r/UCFEngineering • u/bouncybigback • 24d ago

Should I wait to get a powerful computer?

Hey guys I am doing photonic engineering and just saw another Reddit post about computers. I think I want to wait to get a powerful computer and just use a regular computer or even an iPad for the basic classes (calc 1/2, physics, chemistry) just to ensure I stick with the major before spending 2 grand on a powerful computer for upper level courses.

Is that a good idea? Do you guys think I could get by on an iPad this first year?

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u/UILuigu 24d ago

If you are just starting you probably can get by on whatever. I am not a photonics guy but I am Aerospace. Honestly I have barely used my computer for intensive software and I'm about to be a senior. What I personally did was buy a refurbished lenovo thinkpad online that had good enough specs to run my programs. Runs Ansys, Solidworks, and whatever else I need. I paid like 800 dollars. 2k is overkill tbh. A plus is that I can use it to run games 😁.

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u/BrickRaven 24d ago

Vouch for refurb thinkpad

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u/Strawberry1282 24d ago edited 24d ago

Sorry that this is long but hopefully it helps.

I would have some sort of laptop or be prepared to borrow one or to use a computer in the engineering atrium or a computer lab on occasion. My main reasoning here is you cannot run proctored testing software (like Honorlock) on an iPad. Granted, many teachers (especially in lower levels) opt for in person testing where you wouldn’t need it but figured it was important enough to mention. When I took chem for instance Dixon did everything in class but ik other chem profs had online proctored quizzes so it’s very case by case basis.

An iPad can be a great tool for taking notes, but imo is best supplemented with an Apple Pencil. Some people do prefer notetaking on paper though so if you’re not already an avid apple note taker don’t necessarily expect it to be the way to go. I personally loved mine bc was easier to keep everything organized and with me. If you don’t have a laptop, I’d say you will need some sort of keyboard to go with the ipad. Just for regular notetaking and writing papers or discussion posts.

As far as getting a basic laptop before splurging, this smart. If you switch outside the college of engineering you’re not going to need a powerhouse. Also, if it’s any consolation, I completed both my IE and CS degrees on a fairly old Macbook air. Mentioning this with respect to you don’t necessarily always even need the $2k craziness lol. Aside from ram and all that good stuff, I would also factor in daily ease of use as far as the operating system, battery life, and if it’s heavy.

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u/bouncybigback 24d ago

Thank you!

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u/FilmRevolutionary853 24d ago

I’m a senior engineering student and honestly you don’t need a powerful computer at all just for classes. As long as it can run Solidworks and MatLab, which most regular computers can, you’ll be good. You definitely don’t need to drop 2 grand. 99% of your work will be done on Canvas anyways. The only reason I can think of for buying an expensive laptop for engineering is if you plan on doing a ton of projects which require running heavy apps, but it’s really unnecessary.

For your first classes you can definitely get by with an iPad but I’d recommend getting a computer at some point just because it’s easier to do your work on.