I’m going to university in the fall, and am going to buy a computer for in my res room. Can anyone from experience tell me if it’s better to get a laptop or a desktop computer? thanks!!
Also, for anyone who happens to live in Ontario (yeah right) which is the best university of these three: Windsor, Brock or Ryerson? I’ve been accepted to all three and am looking for other opinions on those three.
One downside to laptops at universities is that they’re easy for people to steal. I never leave mine alone, and hit it in my res room when I wasn’t there (usually someone will end up with a master key, eventually).
On the plus side, if you end up sharing a residence room with someone, it can be awfully nice to get away and work somewhere else. I’ve completed a lot of assignments in coffee shops.
I’m not a real big fan of the city of Windsor. Too industrial for my tastes. That being said, I now live just north of Kitchener.
I would recommend going to all the campus tours if you can make them. You really have no idea what you’re going to like without seeing the place first hand – it’s worth the effort.
I would have to say that a laptop is best for a university situation. You are able to take it anwhere, and especially if you go home for a vacation or even for a weekend it is easy to take your work with you. I do not have a laptop but I regret that decision now, so IMHO I would have to say LAPTOP:)
Yeah the Maclean’s issue is good, I have it. I was just looking for some student opinion, since it is something that Macleans doesn’t cover all that well heheh.
So far I’ve been leaning to Windsor or Brock. I’m going into business, and Windsor has what I think is a good business school, and they have good athletic facilities and some watersports I’d really love to do like sailing and kayaking. They also have int’l exchange which would be awesome to do!
But I dunno what I want to do anyway, so I just took business so I’d have more options? sound like a good plan to you?
Anyway I think I am leaning to the laptop idea as well… being able to take it home even for short trips home, and out to the coffeeshop sounds good.
EDIT: I was thinking going to a university in a downtown core like Ryerson wouldn’t be that great, I mean it’s cool to be able to walk anywhere, but it’s kind of claustrophobic. A little more space would be nice
To answer the OP: I got a desktop, but if I had to do it again, I’d go with a laptop. I’d much prefer the flexibility that comes with one – you can take it anywhere to do work or study offline, there are frequently ethernet jacks in libraries (and other places), and it’s a lot easier to bring home for the weekend. Theft is definitely an issue, so do be careful – don’t put it down in public, etc. It shouldn’t be too expensive to buy a chain that you can bolt to the desk in your res room to which you can attach your laptop when you want to leave it in your room.
You’re going into business? Did you apply to Queen’s, U. of T., or Western? I don’t mean to embarass you if you didn’t get accepted, but those are the first three schools I think of (in that order) for business programs in Ontario.
I visited Windsor, and was distinctly unimpressed. Everything I’ve heard since then confirms my initial impressions. I don’t know a lot about Brock or Ryerson, but I hear better things about Brock. That’s not terribly helpful, and I apologize, so I’ll second what others have said – go visit!
Queens Once Queens Twice Holey Jumpin (yadda yadda).
That’s where I went to. Sci02! Only Engineering class to ever have to change their year song (it was pretty bad tho’)
I won’t give you a school recommendation until you tell us what you’re studying
Seriously, going to Ryerson may be great if you want a technical job as a TV cameraman, but if your major is pre-med, well then you’re picking the wrong school…
Bah! That issue’s just an extended PR exercise ghost-written and -researched by each university’s public relations department. Nobody from Maclean’s ever actually goes to the schools they rate (aside from the reporter who visits students pre-selected by the campus administration to provide “colour”). And a significant portion of the marks given to the schools include: a) a willingness to participate; and b) the opinions of business leaders. Do you really think that what CEOs think of your university is going to affect your education?
QUEENS or MCMASTER would have been good but i would choose ryerson…brock is kinda blah and i live in windsor and trust me i got friends who had high 60’s averages entering windsor and sucessful in doing so…lol and buy a laoptop, easier to carry around to class, etc, especially if you will be moving. and some clases require laptops/