Bag for Commuting to Class?

[Blueberry]

Based on volume, I think I'm down the the Bug, the Metropolitan and maybe the Commuter (it does have a way to cover the pannier attachment system - and has a laptop sleeve).

I think I'm leaning towards the bug because of the helmet. Otherwise, it would be one of the others.

[tulip]

Check to see if you can get a study carel at the big library. When I did that, I shared a carel with another student, but never saw her. It's a locked room and I kept my books there. Worth a try.

[Crankin]

Don't they have lockers at the gym?
Many years ago, I took a fitness class at ASU and I rented a locker there, as I was getting ready for work after the class. Since this was years ago, I would guess they might have something like this now, at your school.

[Blueberry]

No gym access for part time students (at least without paying). I already have a gym membership for another year, so I'm not inclined to do that. I tried that.

I'll definitely investigate the carrel option. However, it looks like you have to have an adviser sign off. Since I don't really have a department - you guessed it - no adviser.

[tulip]

Well, with a lot of textbooks being downloadable these days, you might get away with carrying just a few items with you. If you have an iPad or a kindle or a similar device, you might not need more than just the Bug.

[Blueberry]

Ebooks are something I haven't made my mind up about.

I don't currently have a kindle or an ipad. I have contemplated getting an ipad. But - I've not tried to read extensively on one. I have no idea how it would work for me. I tried to look at a textbook at the apple store, but they couldn't get anything close for me to see. I do like not carrying heavy books or having the environmental impact from them. It seems some professors "approve" of ebooks and some don't (at least as far as the bookstore goes). I wonder how that would work in an open book exam, though (or do they do those anymore - they did in my last degree - all the time). All textbooks (but not the supplemental books) are available via Amazon for kindle.

I'm inclined to stick with regular books for the first semester, and then maybe switch over where possible.

[soprano]

Do you have a laptop? For textbooks, I think that a laptop is much better than a dedicated e-reader. You will flip around a lot more in most textbooks than you ever will in a novel, and that is easier to accomplish with a laptop. All of the e-reader formats have free apps for your computer, and a basic laptop isn't any more expensive than an iPad or Kindle DX.

The first semester you try e-books, just do one or two. I found that I prefer paper textbooks to e-books. Many of my classmates seem to get along OK with e-books. It's an individual thing.

Open book tests are definitely a problem. In a small class you might be able to work out something with the professor (I was able to do this in a class of 14 students) but it's definitely up to the professor.

Another problem with electronic textbooks is that they don't always have page numbers. Some of my professors assign reading by the page numbers. Page numbers are also an issue when it comes to academic citations.