Reasons the Droid X is a great tool for a College Student

[mcapozzi]

Yeah, I guess you don't NEED a smartphone, but it sure would be nice if you access your notes and documents from your phone. Contrary to what your parents believe, you probably aren't going to cart around your laptop everywhere you go, and you probably won't spend every free minute you have inside your dorm room.

With all the other distractions you'll be facing (chasing women and drinking, for starters) a smartphone will be the least of your distractions.

 

[verdegallardo]

Barcode scanner, calendars, paper research...you need a smartphone

 

[D13]

If its that important to you...pay the data plan

 

[Lurkr]

Having graduated from undergrad about two years ago, and now in grad school, I have to agree; you definitely don't NEED one.
That being said, the difference between it being useful or not, or a distraction or not is not in the phone's capabilities, it's in how you use it. It's entirely possible to make a Droid x a nice complement to other hardware/tools and for it to be really useful for you, if you make sure to use it that way.

For example, I'm replacing my GPS, my car's radio (which I broke the antenna off of, long story), my physical datebook and my MP3 player, at the very least. My professor also always expects me to be available via e-mail, this way she can find me..no matter where I am...or how much I don't want to work.....

Flip side of that is that if you use it to text in class, watch movies/listen to music all the time and generally be one of the many extremely irritating undergrads that do that...then yeah,bad plan to get it.

 

[HauntedHallows]

i know i will be using mine for those " hey girls after schools over lets go for some drinks" moments that always turn out to be so much fun

 

[akkkmed]

I haven't read anything but the first post.
Speaking of college, I will be at orientation tomorrow while everyone else is getting their phones But I'll have mine shipped to my door on Friday!

EDIT: After reading the thread, I agree with everyone else. A smartphone is a need for college. Neither is a laptop. But it can help a lot, especially with email and internet if you need it during class and on campus. I think if you want a smartphone, then you should buy it and pay for the whole data plan. My parents were strongly against me getting a BlackBerry (first smartphone) last year because I don't "need" it. My argument was that any decent phone these days on Verizon requires a $10+ data plan. Why pay that much, when I can spend $15 MORE and get a real smartphone, one that I'll enjoy using?

Also, use your college .edu email address to get a discount on your phone plan and data plan. But you can only get the data plan discount if your line is the primary, which is easy to switch.

 

[10splaya22]

I am also a sophmore in college and while no one needs a smartphone its just much handier and can help you keep on top of everything. Putting project due dates and exam schedules will help tons and I will be looking back to this thread when school starts because I saw some great ideas!

What college are you going to?

 

[Kelmar]

OP - I'm honestly curious as to why YOU feel you need a smartphone/DroidX as a sophomore in college?

Are you a tech "geek" who wants/needs the latest gadgets, do you honestly think it'll be beneficial, are you trying to keep up with the curve... ???

100% SERIOUS BTW, I'm honestly curious as I've heard this from my younger brothers and don't get it myself....


Personally, I'd be inclined to agree with a few who have posted saying that you don't need it or that your parents are right. That being said, you may very well have a REAL use or need for one.

PLEASE, I am curious as to YOUR reasons!

 

[D13]

To get the Droid at the age of 17, I told my parents that I would pay the data plan and I did, but they kinda of forgot after awhile...

 

[michaelkahl]

If you are sophomore in college then I think it's time for you to pony up. Beggars can't be choosers.
Maybe offer to pay the additional data charges and cost of the phone in addition to what your parents are offering to help you with. Sounds like you have very supportive parents and that's wonderful. However, there comes a time when you gotta start handling these things yourself. Maybe paying the difference for the phone is a step in the right direction.

 

[mcapozzi]

I really wish I had a Smartphone in college (I did have a palm pilot, yes I am old).

The ability to look up something wherever I go would have been really helpful.

The ability to read/edit notes I took on the computer would have also been greatly beneficial.

I wouldn't have to have spent 100 bucks on a graphing scientific calculator.

