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Higher education

Talk to other parents whose children are preparing for university on our Higher Education forum.

Original poster

Printer needed at university?

28 replies

Squirrelface · 20/09/2012 10:43

Asked this one in Chat but no response so trying here - daughter's off to university this weekend, and wants to take her own printer. DP seems to think this is OTT (she'll be in hall on campus). Do students generally have their own printer, or do they use some sort of central printing facility? (She's going to Bath).

OP posts:
numptymark1 · 20/09/2012 10:45

all the students I know have a laptop and take a USB to the library to print

the rooms are not massive and printers take up lots of space

Lilymaid · 20/09/2012 10:47

Mine both had their own printers, but I'd agree that they use up a lot of space and that university library (and other places) all have printers you can use relatively cheaply.

Sympathique · 20/09/2012 10:57

Universities probably differ. Both daughters (not Bath) took theirs; friends without would ask to use sometimes. The print room could be a long way off, or they were in a hurry. A lot of what they did was emailed so the need to print was not as great as for school. Space vs convenience. (Her decision, she's a grown up now?! Can be hard for Dad's to take in - though if he packs the car I guess that gives him a vote)

larry5 · 20/09/2012 11:20

Dd has taken her printer with her for the last 2 years and will take it this year. Although you can use the printers in the library there is often a queue and unless your dd is very organised with her work she will probably need a printer at the same time as everyone else.

It is also much easier when it is pouring with rain - it does rain quite a lot in Bath - to have a printer of your own.

twolittlemonkeys · 20/09/2012 11:51

If she has space and can get a cheapish one, then I'd say the convenience is worth it, to not have to trek across campus to print stuff out. But then again, it depends how often she has to print out assignments - in the worst case scenario, staff would be accept work on a USB stick (or when I was at uni a floppy disk!)

sashh · 20/09/2012 11:55

The library will charge per page for printing and when it is the end of term/semmester and assignments in there will be a queue.

Appart from the rain that larry mentioned there is walking to the library at 3am (if it is open 24 hours) to print out an assignment to be handed in at 9am. I don't know how far the library is from your daughter's accomodation or what the area is like but I agree she is better off with her own printer - it can be put under a bed until assignment time.

AbbyRue · 20/09/2012 12:09

It would be great to have one but to be honest not a necessity. My uni has loads of printers all over the library and even if you had to wait in a queue, it would be less than 5 mins!

happystory · 20/09/2012 12:09

Ds in 3rd year and has never had a printer. He'd use it till the cartridges ran out then wouldn't bother to replace them Grin

Lots of work is emailed in, or what others have said, printed in uni.

goinggetstough · 20/09/2012 14:30

Both mine have got a printer. Printers aren't too expensive but do check because some of the cheapest printers seem to have the most expensive ink cartridges. PC world usually do very good deals at this time of year. My DCs have a got a printer with a photocopying option which they find very useful. Their printers live under their desks. One has a wireless printer and this is probably the best option as then it can be anywhere in their rooms and still work.

IShallWearMidnight · 20/09/2012 14:33

DD1 (at Bath) got a printer for Christmas in her first year. It wasn't vital, but came in handy when she couldn't be bothered to get dressed and walk to the library (she was the furthest away from the library she could be and still be on campus in her defence Wink).

IShallWearMidnight · 20/09/2012 14:34

I think it's proved most useful for scanning things rather than printing things though. Like other people's notes etc.

2beornot · 20/09/2012 14:38

Bath campus is so small there really is no need on year one unless she's the type to leave assignments to last minute in which case there will be a massive queue!

CherryLip · 20/09/2012 16:25

DD is just about to start in her 2nd year at Bath and says ' yes as it costs a fair bit to print in the library and much more convenient to have your own, especially when there are deadlines to be met'.

webwiz · 20/09/2012 16:53

It depends what course she's doing - DD2 is just about to start her 2nd year at Bath and there was very little need for printing (she's doing Maths). If its an assignment heavy course it might be worth it.

Original poster
Squirrelface · 20/09/2012 21:35

Thank you for your replies everyone. She is studying Maths too webwiz so probably not essential, but I was so horrified by the picture sashh conjured up of her wandering across the campus alone at 3.00am, USB key in hand, that we're now researching a basic one for her.

OP posts:
LaFataTurchina · 20/09/2012 21:44

Take the printer!

There is no stress like having a library that doesn't open til 8.30 and is then rammed with a million people trying to print and bind stuff for 9am deadlines (am not at Bath, but the point still applies - whenever you really need a printer there will be no spare computers/you'll have no pound coins for printer credit).

I have stuff due in atm. I know.

IShallWearMidnight · 20/09/2012 21:57

you could investigate printers, then she can decide in a month or so if she actually needs it, and then get one then. DD1 took till Christmas to decide that while not really necessary for Maths, it would be quite handy, so she got hers from Santa Wink.

DD really loves Bath btw, and the majority of the course. The city itself is just gorgeous, although expensive.

webwiz · 20/09/2012 22:02

Bath's library is open 24 hours a day but there is very little to print out for Maths. Problem sheets are done by hand and there are about two bits of coursework for the whole year - a statistics one and a programming one. I think DD2 did the on the programming one on maths department computers as they have the relevant software on them and you just print it off there and then. No 3.00am dashes across the campus needed!

Milliways · 20/09/2012 22:03

We got a bargain printer n PC world for DD (the weekend before she went!) and it was a great decision. Make sure you get one with cheap refills available though as some cheap printers only take more expensive inks.

She graduated this year and the printer is still going strong! DH had thought it might only last a year.

webwiz · 20/09/2012 22:05

What do you mean "the majority of the course" Ishall ? Smile DD2 hates anything to do with "Matlab" with a passion!

IShallWearMidnight · 20/09/2012 22:08

snap webwiz - DD is planning a quantum physics module in order to avoid the progamming - as apparently it will be "easier". But she's switched to the MMath as that gives more flexibility apparently (and means she doesn't need to sort out a placement year)

IShallWearMidnight · 20/09/2012 22:10

Squirrelface - Dd tells me that the campus is one of the safest in the country, so even if she does have 3am wanderings, she'll be OK!

webwiz · 20/09/2012 22:19

I'm sure the campus is really safe because nobody would bother to trail up that giant hill unless they had to!

Original poster
Squirrelface · 20/09/2012 22:21

Thank you for the reassurance - I'm think I'm suffering from separation anxiety!

OP posts:
IShallWearMidnight · 20/09/2012 22:22

Have PMed you

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