Grad. School Supplies?

[CBclone]

Just bought a Chromebook, should be here by Friday! I'm excited and hoping it will alleviate some time management stressors and allow me to be more efficient and effective when doing readings and taking notes, both in class and in lecture. 

 

 

[hellozoe]

I've always used the moleskine weekly notebook; comes in 3 sizes, hard or soft bound, and variety of colors. http://www.moleskine.com/us/collections/model/product/12-months-weekly-notebook-black-soft-cover-largewholesale clubwear cheap

 

You can get them via calendar year (Jan-Dec) or 18 month. I really like the large size; but all size are laid out with the calendar (Monday-Sunday) on the left side, while the right side is a simple ruled page (where I keep my to-do list, track other things). I converted from large to pocket size when I wasn't going to school and had less things to track, but will go back to the large size for school use. Also, the binding/cover is very durable; I throw it around in my purse/backpack, and it still stays pristine. I also imagine that if I forget to bring my research notebook or something for a meeting with professor/advisor, I can always take out this notebook to take quick notes (it has extra pages at the back of the book) and still look presentable. 

I like the stuff...

[Monochrome Spring]

I have recently started making my own sort of planner. I take a large grid notebook (Moleskine specifically). I divide the left page into a weekly calendar, and I only put things down that occur on that day or must be completed on that day. Then I use the right page as a running task list for things that don't have a set day to be completed. I also use the right page to write down expenses and short meeting notes. It's been working really well for me.

[brown_eyed_girl]

I have to say an iPad + keyboard-case has been an invaluable grad school supply for me so far, both as an e-reader for managing all my PDFs (I use the Goodreader app) and for the functionality of a full keyboard for writing notes and papers. Soooo much lighter/smaller than my MacBook Pro = I don't think twice about bringing it out with me. Highly recommend to anyone on the fence (as I was before this semester, never having owned an iPad before). 

[rhombusbombus]

gonna just bump this up

My parents have gifted me a surface pro 4. has anyone used these before?
 

[TonyaB]

On 1/25/2016 at 8:48 PM, rhombusbombus said:

gonna just bump this up

My parents have gifted me a surface pro 4. has anyone used these before?
 

I have one, its' pretty dope. WIsh I had this in grad school to take notes! This along with the livescribe pen makes taking notes very easy. 

[ihatechoosingusernames]

On February 11, 2016 at 4:19 PM, TonyaB said:

I have one, its' pretty dope. WIsh I had this in grad school to take notes! This along with the livescribe pen makes taking notes very easy. 

Do you handwrite on the Surface using the pen? I also read somewhere that you can record audio for your notes using the surface tablet similar to how the livescribe pen records notes. Do you use this function at all, and if so, do you like it?

I noticed quite a few current students at the preview weekend using a Surface tablet. I like taking notes by hand, but it sure would be nice to have them already on an electronic device!

[TonyaB]

On 2/15/2016 at 2:17 PM, ihatechoosingusernames said:

Do you handwrite on the Surface using the pen? I also read somewhere that you can record audio for your notes using the surface tablet similar to how the livescribe pen records notes. Do you use this function at all, and if so, do you like it?

I noticed quite a few current students at the preview weekend using a Surface tablet. I like taking notes by hand, but it sure would be nice to have them already on an electronic device!

yes handwrite with a pen. its nice being able to write the notes and then have them transcribed by the app later

[fencergirl]

So I have a rather large-ish laptop, 15.6 inches and about 5.5 pounds. Not a total monster but I carry it everyday now and it's pretty heavy for me. I am thinking about getting something like the Asus Chromebook Flip (combo of touch screen tablet and notebook computer) for bringing to school when I need to do basic research and word processing, and keep the bigger laptop at home as basically a desktop. 

Does anyone have any experience with the Asus Chromebook or similar Chromebooks like the Acer one? I like the idea of a very small, light computer that still has a full keyboard. I'm not usually a power-user and just need something for reading PDFs, surfing the web, and word-processing. I have heard that the touch-features are kind of glitchy on the Asus though... I do also have a Nexus 7 (the original) which I use to watch videos but I've never found it convenient for typing so mainly use it for entertainment when traveling. I'm trying to decide if something like the Chromebook would really be useful or not.