The ability to send and receive e-mail from anywhere can be a real lifesaver (at least where I went to school, professors did most of their communication via e-mail).

-Mike

 

[michaelkahl]

To get the Droid at the age of 17, I told my parents that I would pay the data plan and I did, but they kinda of forgot after awhile...

lol, sounds like you are ready for the real world. Let's hope they don't go to collections on you seeking the data + interest
All kidding aside, I think parents just want to see their kids initiate this type of responsibility. Maybe after a while they just decided to take care of it since you had been doing well at it. Good on you for doing it at 17

 

[PeaceMaker]

I just graduated last year But I found that my smartphone came in handy most w/ emails. I was able to promptly respond to emails when they were time sensitive. This will come in handy next year when you start applying for internships/jobs.

Also, how else are you going to find out about the free pizza dinners @ club meetings??

Though, IDK how much of a chick magnet this phone will be. Imagine getting a phone call while talking to a cutie and you pull out this giant poptart we call a droid x and slab it to your face... haha not hating, bc I'm getting mine tomorrow!

 

[xcake]

Having just graduated from college, I used a Razr for 3 years and no phone my freshman year, so smartphones are nowhere near needed for college. However, there were countless times when it would have been extremely useful. Using GPS to drive us to places for student organizations or conferences our professors mentioned. Always having a useful and portable calendar/alarm so you never miss due dates or important stuff (I slept through a final because of not having this, very important to have). Email anywhere for those times when you need that professor's response but have to be away from your computer. You can even record lectures so you can listen again later when studying (supplemented by notes, dont imply that this replaces you paying attention).

Definitely not needed, and it is certainly a given that you can waste time on them, but the benefits of phones like the X are very helpful. Definitely cant wait to get my X (hopefully tomorrow). It will help if you offer to pay some of the costs of course.

 

[D13]

lol, sounds like you are ready for the real world. Let's hope they don't go to collections on you seeking the data + interest
All kidding aside, I think parents just want to see their kids initiate this type of responsibility. Maybe after a while they just decided to take care of it since you had been doing well at it. Good on you for doing it at 17

I can't believe that they haven't took it away from me yet. In my early rooting days I thought I bricked it and had to get a replacement from verizon. But I am constantly "ROMing" and for some reason she lets me keep it. Probably because of my good grades and that I play sports.

 

[ahl91]

I'm also a heading into my sophomore year of college (there are an awful lot of us on these message boards...), and I plan on getting my X tomorrow.

I agree with most people saying that college students don't NEED it, especially with wifi everywhere and our laptops always on hand. Personally, though, I enjoy having the latest gadgets, and I'm in desperate need for a new phone (I'm upgrading from an LG enV2 ). I've also convinced myself that this phone will make me more productive in my studies (probably not, though).

Ultimately, the only reason that my parents agreed to me getting the X is because I intend to pay the cost of the data plan and of the phone itself. There's no way that they would pay an extra $360 per year just for me to have this phone.

 

[Rimzy]

I am going into my junior year in college, i don't really have a problem with what phone i get as long as i pay the bills, i am an international student, my parents live outside the country so that works for me, i know my mum complains about all my "electronics" haha, and thats just because i got an ipod touch, and she did a long press on the screen and deleted all my apps, but back on topic. Do i "NEED" a smartphone? Not really, i see how they can be useful based on all the other responses, but i am an "Electronics nerd" so i "WANT" the phone, i could not convince my parents about the reasons i need a smartphone either, since they got me a laptop. But i see your point.

 

[odiej34]

My kid is getting ready to enter the 8th grade and she has been bugging for a smart phone. I told her as long as she has the 300.00 a year (data plan) prior to that year she can get one for X-mas. She earned 300.00 in a month and a half. I'm now buying 4 Droid x's tomorrow. Try that route, it may work for you.

 

[Vihzel]

She earned 300.00 in a month and a half.

How did she do that? I'm also surprised that she's not wanting an iPhone.

