By Madeline Condor | Staff Writer
This semester, like many other students at Baylor, I caved in and bought an iPad. Although I had to slightly splurge to make the purchase, which was accompanied by an Apple Pencil, I was excited to begin using my new technology.
I used the tablet twice over the summer; I made a planner I’ve never used and a list nothing was checked off of. Though this discouraged me initially, I had to keep reminding myself that I’d use it more when the school year started.
On the first day of class, I was ecstatic to finally put the iPad to use. Thanks to the tools available with the Apple Pencil, I made color-coded notes for all of my classes with perfectly straight lines and dashes. The only issue I ran into was professor preference. Many professors, including half of mine this semester, have a strict no-technology policy — which includes taking handwritten notes on an iPad.
To combat this no-technology rule, I had to buy notebooks for certain classes. Yes, it would be the exact same as writing on my iPad, but the underlying principle is different. I understand being wary of technology in classrooms, but this makes my purchase obsolete.
In a 2018 study, tablet usage in college classes was seen to have benefits for engagement and perceived learning, according to the Journal of Teaching and Learning with Technology.
“The iPad is an instructional medium that offers potential affordances over laptop or desktop computers and traditional lecture-based, no-technology environments to improve student engagement, motivation and learning,” the study reads.
For those going back and forth on the decision to buy an iPad, consider your audience and willingness to spend. Wait until syllabus week to decide if your professors will be OK with the idea or if there is a strict no-technology policy. Don’t use your savings to get one unless you’re 100% sure.
Overall, I’m happy with my purchase. I still think buying an iPad was worth it, even though I can’t use it for every class. At the end of the day, we’re college students. Notes are notes, no matter what they’re written on. You can study with a pen and paper the same way you can while looking at a screen. Everyone’s preference is different; stick with what you’re comfortable with.
