My tablet is portable and I can take it with me easily and have access to my notes, lectures and documents. I highly recommend it.

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Wow! I was not aware that we can actually write notes in the device (with the appropriate app of course). Ixchel I love your input....it is really selling the idea to me especially with the notes app!

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Specializes in Critical care.

I haven't read through all the comments, so I'm not sure if it's been said... but iPads don't work with a lot of things. ATI software, for example. Can't take an ATI test on an iPad.

I would go with a computer not an iPad. Get him an iPad for christmas.

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Specializes in Hospice, Palliative Care.

Good day,

"I wish there was an app for flash player"

Yes, there is one... I recommend the "Puffin" browser app which allows you to run web sites that use Flash.

Thank you.

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As long as you have a laptop you won't need an iPad or anything else. And you need access to a printer because you'll be printing a lot. You can always use your schools though. My daughter has an iPad and I have never used it. She just uses it for games. I have an iPhone and I download nursing apps. That would be the only plus of an iPad (if you don't have a smart phone).

Sent from my iPhone using allnurses

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Specializes in Hospice, Palliative Care.

Good day:

If it matters, you can easily print from an ipad. While I considered a laptop, the ipad is much lighter, far more portable, and using the stylus I can take notes faster than a lot of people who type. My type written speed runs between 120 to 140 words per minute; and it's still faster for me to take notes with a stylus. GoodNotes (as well many other note taking apps) allows one to import PDF files, and annotate right on top of them or along side them.

Technology is not always a fit. I've thrown away so many gadgets and gizmos it makes me sick to think about the time and money wasted. However, for me, the ipad was one of the best investments my wife and I made.

Thank you.

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Specializes in critical care.

Yes! You can print from an iPad! I actually have more problems with my printer when I'm on my computer than my iPad. Then again, my printer really sucks.

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