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So I am going to buy a new phone this weekend and I was wondering how people in school felt about how necessary it is to be able to check mail on your phone. Are most professor communications through email and how often is that typically? Also how important it is to be able to open word docs on the phone?

Thanks in advance!

When these threads used to pop up on here I always thought they were completely pointless efforts at trying to validate having a Blackberry by some"need" created by law school.

But... then I converted and got a Blackberry.

For me, being out at a coffee shop without WiFi and needing to check a syllabus, or get an e-mail about an event, respond to e-mails if you are on the e-board of a student organization are all valid justifications for getting a phone like a blackberry or an iPhone.

Of course you can live without it, but many of the people I work with have Blackberries, so they expect instant communication.

I probably get 2 - 3 emails a week from professors regarding class (modifications to reading assignments, notices of review sessions, answers to questions that other students have asked, changes to room assignements, amended office hours). There are also random announcements like, "XXX (really cool) speaker is coming to my Civ Pro other section. If you want to attend that section instead of your regular class please let me know." These random announcements are also generally sent via email. Emails are rarely time sensitive (i.e. if you don't get them until you get home and check email you won't die). Having email on your phone is *really* nice (as is having access to your google calendar), but you will survive without it.

Onion wrote:So I am going to buy a new phone this weekend and I was wondering how people in school felt about how necessary it is to be able to check mail on your phone. Are most professor communications through email and how often is that typically? Also how important it is to be able to open word docs on the phone?

Thanks in advance!

Anymore, most of the phones offered are able to check e-mail in one form or another (albeit, some not as easily as a blackberry, palm, i-phone, etc.). You almost have to try to opt for a no-frills phone to find one that comes without the capabilities. If you are getting a new phone anyway, just get one...it's worth it. Not necessarily just for e-mail, but I can't tell you how useful having the internet and all those resources at your fingertips constantly is.

nahgems wrote:I probably get 2 - 3 emails a week from professors regarding class (modifications to reading assignments, notices of review sessions, answers to questions that other students have asked, changes to room assignements, amended office hours). There are also random announcements like, "XXX (really cool) speaker is coming to my Civ Pro other section. If you want to attend that section instead of your regular class please let me know." These random announcements are also generally sent via email. Emails are rarely time sensitive (i.e. if you don't get them until you get home and check email you won't die). Having email on your phone is *really* nice (as is having access to your google calendar), but you will survive without it.

You can link your phone to Google calendar?!?!?!?!!? That is amazing, what type of phone/ how do I do this?

Onion wrote:

nahgems wrote:I probably get 2 - 3 emails a week from professors regarding class (modifications to reading assignments, notices of review sessions, answers to questions that other students have asked, changes to room assignements, amended office hours). There are also random announcements like, "XXX (really cool) speaker is coming to my Civ Pro other section. If you want to attend that section instead of your regular class please let me know." These random announcements are also generally sent via email. Emails are rarely time sensitive (i.e. if you don't get them until you get home and check email you won't die). Having email on your phone is *really* nice (as is having access to your google calendar), but you will survive without it.

You can link your phone to Google calendar?!?!?!?!!? That is amazing, what type of phone/ how do I do this?

Droid does.

nahgems wrote:

Onion wrote:

nahgems wrote:I probably get 2 - 3 emails a week from professors regarding class (modifications to reading assignments, notices of review sessions, answers to questions that other students have asked, changes to room assignements, amended office hours). There are also random announcements like, "XXX (really cool) speaker is coming to my Civ Pro other section. If you want to attend that section instead of your regular class please let me know." These random announcements are also generally sent via email. Emails are rarely time sensitive (i.e. if you don't get them until you get home and check email you won't die). Having email on your phone is *really* nice (as is having access to your google calendar), but you will survive without it.

You can link your phone to Google calendar?!?!?!?!!? That is amazing, what type of phone/ how do I do this?

Droid does.

LOL.

Edit: OP, check Google Sync. A lot of different phones/platforms are supported for syncing your online calendar.

I think getting emails right away, instead of having to wait until I am around a computer is great. Although it was strange getting my LSAT score sent to my phone. I recently converted to a Blackberry Curve 8500, and I think its pretty awesome!

toolshed wrote:

nahgems wrote:

Onion wrote:

nahgems wrote:I probably get 2 - 3 emails a week from professors regarding class (modifications to reading assignments, notices of review sessions, answers to questions that other students have asked, changes to room assignements, amended office hours). There are also random announcements like, "XXX (really cool) speaker is coming to my Civ Pro other section. If you want to attend that section instead of your regular class please let me know." These random announcements are also generally sent via email. Emails are rarely time sensitive (i.e. if you don't get them until you get home and check email you won't die). Having email on your phone is *really* nice (as is having access to your google calendar), but you will survive without it.

You can link your phone to Google calendar?!?!?!?!!? That is amazing, what type of phone/ how do I do this?

Droid does.

LOL.

Edit: OP, check Google Sync. A lot of different phones/platforms are supported for syncing your online calendar.

Getting the blackberry tour tomorrow, wow my Google cal on my phone, this is going to be AWESOME!!!! I am pumped, I may just have to give off one of my Jersey fist pumps!

I am interested in this as well. I am one of the people trying to justify dropping a couple hundred on a bberry just before law school, but if people who use the droid (for example) think its better, than I may change to droid. Alternatively, if people don't think it helps, i may just go with cheapest. Any thoughts from people currently at school?

Get an iPhone unless you plan on doing tons of emails.

It's a better all-around device.