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Higher education

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

Original poster

Do most students take a printer to uni?

68 replies

Katiecan · 27/02/2023 13:33

DS1 wants me to buy him a printer for uni. Have any of your DC taken a printer to uni with them? Is it the norm? DS says going to the library to print is a faff and works out quite pricey. Any recommendations for a cheap printer please?

OP posts:
QuietlyConfident · 27/02/2023 13:34

Unusual I'd think. What would they ever need to print out? Everything is submitted online.

TangoBrava · 27/02/2023 13:35

For Uni halls? It's utterly unnecessary as they tend to have some for using. For private halls or second year onwards in a shared house, it's possibly useful depending on subject and how far away the department/library is, but also mostly unnecessary.

My daughter does medicine. She's not needed to print anything out so far 🤷🏻‍♀️ Everything is online for her.

Snozzlemaid · 27/02/2023 13:38

Don't think my dd has touched a piece of paper since being at uni.
Everything is online so unless you're specifically told you will need to print lots for the course I wouldn't buy one.

Comefromaway · 27/02/2023 13:39

Dd asked for one for Christmas. She was studying performing arts and was having to print out sheet music etc.

TheAdmiralAndFishermanFavorEntirelyDifferentPies · 27/02/2023 13:40

DS was given one as part of his DSA. It's still in the box unopened.

familyissues12345 · 27/02/2023 13:40

I don't think my DS has had anything to do with printing/paper of any type since he arrived at Uni last year. He does everything online and sends assignments to his lecturers

SandyIrvin · 27/02/2023 13:40

My DD uses a printer to print out posters/fliers for events (nothing academic though)

AllIwantforChristmas22 · 27/02/2023 13:41

Why would he need a printer?

Shinyandnew1 · 27/02/2023 13:41

Neither of mine have used a printer since starting sixth form-everything is online and even more so once you get to university!

doadeer · 27/02/2023 13:42

I hardly printed anything and this was over ten years ago. My brother is at uni and everything is digital

iPreferBooks · 27/02/2023 13:43

DSA students usually get printers but I already had a printer before I got my needs assessment. I don't use my printer that often unless I'm printing off lab books.

If you do get a printer make sure you get one with a USB wire from printer to laptop/computer option, because many printers connect to WiFi nowadays so that might not work with halls WiFi.

prettybird · 27/02/2023 13:44

Ds got a "free" (and actually quite decent) printer with his laptop from Curries, which he didn't use much but did find useful to have.

That was nearly 4.5 years ago though.

He actually liked writing his notes (both lecture and revision) by hand though - used to buy Red'n'Black spiral bound notebooks (and requested them as Christmas/birthday presents).

jellycakeandicecream · 27/02/2023 13:45

Generally no, but there is the odd uni/course that still require assignments to be handed in as well as submitted online (yes, what a waste of paper, time, money and effort but they are out there). So I would recommend checking with the uni first.

prettybird · 27/02/2023 13:47

Should have mentioned what he was studying as I'm sure it varies from course to course: he studied Politics and International Relations.

Rellywobble · 27/02/2023 13:49

My children did…not sure why ,never worked and I don’t think they came back from Uni so I wouldn’t bother TBH !

boys3 · 27/02/2023 13:49

None of mine have needed one

Original poster
Katiecan · 27/02/2023 13:51

I hadn’t appreciated that everything is digital at uni so I am now doubly wondering why he needs one. Will ask!

OP posts:
Daftasabroom · 27/02/2023 13:55

Katiecan · 27/02/2023 13:33

DS1 wants me to buy him a printer for uni. Have any of your DC taken a printer to uni with them? Is it the norm? DS says going to the library to print is a faff and works out quite pricey. Any recommendations for a cheap printer please?

No. If absolutely necessary he should be able to use a network printer.

fdgdfgdfgdfg · 27/02/2023 13:57

No point having a printer at uni. The printer itself may be cheaper than doing it at the library, but by the time you're buying replacement ink cartridges the uni library works out way cheaper.

(Especially if you don't print that often. He'll find out the cartridge has dried out while not being used and end up down the library anyway)

EmmaGrundyForPM · 27/02/2023 13:58

No, my dc didn't take one. I think they all use the uni library printers if they need to print anything.

Kazzyhoward · 27/02/2023 13:58

My DS prints off all his lecture notes and other documents. He is doing a Maths degree, so there's a lot of writing/workings on paper, so tends to do workings etc on each page of the notes - he prints them off single sided so he can write notes/workings on the back of each sheet. He also sticks lots of flags/tabs on the notes for future revision. He does most of his printing at Uni, as there are printers everywhere, not just the library, but also in the entrance halls of each department, student union building, and college common rooms. If he needs to print something when he's off campus in his flat, his accommodation block also has printers in the reception area, but that's more expensive (Uni printers are really cheap per page!). He's never shown any inclination to want a printer in his flat as he's never more than a few minutes away from a communal one.

I can well imagine other courses won't need printed notes and can be viewed online, but I think Maths is a different ball game, like other "computational" subjects where you still need pen and paper to do workings, etc. DS does literally everything else online, including a couple of his modules that were more "wordy" rather than computational, so isn't a luddite, but just thinks pen and paper is better (he's tried stylii and e-pens but hates them!).

KStockHERO · 27/02/2023 13:59

Academic here.

I very much doubt your DS will need a printer. All assignments at my university are submitted online. All lecture slides are put online for students. All reading materials are digitalised for students.

Instead of buying him a printer, I'd bung him a few quid to put on his printing account or to pay his printing account off (however it works).

ScentOfAMemory · 27/02/2023 14:01

I asked my DD if she wanted me to get her a cheap printer when she started university in October 22. She said "what for?"
I asked again at Christmas and she said so far she's printed out 3 things , couple of pages each, in the library.
So, no need at all as pp have said.

eggandonion · 27/02/2023 14:05

One of my daughters prints everything and highlights bits of it, the others don't print much. Different ways of studying.

Fizbosshoes · 27/02/2023 14:06

I have 1 dc in 6th form and 1 in year 8. They both use the printer at home fairly regularly. DD does 2 creative subjects and she seems to use up the ink at alarming speed!

Problem with printers is that the printer itself might be cheap but ink costs a fortune. Wilkos do fake inks but they don't always work