Is a Personal Whiteboard Worth Investing In for Studying Electrical Engineering?

[AlexES16]

Well i am thinking in buying a personal whiteboard, kinda big. Maybe it helps to study better, to put general ideas, etc. I am going to study Electrical Engineering, so to study all calculations and put the ideas + seeing the objects in a more big scale help more for the understanding.
What do you think?

 

[doodle_sack]

nice idea

 

[╔(σ_σ)╝]

Excellent idea, I love it !

I was considering doing something like that when I first got into EE but I'm going into my 3rd Year and never did it .

I used a whiteboard in one of the study rooms at my school and I was amazed by what happened.

I can't describe it but when everything is on the white board it's easy to see and understand. It's a similar sort of illusion you get when you go to class and see the prof or your teacher solve a problem which you believe you understand until you get home, of course !

Only, when you use the whiteboard yourself you really see " it" everything seems to make sense. I think it has to do with clarity of presentation. It's also great for problem solving because you have more space to jot down your ideas and mistakes are much easier to spot.

I think it will be a great investment! I am still considering buying one.

 

[inko1nsiderat]

I actually bought a whiteboard... and it hasn't been used as much as I would like, but when you're stuck on a problem it does help to just write up the part you are stuck on and go about your business while you mull it over.

 

[Niles]

I have one. It's really great - you won't regret purchasing one.

 

[eXorikos]

I actually bought a whiteboard... and it hasn't been used as much as I would like, but when you're stuck on a problem it does help to just write up the part you are stuck on and go about your business while you mull it over.

I have the same. I mostly use it to write my schedule on it... :p

 

[yenchin]

I find it much cheaper to buy some sort of hard plastic and sticks them onto the walls. :-)

 

[╔(σ_σ)╝]

I have the same. I mostly use it to write my schedule on it... :p

Law of diminishing returns.

Sad to say, like most things when you first get them it seems very useful and overtime the uses " decrease".

I think the whiteboard is good if you are not the sort of person who studies last minute for things.

If you study in a hurry the whiteboard would be the least of your friends when you are trying to cover large material in a short time.

 

[AlexES16]

nice idea

Im gona start looking where to buy one.

 

[AlexES16]

Excellent idea, I love it !

I was considering doing something like that when I first got into EE but I'm going into my 3rd Year and never did it .

I used a whiteboard in one of the study rooms at my school and I was amazed by what happened.

I can't describe it but when everything is on the white board it's easy to see and understand. It's a similar sort of illusion you get when you go to class and see the prof or your teacher solve a problem which you believe you understand until you get home, of course !

Only, when you use the whiteboard yourself you really see " it" everything seems to make sense. I think it has to do with clarity of presentation. It's also great for problem solving because you have more space to jot down your ideas and mistakes are much easier to spot.

I think it will be a great investment! I am still considering buying one.

Thanks. So how are you in EE xD?

 

[AlexES16]

I actually bought a whiteboard... and it hasn't been used as much as I would like, but when you're stuck on a problem it does help to just write up the part you are stuck on and go about your business while you mull it over.

thanks for the info

 

[AlexES16]

I have one. It's really great - you won't regret purchasing one.

Thanks a lot, looks like is a good idea.

 

[hadsed]

Most study rooms at libraries and stuff have giant white board that you can use freely. I think it's much better since it's huge, and also it's on a wall. At my school, they don't let us screw stuff into the walls or use tape. Aaaand you don't have to pay for it. And it's a great way to study with friends. And it's huge.

 

[mgb_phys]

Clear perspex (lexan/plexiglass) works well and has that cool CSI/NCIS type high tech look!

 

[Animastryfe]

Has anyone tried the 'boards' offered by whiteyboard.com?

 

[turbo]

To the OP, where will you be living? Will you have enough wall-space for a large white-board, and can you keep the area in front of the white-board free of clutter and furniture so you can have full access to the board? What if you move to different quarters? Can you deal with the fumes and the cost of the markers? You may be better off with a large easel with pads of white or lightly-printed quadrille paper. You can fold up the easel and park it in a closet, move it as necessary, AND you don't need to buy expensive markers. Plus you don't have to erase the sheets as you move on to new ones, so that your work is saved for you to study and review prior to examinations. Just a thought.

 

[Leptos]

I think writing in large font on large surfaces appears to make things easier because of the way our brain works. I tried writing in extremely tiny font while doing problem sets, and it gave me headaches, whereas I felt it was much easier to write in huge font with a thick sharpie(although I ran through paper 10x faster).

 

[johnnyies]

I use a chalkboard cause it was given to me for free. But yes, they are pretty handy for studying. As a plus, you aren't sitting on your bum the entire time.

I couldn't stand the smell of dry-erase markers anyways.

 

[Newtime]

Go to home depot or lowe's and get something called a "melamine" board sometimes called a "melamine shower board." I use mine daily, and it was 12 dollars for a 4 foot by 8 foot piece.

 

[erok81]

I love my whiteboard. It's nice for test studying because a) I don't waste reams of paper and b) I can erase a large mistake very easily.

