Is an iPad Really Worth It for Students?

As a student, you might’ve noticed the sudden surge of your peers using iPads for school and wondered why.

Tablets have been around for a long time, with the first introduced in the early 2000s. However, it was mainly an option for those who just preferred a bigger screen to play games, watch shows, etc.

Ever since the onset of Home-Based Learning (HBL) due to the COVID-19 pandemic, tablets have now evolved to become an indispensable learning tool for many. A particular one that has risen to popularity is the iPad.

Although iPads have had their older versions since 2010, their newer versions are recognised to be optimal for HBL. 

Many students own an iPad nowadays despite its high price. Let’s take a look at why this is so.

Pros

1. Go paperless

In the past, students were often lugging bulky and heavy schoolbags filled with textbooks, notebooks, piles of notes etc. It is a physical burden to carry which could not only be damaging to the spine but also a put-off for all students going to school.

If you have an iPad, you can store all your notes on your iPad and not have to waste paper and ink to print them. Printing would be especially troublesome if you are in higher education where you have plenty of notes.

With iPads, you can sort your notes in folders and even look for a word where it appears across all your notes, saving the hassle of having to look through all your physical notes to find the portion that you need.

As we all know, textbooks are the ones that are really heavy and now, students can access digital textbooks. With Apple Pencil as an accessory, taking notes and annotating on the iPad has become very easy too.

In the event of HBL where you have to submit your work online, you can just write directly on the iPad and submit it from there, without a need to scan your papers before submitting them.

2. Save on stationery

If you’re the type who needs your notes colourful and organised with headings, sub-headings, etc., an iPad can give you access to all the digital stationery that you’ll ever need. This is because of the wide range of colours that you can choose from the colour picker and even adjust the thickness of the pen, brush, highlighter, etc.

This will not only prevent you from losing your stationery here and there, but it is also environmentally friendly since you are not relying on ink and do not have to buy new stationery every time you need a refill.

No more smudging of ink on your papers — and you also won’t need correction tape/fluid since you can just undo your mistakes!

3. It’s much neater

Though some may say that they find it more difficult to control their handwriting on an iPad, others have mentioned that writing on an iPad is neater for them. To each your own — you can try out the iPad with an Apple pencil at the stores to see if it works for you!

In addition, the iPad cleverly perfects the lines that you’re trying to make, such as circles, straight lines or highlights. Great for those with shaky hands!

4. Camera

The small camera at the back of an iPad allows you to take photos of your papers, whiteboard, etc. This is in comparison to having a laptop whereby you will have to take a picture with your phone before transferring it to your laptop.

Cons

1. It cannot completely replace a laptop

An iPad is probably not compatible with certain software that your laptop or desktop would be able to support.

Many have cited that an iPad is great as a learning aid but it is not able to be relied on completely for what a laptop can support. This would depend on the course that you’re studying.

For example, if you need to do video editing, an iPad is probably not the most compatible device for you. However, if you’re a science student who has to rely a lot on notes, an iPad could be very useful.

2. High price

Needless to mention, the biggest consideration that you might have about buying an iPad is the price. A normal iPad costs $499 while an iPad Pro costs $1,199.

Although some schools have begun to provide their students with iPads to help them with their learning, it has not been implemented in all schools.

Not all parents are able to fork out this amount of money for their children, nor can students easily afford these when they’re still studying either.

However, some have claimed that an iPad is worth the price with the amount that they have saved from not having to print notes, buy assessment books or stationery.

Conclusion

Many students have been in a dilemma of whether they should spend a bomb to get an iPad, although it does seem like it has a lot of functions that can make learning, especially during HBL, much more convenient and effective. 

If you are considering getting an iPad, research the different types of iPads and decide which type of iPad would suit you best in terms of the course of your studies.

After reading about the pros and cons of the iPad, what do you think? Do you think getting an iPad is really worth it? Let us know in the comments below!