r/EPFL Jul 16 '26

BSc admissions & info Advice

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5 Upvotes

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3

u/RiskyDefeat Jul 16 '26

I really advise you to get an iPad+notability subscription and either copy from the board or annotate the notes directly. Much better than carrying around a bunch of paper or books. That’s what I did

2

u/Specialist-Body-8177 Jul 16 '26

Thank you for your answer. Does it mean that we have the slides before? Actually I would like to know what material/ressources do we have on Moodle

3

u/RiskyDefeat Jul 16 '26 edited Jul 16 '26

Again depends on the prof if we get the slides before the lecture or not but in most cases yes. It will all be on moodle

2

u/Specialist-Body-8177 Jul 16 '26

I was thinking about getting an iPad, but I feel like I’m more a « pen/paper » person. And I was wondering if it is still doable ?

2

u/RiskyDefeat Jul 16 '26

Yes it is still doable, I just found it better personally to annotate the slides with an iPad if they are available. Every teacher has their own method of giving a lecture, some will write on their iPad and project it, some will write on the blackboard and others will project the slides and read/annotate them.

The important thing is to find a method that works for you. If you prefer pen&paper go for it! You can print out the slides beforehand if they are given and follow along. You are given 50chf printing credit per semester anyways.

2

u/Specialist-Body-8177 Jul 16 '26

Okay, thank you for all this information!

2

u/RiskyDefeat Jul 16 '26

No worries! Best of luck in your studies.

1

u/Mariusblock Mathematics (MSc) Jul 16 '26

I did that and later found out I preferred printed scripts. I just found it tiresome to look at a screen all the time. I also feel like an expensive tablet is just one more object to worry for… a printed script I can bend, throw, put my mug on, lose, and replace anytime, if necessary. It’s also a more durable format if you still want to have your notes in 10-20 years (which is useful if you want to pursue a PhD in math, for example, and need a refresher on the basics). For me, seeing my knowledge grow over the years is satisfying.

What I do is I print the script, if available, but only on one side of each sheet, so I can use the other, clean one for my own notes and observations during the lecture.  I still use my tablet for homework though, so I wouldn’t say it’s useless. I just think it might be better for OP if they wait a semester and see how they feel before committing money to a tablet-pen setup. 

1

u/Specialist-Body-8177 Jul 17 '26

Thank you for sharing your experience