Tell me about using your iPad for school

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I may have the opportunity to get an iPad this summer and was wondering what function it can serve for a Nursing student. I will be starting my program this fall and plan on buying the books (I like to be able to flip pages) but see the value in also having them loaded on an iPad. I believe our bookstore offers the e-version of our books for a small fee in addition to buying the actual book.

What do you use your iPad for in school?

I don't use an iPad and I don't miss having one. It really depends on your preference and how you best study.

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Specializes in Gerontology, nursing education.

I don't have one but I want one. Bit of an Apple FanGirl here. I've resisted getting a Kindle because I could download that software for the iPad if I had one. Some magazines are starting to make electronic subscriptions for iPad available and I would love to have less clutter and all my magazines on one iPad.

I guess I could load some nursing stuff on it, too.....

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I have heard the iPad is a good investment for nursing school, (I have a friend that SWEARS by it and she bought the keyboard that attaches to it to make it easier to type...)

BUT I have a mini notebook and LOVE it, it makes taking notes SO easy...but I plan on buying the Samsung Galaxy tab through Verizon...(I have a Motorola Devour and I LOVE it but the Galaxy tab is a few inches bigger then the iPhone 4, it sends txt messages, it has a front facing camera, plus it has Kindle built right in, and every app available in the Droid market plus more!!! Its only 199.99$ plus a 2 year contract, but it will only cost 10-20$ more a month which isn't bad at all...

I like the fact that its so small, and i can share things between my phone and that, or from my computer to the tablet.

I'm a Droid fan girl, anything droid I love! and this is an amazing tablet...plus its one of the smallest out there so i won't be clugging around my comp and a giant iPad everywhere (plus im the clumsiest person you will ever meet and dropping a 700$ tablet and losing all of my stuff including books is not something I want to do! )

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I start NS this fall and just bought an Ipod Touch for some applications like such as drug guides Mosbys, Epocrates etc). I probably will purchase an app for NCLEX study at some point so that I can use that during my breaks at work etc.

I, like others do not like to carry textbooks around as they are heavy and bulky like A&P, I found that you can bring any textbook to places like Staples or Office Depot and have your textbook broken down into a more managable size. I had my 1500 page A&P textbook broken out into 6 smaller sections with a seperate section for the glossary/index. Cost including covers was a total of $16.00. Pretty cheap fix if you ask me. My back said thank you!!

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How do they break down the textbooks NeedchangeofPace? do you keep all the stuff, do they throw out stuff? how does that work? just curious....

I don't like carrying around textbooks either, but this semester (3 weeks before finals mind you) my computer crashed and I lost all my textbooks, and because I lost the receipt/download cards I couldn't get them back, luckily one teacher had one i could borrow but for my chem class, (the hardest class i had) I had to wait 2 weeks to have one ordered through the schools library!!!

after that experience, I'm NEVER having digital textbooks AGAIN! I may buy study guides or non pertinent material through kindle, but not textbooks!

but i do love the idea of having someone break down the books...just curious how it works though...

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I LOVE LOVE LOVE my iPad. I use it for almost everything. After reading some of the replies I will get a stylus and the notes app. I have to hand write my notes it just sets better in my brain then typing.

I have MANY MANY MANY e-books via kindle and iBook and smashwords. Word of advice. Back up your iPad to your laptop. Transfer all purchases and even burn a CD as a backup. I do that with all my e-books, audiobooks, photos, and even apps.

My question is those of you who got e-books w/the hard copy do the e-books time out or are they yours forever?

Edit -- Kindle saves all your books to the archives on their site. I only ever really have 10-20 kindle books downloaded to my iPad at a time.

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Specializes in ICU.

My question is those of you who got e-books w/the hard copy do the e-books time out or are they yours forever?

My e-books have a lifetime access. Of course, it will only be for the edition of the book I purchase with my package, so next year when a new edition comes out I DON'T get access to that. (Bummer).

