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Electronics in the Classroom: Supplementing Studies or Sidetracking Students?

Electronics in the Classroom: Supplementing Studies or Sidetracking Students?
11/10/2011
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Angela Andaloro

I always have about 150 things on my mind and like any other college student, I’d kill for some extra time in the day so that I could get things done the way I’d like to. Unfortunately, that can’t really happen but some students are improvising by bringing tablets and laptops with them to class. While it might work for some people to take notes, search the web and tweet at the same time, it doesn’t work for me.

Despite my best intentions, I get easily distracted. If I really want to focus on something, I try to isolate myself as much as possible. This is the reason why I don’t bring my laptop to class because I’d end up using that time to write papers, go on Facebook or check my email. I consider myself an excellent multitasker but I know for a fact that once I have my laptop in front of me, I’ll start trying to tackle my to-do list instead of paying attention to what my professors have to say. If the person sitting in front of me has a laptop and I see them watching a video or playing a game, I get so mesmerized that I stop paying attention!

That’s not to say there isn’t a benefit to having electronics in the classroom. Technology has been wonderful to college students over the past decade: It makes it easier to take notes, look up information regarding what the professor is discussing, remember assignments and manage time. It really comes in handy regarding the hustle and bustle of college life but I’m just not sure of its presence in the classroom.

As I see it, using electronics in the classroom should be a personal decision, not one a professor mandates in their syllabus. Some people genuinely function better with their laptops in tow while others (like me) might not be able to handle the sensory overload. Part of being a responsible college student is making those decisions for yourself – what’s your choice?

Angela Andaloro is a junior at Pace University’s New York City campus, where she is double majoring in communication studies and English. Like most things in New York City, her life and college experience is far from typical – she commutes to school from her home in Flushing and took nearly a semester’s worth of classes online – but she still likes to hang out with friends, go to parties and feed her social networking addiction like your “average” college student.

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