maybe. Is your school's lab open 24/hrs? Are there so many stations that you are certain to always have one available? Do you see yourself working in that lab for 12+ hours day after day after day? Do you think you'll have an itch to post stupid questions to online forums on a whim instead of making intelligent decisions on your own?
You definitely need a laptop for architecture school, but maybe not the most powerful one in the world if you are confident you can use the school computers for intensive tasks.
There's good and bad to relying on the lab
computers -
Good: You learn to sketch out your ideas and design in your head and on paper, then implement in the computer.
Bad: You can't aimlessly noodle around with software as much, which is one of the most important ways of learning it well.
Consider a desktop if you're mostly working from one place. Some folks assemble a desktop at a price point low enough that they can afford a lightweight laptop for the non-graphics stuff.
you didn't explicitly say they are computer lab computers.... some schools do have computers directly at each student's desk. If you're talking about a computer lab, it will be pretty difficult to go through school without buying a computer. Some schools have classes in the computer lab and during those times you may not have access (worth verifying). If you are talking about a school that has computers at each student's desk (like Yale), then you're probably fine without your own computer. Unless a pandemic strikes and the school is locked.
Know this as well: Even if your school has computer labs and even if the computer lab has a render farm, around mid-terms and finals you will inevitably find many unattended computers with notes taped on the monitors that say, "Rendering..."
Apr 1, 21 6:11 pm ·
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Do I really need a laptop if the university has computers that have all the software?
.
maybe. Is your school's lab open 24/hrs? Are there so many stations that you are certain to always have one available? Do you see yourself working in that lab for 12+ hours day after day after day? Do you think you'll have an itch to post stupid questions to online forums on a whim instead of making intelligent decisions on your own?
Well that’s ruined my morning.
If that ruined your morning, may I suggest you brew yourself stronger coffee?
If you never want to engage anyone in your studio, and be stuck running back and forth between your desk and a lab, then you can eschew the laptop.
You definitely need a laptop for architecture school, but maybe not the most powerful one in the world if you are confident you can use the school computers for intensive tasks.
There's good and bad to relying on the lab
computers -
Good: You learn to sketch out your ideas and design in your head and on paper, then implement in the computer.
Bad: You can't aimlessly noodle around with software as much, which is one of the most important ways of learning it well.
Consider a desktop if you're mostly working from one place. Some folks assemble a desktop at a price point low enough that they can afford a lightweight laptop for the non-graphics stuff.
you could also just buy a desktop and still be at a better price point than a laptop with similar specs.
Good luck sourcing quality desktop GPUs at this time tho.
^at a reasonable price.
That's why i'm saying just buy a machine.
you can usually check out laptops from the school library
having a laptop during this pandemic gives you the freedom to work either from your kitchen counter, couch, bed or even toilet...#nobrainer
you didn't explicitly say they are computer lab computers.... some schools do have computers directly at each student's desk. If you're talking about a computer lab, it will be pretty difficult to go through school without buying a computer. Some schools have classes in the computer lab and during those times you may not have access (worth verifying). If you are talking about a school that has computers at each student's desk (like Yale), then you're probably fine without your own computer. Unless a pandemic strikes and the school is locked.
Know this as well: Even if your school has computer labs and even if the computer lab has a render farm, around mid-terms and finals you will inevitably find many unattended computers with notes taped on the monitors that say, "Rendering..."
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