But I will be able to go back and reference my texts whenever into the future, so I can sell my hard copies and keep my e-copies, in order to get a little money back after my program.

Our e-book package is through Elsevier, it's their "Evolve" program. I think there's some info on their website about it...even if your schools don't offer an e-book package, if you use Elsevier texts you can purchase your own e-copies in addition/instead of buying hard copies.

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Gamergirl,

They will sectionalise your textbook into any configuration you want, one section may contain chapters 1&2 the next may contain 3-9 your choice. The only thing you may lose is the hardcover if you have one, they also have choices as to the type of cover for each new section that they make for you. You may want a clear, colored, plastic, cloth etc.

You really do not lose anything except weight and a few dollars.

To me it has been well worth it.

My school bookstore and I do not get along, so I do not buy any textbooks from them at all. You can find any textbook you need elswhere, Amazon and Barnes and Noble are my favorites, always lower prices and 3-5 day delivery sometimes sooner at no extra charge.

If your textbooks are tied in with your tuition that is a different story.

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If you are a student you can get what is called Amazon Prime for free. With Amazon Prime you get free 2 day shipping if the book is available. If not as soon as it is you get the 2 day shipping. (has to be from amazon and not a 3rd party that sells via amazon)

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My e-books have a lifetime access. Of course, it will only be for the edition of the book I purchase with my package, so next year when a new edition comes out I DON'T get access to that. (Bummer).

But I will be able to go back and reference my texts whenever into the future, so I can sell my hard copies and keep my e-copies, in order to get a little money back after my program.

Our e-book package is through Elsevier, it's their "Evolve" program. I think there's some info on their website about it...even if your schools don't offer an e-book package, if you use Elsevier texts you can purchase your own e-copies in addition/instead of buying hard copies.

Thank you for the information.

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Gamergirl,

They will sectionalise your textbook into any configuration you want, one section may contain chapters 1&2 the next may contain 3-9 your choice. The only thing you may lose is the hardcover if you have one, they also have choices as to the type of cover for each new section that they make for you. You may want a clear, colored, plastic, cloth etc.

You really do not lose anything except weight and a few dollars.

To me it has been well worth it.

My school bookstore and I do not get along, so I do not buy any textbooks from them at all. You can find any textbook you need elswhere, Amazon and Barnes and Noble are my favorites, always lower prices and 3-5 day delivery sometimes sooner at no extra charge.

If your textbooks are tied in with your tuition that is a different story.

I really like that idea and might do that! thanks!!

and that would be the problem with my books (especially at my current college where I am doing prereqs) at this college you have to buy all your books through them, and every form of study guide/lab manual HAS To be through them as it is designed ESPECIALLY through this college. you can't find them elsewhere unless someone bought them from the school bookstore never wrote in them and decided to sell them!!!

at the college I'm going to be attending for my ADN all the nursing books have to be purchased as a Set and each set is only available through the schools bookstore as they a) change every semester and for every new nursing class b) are literally in a set, and are like this package of books c) are designed especially for that college....(a way for them to make more money off of the students)

Also to someone else who mentioned ebooks....

The ebooks i needed for my classes you could only buy through the school and through 2 specific places, you buy a card and download them with a code, they each expire in a certain amount of time, 1 was 180 days another was 365 days, they could only be used on 1 computer and you could only copy/print a certain amount of text/pages at a time...

If i tried to put them on another computer it wanted me to download the software again, then download the book again (impossible with only 1 code that could only be used once!!!

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Also to someone else who mentioned ebooks....

The ebooks i needed for my classes you could only buy through the school and through 2 specific places, you buy a card and download them with a code, they each expire in a certain amount of time, 1 was 180 days another was 365 days, they could only be used on 1 computer and you could only copy/print a certain amount of text/pages at a time...

If i tried to put them on another computer it wanted me to download the software again, then download the book again (impossible with only 1 code that could only be used once!!!

That just sucks. Only 1! Would think a backup would be okay since everyones computer crashes at sometime. :confused::confused::crying2:

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