[drivingthoughts]

@fencergirl I'm in the same boat, will be commuting to school every day in the fall (as opposed to now, where it's across the street). I'm considering something like the Asus Chromebook Flip just because it's so much cheaper than replacing my ancient iPad. I have had several friends who use the little chromebooks in school and love them - the only folk I know who don't like them, bought them thinking that they would actually replace a laptop. Since I record all of my research in Evernote anyway, I don't see any kind of a problem using a Chromebook for libraries and note-taking, since it will automatically sync with my hefty macbook pro. 

[fencergirl]

@drivingthoughts Yeah I'm thinking about going for it... Will wait until I'm back in the US and can look at them in person and maybe there will be newer models by then (or current models will get cheaper). They seem pretty practical all things considered. Seems like they are also Mendeley compatible. Dunno if the word processing software will be able to incorporate Mendeley citations though? 

[rising_star]

@fencergirl, I have a Chromebook (11", I think) as a second computer. I love it for its portability, surfing the web at home, etc. It's definitely not a laptop replacement, though it would be more useful to me at times if it had a bigger screen. It's so easy to just throw in my bag though, which is why I bought it. With a 15", I'd be a bit concerned about the weight.

[CBclone]

I have the Toshiba Chromebook 2, and it fulfills it's purpose but I don't use it a whole lot. It was only like $250 or $300, I can't recall exactly, but no more than $300. Granted it's not a tablet-type like you're looking for, but the Chromebook functionality is the same. I mainly use it for checking e-mail or browsing during ten-minute downtime periods, or for editing docs when I'm away from work or home and no access to a computer lab. I typically open files in the "Drive Office Editor" app that pulls a file from Google Drive, send it to One Drive (which my school's account is linked to), edit, then have the app send it back to Google Drive. I usually also save to a flashdrive for backup. I like editing in One Drive more than Google Docs b/c it's a Microsoft platform and almost full Word/Excel functionality. 

I went with this instead of a Mac laptop b/c I already have an iMac at home and just need something basic, cheap, and portable. If I continue on to a PhD after my MS, I'll probably buy a more capable laptop like a Macbook Pro or Air.

[A blighted one]

@fencergirl I have a Samsung Chromebook and it's awesome! It can do pretty much everything I need it to for school (I'm in the humanities though, other areas might need something a bit more functional) and it's super lightweight and easy to bring anywhere! It was also very affordable (I got mine for $179, but it was on sale. I think it's usually closer to $275 ish). I highly recommend it!

That said, I also have another laptop that I keep at home for when I need more functionality or a bigger screen.

Edited March 5, 2016 by A blighted one

[fencergirl]

On 3/4/2016 at 1:54 AM, rising_star said:

@fencergirl, I have a Chromebook (11", I think) as a second computer. I love it for its portability, surfing the web at home, etc. It's definitely not a laptop replacement, though it would be more useful to me at times if it had a bigger screen. It's so easy to just throw in my bag though, which is why I bought it. With a 15", I'd be a bit concerned about the weight.

Yeah mine is 15.6 inches which is already on the large side for finding bags to fit it in etc. I carry it to work everyday now (but have a car) and it is manageable but very bulky and I am clumsy so I often accidently hit it against desks/door frames/etc while carrying it which I worry will damage the computer. So I feel like a Chromebook for when I am on campus and the bigger laptop at home might be a good solution! Now just have to figure out which chromebook. I'd like to keep the cost around $200 I think. I don't care too much about the touch screen part but would like a decent keyboard. 

Thanks for letting me know about your experiences, @rising_star , @A blighted one and @CBclone!

[Neist]

I thought I'd offer another bit of praise for Chromebooks. I've used mine for nearly three years and love it. Even though it was only a few hundred dollars, it still works perfectly. I love mine so much that I've considered getting a Pixel and using it as my primary computer. 

I do almost everything on the cloud now. Reference management. PDF markup. Music storage. Everything.

If anyone wants some feedback from a long time user, feel free to send me a pm.

