No Laptops in Class! Forum

[onthecusp]

Just curious how many others have professors who are outright banning laptops in class. It pisses me off that there are professors out there that believe they have a right to dictate which tools I use to learn the material in class. It pisses me off that I have to waste paper printing out briefs to bring to class because of some weird zeitgeist occurring between law professors wishing to take us all back to 1995. It pisses me off that I have to retype notes that I hand wrote in class because my law professor has an aversion to seeing people looking at their computer screens rather than focusing on them during class.

/rant

Sorry about that. Just wondering if this is becoming a growing trend at other schools.

[Bgiv]

I have two professors who banned laptops. I was pretty annoyed at first, but I'm using it as a chance to try a new technique on taking notes and see how it works out. Although, one of them is ridiculously boring, making me miss my laptop that much more

[manbearwig]

I have a prof who "discourages" use of laptops in class, but at least 4/5 of the class still use them anyway. I feel for you.

[Grizz]

--ImageRemoved--

[ResolutePear]

Record the lecture and rewrite it on your laptop after class?

[legalease9]

My LS forbids laptop bans, which is pretty cool!

[ResolutePear]

My LS forbids laptop bans, which is pretty cool!

Brings up a good criteria when choosing a law school, although it doesn't help the OP any.. :/

Also, with a laptop ban, would they expect you to handwrite your final? How archaic.

[legalease9]

My LS forbids laptop bans, which is pretty cool!

Brings up a good criteria when choosing a law school, although it doesn't help the OP any.. :/

Also, with a laptop ban, would they expect you to handwrite your final? How archaic.

I was responding to his question about it becoming a trend.

And yes, handwriting finals would suck!

[ResolutePear]

My LS forbids laptop bans, which is pretty cool!

Brings up a good criteria when choosing a law school, although it doesn't help the OP any.. :/

Also, with a laptop ban, would they expect you to handwrite your final? How archaic.

I was responding to his question about it becoming a trend.

And yes, handwriting finals would suck!

Yep, just thought I'd add on to what you said.

[onthecusp]

Record the lecture and rewrite it on your laptop after class?

So.....write your notes and put them in your laptop after class....

or

Listen to the lecture twice so I could type the notes once in my laptop? C'mon guy.

[onthecusp]

My LS forbids laptop bans, which is pretty cool!

Brings up a good criteria when choosing a law school, although it doesn't help the OP any.. :/

Also, with a laptop ban, would they expect you to handwrite your final? How archaic.

For the record, Laptops are allowed for the final, just not for lectures. Also, it's only two professors who have banned laptops, it's not a school policy.

[ResolutePear]

My LS forbids laptop bans, which is pretty cool!

Brings up a good criteria when choosing a law school, although it doesn't help the OP any.. :/

Also, with a laptop ban, would they expect you to handwrite your final? How archaic.

For the record, Laptops are allowed for the final, just not for lectures. Also, it's only two professors who have banned laptops, it's not a school policy.

Legalease was talking about the LS taking that option away from the law professors.

[kalvano]

Boo-fucking-hoo.

Handwrite notes. It's not the end of the world.

I love that you think you think professors should cater to you. It's their class, they can teach it how they want.

[ResolutePear]

Boo-fucking-hoo.

Handwrite notes. It's not the end of the world.

I love that you think you think professors should cater to you. It's their class, they can teach it how they want.

It's like a chef telling you that you can't take a call in his restaurant.

[LAWYER2]

I'm debating on taking notes by hand for a week to see if I retain the info any more than I would by just typing it.

[Cardboardbox]

I actually always took notes by hand in college and it's only in LS that I'm starting to go the laptop route. Class doesn't start till monday but one of my profs also banned laptop use. I'm actually thinking this is beneficial, I feel that I'll be able to retain the info better if I write it by hand then rewrite it into my laptop...at least I hope so. The other side of the coin of course is that it could just make it feel like a monumental waste of time.

[kurla88]

I'm assuming you are a new 1L? Trust me when I say that a couple of weeks into class, when you and everyone else spend all of class on gchat/facebook/youtube etc, you will realize why the professor banned laptops, and realize he is just trying to help all of you get the most out of your very expensive education. Typing up handwritten notes might be a pain, but again, the review is only going to help you. This might unnecessarily "punish" a couple of very conscientious students who wouldn't go online either way, but the professor has to cater to the class as a whole.

[thorntll]

.

[jne381]

At Chicago, they blocked the internet in the classrooms. I actually think it's a good idea. I am forced to pay attention, but can still use my laptop.

I hand wrote for my first semester, then I started using my laptop the second semester. The laptop is much more efficient IMHO.

Banning the internet, in my case, would stink because I type my notes directly into a Google Doc, but it is probably a good idea in general.

[ResolutePear]

At Chicago, they blocked the internet in the classrooms. I actually think it's a good idea. I am forced to pay attention, but can still use my laptop.

I hand wrote for my first semester, then I started using my laptop the second semester. The laptop is much more efficient IMHO.

Banning the internet, in my case, would stink because I type my notes directly into a Google Doc, but it is probably a good idea in general.

Text editor + Dropbox. Will sync next time you have an internet connection.

[TTH]

My K's professor banned laptops, but I actually like it. Not enough not to use my laptop in other classes, but I remember more from that class than my others.

[romothesavior]

Boo-fucking-hoo.

Handwrite notes. It's not the end of the world.

I love that you think you think professors should cater to you. It's their class, they can teach it how they want.

Come on Kal... we pay their salaries, and it is our legal education (and 100,000s of dollars) to waste. I do feel like they should cater to us to some degree.

I'd alter RP's analogy just a bit: It would be like going to a restaurant and the chef not taking any special orders or alterations to your order. Is that within the chef's right to do so? Yep. But it is still a pretty lame policy.

[keg411]

At Chicago, they blocked the internet in the classrooms. I actually think it's a good idea. I am forced to pay attention, but can still use my laptop.

I hand wrote for my first semester, then I started using my laptop the second semester. The laptop is much more efficient IMHO.

Banning the internet, in my case, would stink because I type my notes directly into a Google Doc, but it is probably a good idea in general.

Text editor + Dropbox. Will sync next time you have an internet connection.

I'm using Dropbox. Safety net in case of a computer crash.

Also, some of my profs have said they've considered banning laptops, but are letting us be since we're 1L's. At least one said he'd reconsider letting us use them if he saw that we were on the internet during class (the lectures here are recorded by video, but the way the shot is set up, you can see if the students who are using laptops are playing on FB/the internet).

I wish they would just ban the internet in classrooms. I took a course at a college a couple of years ago and they did there. Right now I just turn off my AirPort so I'm not even tempted.

[dakatz]

I have multiple professors who banned laptops in class. I don't mind though. I remember more when I take notes by hand. Not like I can't just plug it into OneNote as soon as class ends.

[ResolutePear]

Boo-fucking-hoo.

Handwrite notes. It's not the end of the world.

I love that you think you think professors should cater to you. It's their class, they can teach it how they want.

Come on Kal... we pay their salaries, and it is our legal education (and 100,000s of dollars) to waste. I do feel like they should cater to us to some degree.

I'd alter RP's analogy just a bit: It would be like going to a restaurant and the chef not taking any special orders or alterations to your order. Is that within the chef's right to do so? Yep. But it is still a pretty lame policy.

Pretty much.

I've never been good at analogies. It's like a unicorn strapped to a rocket with me.