by someone somebody » Apr 27, 2004 @ 5:59am
I am a high school freshman, and I use my PPC a lot at school (I take it every day). Tasks is for assignments (the usual), Calendar (usual again). But the real great things are:
- My school has completely unprotected WiFi covering about half the campus (I can use my PPC to access my account on the school servers, which is a WAY better method of file transfer from home to school and vice versa then a floppy disk or Geocities (evil foul Geocities, yes, shame on me, but it's good enough for remote backups of small files)) and I can surf the web in class (now to deal with the annoying card giving me away...).
- I use the PPC as music player (one less item for me to lose, and you can't use an iPod as a flashlight, now can you!)
- I use it to kill time (namely games, etc.).
Some tips for using your PPC at school:
- Protect it. It's your baby. Screen protectors (protect your screen from scratches but not cracks) and a hard case (or a soft case with a hard panel over the screen, just something to prevent cracks) are essentials. ALWAYS turn the screen towards your body, the aluminum or plastic on the back of the unit is much stronger than a glass panel. I broke one PPC screen a while ago by bumping against the corner of a desk with the PPC screen facing out, you can imagine how pissed I was.
- Don't lose it. Form a habit of ALWAYS putting your PPC back in its case and the case in your pocket. Personally, I have a belt case for my iPAQ h2215, so I have a habit where whenever I'm done with my PPC, I always put it back in the same way (screen towards body). Do not leave it lying around. It should always be preferably on your person at all times, or in a locked locker. These things are valuable, and someone might steal it to piss you off or sell the thing on eBay (hey, you never know).
- Using it in class. Some teachers care, some don't. You'll know who those teachers are. Some teachers are nervous about being recorded in class, so ask first just to be safe. Do not be conspicuous while playing games (as in turn the sound off, stupid!) and don't pretend the teacher's lecture is show-and-tell time, it really pisses off your fellow students. At my school, using calulators (TI-83+) for games, using music players, and using mobile gaming consoles (GBA), and cellphones are prohibited during the day. These rules might apply to those functions of your PPC (of course nobody bans you from using an old planner during school, so you can do that relatively risk-free). The moral: don't get caught doing anything naughty (made all the easier by the fact that absolutely nobody cares).
- Taking notes in class (subcategory of "Using it in class."). Some people make the investment towards buying a keyboard to take notes on in class. Personally, I find it just as easy to take the notes on a piece of paper, really because the only classes I take notes in need diagrams (Science, really), and drawing a detailed diagram on a PPC is a pain. But just taking your good ol' bullet notes is easier for some (which may include YOU) on a PPC. If you've ever thought of bringing a laptop to class to take notes on, but decided against it because of portability and possible damage concerns, then a keyboard is a good investment (don't worry about damage, PPCs are more durable than latops, and most keyboards have hard cases built in).
- Fooling around. Playing games is easy, just be sure the game has a pause function, so you can look up to pretend to be interested every once in a while. Playing music in class, well, the headphones are a giveaway. Surfing the web, only if you have built-in WiFi, otherwise the card gives you away. Furious tapping on your keys while you hold the PPC like a game controller is not the best way to deceive teachers.
- If you are planning on using a lot of power, and I mean a LOT (think having WiFi on for a few class periods and using the PPC all day to take notes, while using it during free periods to play games, and while in transit, be it bus or car, to play music, will suck the life out of most batteries), then consider buying a power adapter for school (cheaper but more annoying) or a spare battery (more expensive but less annoying).
PPC's and School
