iPad Air or IPad Mini for class

[Fraaahnces]

Just that really…. I’m going back to university in my very advanced years and don’t want to drag my laptop about.
I am looking at either the newest 11in iPad Air or the newest iPad Mini. (Note taking, mostly STEM subjects, quite a few diagrams, etc.)
*No interest in gaming, etc

Air. The mini is too small.

Air.
But both my boys, for college then one for uni, had small lightweight laptops.

Thank you… the Air isn’t too big in a tote bag?

I bought an Air when I first started back at uni and hated it. It was too big. I now have a mini which i much prefer but i have to say about a year in i stopped taking any tech to classes and took a notebook and pen instead. I found i listened much better without the distraction of tech. I was doing an arts degree though and I realise STEM might be different.

I’m doing nursing. Lots of diagrams. I will be handed paperwork too, so I guess bag will need to be big enough to accommodate that plus nursing equipment.

iPad Air with a keyboard attachment. But tbh, I’ve gone back to my laptop, I found that it wasn’t much lighter than the iPad once it was in a case.
iPad mini is only about the size of a kindle so would be quite small.

It isn’t. From my experience of standing at the lectern looking out, paper and pencils/pens are the most popular note taking medium.

However, a lot of students just listen. They make their notes when they watch the lecture recording. It is less distracting and they can pause and repeat so they don’t miss anything.

I will probably alternate between old-school notepad and iPad. I don’t trust my memory at all. (Who thought study during menopause was a good idea?)

I have an Air for work and I find it too heavy with a case on to lug around. A mini with a keyboard would be my preference.

That is where recorded lectures really come into their own. You don’t have to rely on your memory.

My DD copes fine with a mini doing a STEM subject. I've seen her revision notes and mins maps on it.

She tends to rewatch lectures at home and make more detailed notes then. I assume she uses some software to transfer her mini iPad notes to her windows laptop.

Thanks everyone! I think Mini is winning!

I changed my mind… I tried them both in store and my eyesight didn’t like the mini any more than my iPhone. The air won.
i’m picking it up tomorrow in the sale.

I have both - to be honest I use the mini more just because it's the perfect size for me to chuck in my handbag and go. Get a bluetooth keyboard and a good note taking software (I use Noteful). Also the Apple Pencil is really worth picking up (or a stylus dupe if you're strapped for cash)

What you can also do in terms of anatomical diagrams (I retrained as a SALT a few years ago - so similar requirement in terms of labelling and referring to bits of anatomy all over the place) is to get a basic set of diagrams you need, save the images as "stickers" and then just chuck them into your note taking app and annotate them when you need to refer to them. Saved me drawing millions of cross sections of head and neck anatomy over the duration of the course. I would also photograph any handouts and import them into my notes as well which saved a lot of time and misplaced bits of paper.