[lab ratta-tat-tat]

Graduate school supplies-

 

Dropbox cloud storage is totally worth it

Photoshop/adobe illustrator

Papers-citation and paper reading program is amazing

Pear note is an app you can get for about $10 for your phone but the computer program is about $40- the program allows you to record lectures and type in the program notes and import handouts from the lecture. You can even select the exact part in the lecture you want to start listening to by selecting in the text.

Make sure you get the appropriate adaptor for your laptop so you can give presentations without having to fuck around with the wrong adaptor.

Get a laser pointer with a slide advancer 

lastly get an external hard drive.

 

As for clothes- Be comfortable. All the graduate students  (men and women of all ages)I know where jeans every day (sometimes colored jeans).  Only pretentious people who are over compensating where suits or over dress in the biomedical sciences field. 

 

[rhombusbombus]

Can ya'll recommend a citation application? I've been hearing Mendeley and Papers are nice, but I have no idea which would be best for me/ pricewise.

Also, MATTRESSES! I kind of want to save up and get a nice quality mattress for grad school. One that will keep me well-rested and hold all of my impending tears

[Neist]

54 minutes ago, rhombusbombus said:

Can ya'll recommend a citation application? I've been hearing Mendeley and Papers are nice, but I have no idea which would be best for me/ pricewise.

Also, MATTRESSES! I kind of want to save up and get a nice quality mattress for grad school. One that will keep me well-rested and hold all of my impending tears

Have you considered a Casper matress? I have no idea if they are any good, but I listen to enough podcasts that their ads have me brainwashed.  

Also, you're talking reference management software? I really like Paperpile. It's cheap, and it's cloud base, so it can be accessed from any computer without added software. But a lot of people I know use Zotero and love it just fine. I don't know anyone who uses Mendeley or Papers, but then again, I'm not in the sciences either. Maybe other programs are more common?

Edited March 16, 2016 by Neist

[rhombusbombus]

@Neist Yeah. The Purple Mattress has me kind of brainwashed. It's that 100 day try out period!

[ihatechoosingusernames]

14 hours ago, rhombusbombus said:

@Neist Yeah. The Purple Mattress has me kind of brainwashed. It's that 100 day try out period!

I'm planning on getting a Purple Mattress too! It seems so easy to get it delivered to my new apartment, and the online reviews are fantastic. 

[savay]

I've never heard of the Purple mattress! Thanks for the rec. I had a friend that got a tuft & needle (similar to casper) and really liked it.

@rhombusbombus In terms of citation managers, I'd check with your university (probably the library) -- a lot of them have licenses for student use (probably zotero, seems to be popular with universities), so you may not need to pay for one out of pocket. 

Knowing that I'll be soon within a grad student budget, I've been focusing so much on buying products that last and are high quality -- I've become very thorough in my perusal of wirecutter/other niche site reviews. I just discovered carryology last week and all of the buy-it-for-life type sites, does anyone have any other sites that they use for trusted reviews?

[rhombusbombus]

@savay I'll definitely check those sites out!

Anyone have bike recommendations? The place I'm likely to live is only a 15 minute bike ride from my lab. I'd be a fool to drive everyday.

Edited March 17, 2016 by rhombusbombus

[jillcicle]

1 hour ago, rhombusbombus said:

@savay I'll definitely check those sites out!

Anyone have bike recommendations? The place I'm likely to live is only a 15 minute bike ride from my lab. I'd be a fool to drive everyday.

I think "hybrid" style bikes are the absolute best option. They're light and move fast, like a road bike, but tend to have a little bit of suspension and added comfort in seat, handles, etc - and you can sit upright. They're targeted at bike commuters. I had a Specialized Ariel (until it got stolen) and it was absolutely perfect. There are other brands that make something similar. Also key - let someone at a bike shop fit you to the frame. If it's the wrong size, your wrists and legs will kill you.

[rhombusbombus]

7 hours ago, ihatechoosingusernames said:

I'm planning on getting a Purple Mattress too! It seems so easy to get it delivered to my new apartment, and the online reviews are fantastic. 

With the purple mattress, sleepopolis has a coupon to get a free seat cushion when you order! 

http://sleepopolis-mattress-reviews.com/discounts/