 

[lww424]

OP - I'm honestly curious as to why YOU feel you need a smartphone/DroidX as a sophomore in college?

Are you a tech "geek" who wants/needs the latest gadgets, do you honestly think it'll be beneficial, are you trying to keep up with the curve... ???

100% SERIOUS BTW, I'm honestly curious as I've heard this from my younger brothers and don't get it myself....


Personally, I'd be inclined to agree with a few who have posted saying that you don't need it or that your parents are right. That being said, you may very well have a REAL use or need for one.

PLEASE, I am curious as to YOUR reasons!

I wouldn't consider myself a tech "geek" but I do like to try and keep up some what with the newer technologies.

I honestly think that it will be beneficial to me. I will be more apt to use my planner and calendar if it isn't something extra I have to carry (I used my paper planner last year for about a week). There are several apps that are also beneficial to studying. Having access to my e-mail at all times also will help because we get EVERYTHING e-mailed to us at school.

If I got this I would also be able to role my iPod, TomTom, day planner and phone into one.

But I am prepared to pay for the data plan and or phone if it comes down to that!

 

[masse]

I didn't read half the posts but it depends how aggresively you are pursuing your education/future.

I rely on email heavily to communicate with professors, my research advisor, co-workers, and the various contacts I've made since I started college. I also am looking things up ALL the time on the internet. It's really easy to find a book in the library without logging in to a computer. It's really easy to get a quick formula or two from wikipedia. Also I read novels while on the toilet via Kindle app.

I need it because I literally cannot be checking my email 50 times a day. I've used an iPod touch heavily for this purpose for 2 years and its just becoming too much of a hassle relying on wifi (despite my whole campus being wifi accessible). Just tell them times are changing and everyone else is connected 24/7 and you will get behind/miss things if you are not.


I'm using an LG Dare currently. Don't you hate how when you go to landscape keyboard then back to portrait it loses the ability to select the next word in T9 and just types 0?

 

[Vihzel]

Also, I don't exactly know how much your parents trust you. I've always received As in high school and when entering college, they trusted me with basically any decision, as they did with my brother. If I told them that I WANT a smartphone for academic needs, they would oblige. They still don't understand why anyone would NEED a smartphone and really... NO ONE needs it. It simply makes things easier. Also, depending on who the smartphone is in the hands of, it can be a big distraction. I've seen SO many people on their smartphones just texting or doing whatever else in class instead of paying attention to the professor/lecturer/instructor.

If I had 2 quite opposite children, one that was a straight A student and was always doing the right thing as compared to one that was a C/D student and was getting into trouble from time to time, I'll be much more inclined to believe the first child if they tried to convince me they really wanted it for academic needs.

 

[masse]

If I had 2 quite opposite children, one that was a straight A student and was always doing the right thing as compared to one that was a C/D student and was getting into trouble from time to time, I'll be much more inclined to believe the first child if they tried to convince me they really wanted it for academic needs.

It also depends what school you are attending and what you are studying (aka how hard your life is).

I can't say I know anyone who has a smartphone and really takes advantage of it the way I hope to. But get a job and pay the data plan if they won't pay for it and you really want it/think it will help you.

 

[sanjeeva7]

How about this - you can skype with your parents for free. Just work and pay for the data plan yourself. I used my part time job at my school to pay for my taco bell/waffle house/beer/golf money. I only worked 20 hours a week and made minimum wage.

Of course when I was in college I had 2 friends with beepers and 1 friend with an emergency only bag phone (it was like 50 cents a minute). I want to say 3 or 4 friends owned a computer.

 

[carmendiva]

An X as a chick magnet?

Unless you get a dumb girl who is entertained by flashy big phones, i dont think the X is a chick magnet

I am starting my sophomore year as well
and all the reasons everyone(aside from the chick magnet) are all good ideas and reasons

Personally, it boils down to it...compromise...pay for the phone and the data package and meet them halfway