As for the smell, get low odor.

 

[╔(σ_σ)╝]

Thanks. So how are you in EE xD?

I am surviving.Thanks for asking :)

 

[sEsposito]

I have two white boards -- a small one that I bought and a huge one that my father got when a school he was working at was torn down. The little one is great for writing rules, theorems and generally anything I have to memorize and have a mental block with.. The big one is where I do mostly problem solving, and it's great for those types of tasks. It's a much different way to get ideas out of your head.

 

[KestrelYI]

Whiteboards and chalkboards are amazing. It's hard to describe, but the ability to pace around the room while working out the problem... it is much more physically involving. For whatever reason, this helps me immensely when working out a difficult problem. Paper is fine, but there's just something about waving my hands around and frantically solving the problems in a larger format that helps.

Sorry, not much as far as a description goes, but it is somewhat difficult to explain. I feel much more "involved" in the problem when working it out in a larger format while walking back and forth next to the board while writing.

I purchased some chalkboard paint and covered a 4x8 wall in my house. The paint, along with a small bit of primer, fine foam rollers, chalkboard paint, and a little bit of trim... it all came out to about 60 bucks. I took my time and sanded between layers. The board is perfectly smooth and absolutely huge. To buy something the same size would cost hundreds of dollars. I by far prefer chalk to dry erase markers. Less smell, and much more of an old school feeling to it.

Well worth the investment, however. I use the hell out of mine.

 

[johnnyies]

Hey, has anyone ever seen a clearboard? What kind of pens do you use on a clear board?

img: http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:JP-wFtJJxBaDtM:http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b130/Jelsemium/Numb3rs/93431_ptv_0047r225.jpg&t=1

 

[mgb_phys]

Chinagraph (sp?) pencils, or normal white board dry markers

 

[johnnyies]

Whiteboards and chalkboards are amazing. It's hard to describe, but the ability to pace around the room while working out the problem... it is much more physically involving. For whatever reason, this helps me immensely when working out a difficult problem. Paper is fine, but there's just something about waving my hands around and frantically solving the problems in a larger format that helps.

I've read that companies who remove chairs from board meetings get better results from them. So it has something to do with standing up.

 

[AlexES16]

Alarm, alarm ,alarm !Wow! Makers are toxic!

Wet-wipe markers or wet-erase markers are a type of writing implement, which are used primarily on overhead transparencies, tablets at restaurants, and office calendars. Other uses include writing on mirrors, chalkboards, plastics, ceramics, glass windows and other non-porous surfaces.

The markers are similar to other products such as dry erase markers, in both their uses and applications, and also in that they come in an assortment of colors. They differ, however, in their use of a quick drying liquid paste as their medium. By using a paste instead of an alcohol base, the marking is semi-permanent, and will not be wiped away by a whiteboard eraser. Additionally, the paste is less likely to cause allergic reaction than dry-erase alcohol or chalk dust.

Because of their semi-permanent nature, wet wipe markers are often used to draw a template, especially in school classrooms or on calendars (to mark the boxes). Dry erase markers can usually be applied on top of the wet wipe marker, and erased without touching the wet wipe marks.

Wet wipe markers were often used on overhead projector transparencies, as they could be stored and transported easily, unlike a traditional chalkboard. With the rise of computerized slide-shows (e.g. PowerPoint) in the classroom and office, overhead usage has reduced substantially, and with it, the wet wipe marker.

Marks can then be cleaned off non-porous surfaces with a damp cloth.

The contents of these markers are: water, resin, and titanium dioxide.

Non-permanent marker

A non-permanent marker (also called a whiteboard marker or dry erasable marker), uses an erasable ink—an ink that adheres to the writing surface without binding or being absorbed by it—for temporary writing with overhead projectors, whiteboards, and the like. They may also be used by children when adults want to be able to clean up after them. The erasable ink does not contain the toxic chemical compounds xylene and/or toluene, unlike permanent markers.

Wet erase markers are another version that are used on overhead projectors, signboards, whiteboards, and other non-porous surfaces.

Ill chek for the non toxic ones. Looks like the ones that say low odor are toxic to.

 

[SFHatter]

Listen to Newtimes. I made my own 4x8 white board for less than twenty bucks. If you aren't able to mount it for some reason, you can just lean it against a wall, i'ts still taller than you, and four feet wide. This one cost me less than the 18"x20" board that I use for my schedule. I highly recommend it.

 

[Topher925]

I've got a small one that I keep on my fridge and use it often. I'm thinking of buying a second really large one, not really for school, but for all my hobby projects. The only downside of having one is when ever my friends come over they always draw inappropriate profanity and parts of the male anatomy all over it.

 

[QuarkCharmer]

Just this afternoon I went down to home depot, got a nice 5x8 piece of melamine, a few feet of moulding, and framed my own whiteboard, painted to match my office-room. Cost me about 25 dollars. Thanks for that suggestion! It works great. Mounting it to the wall, is much better than getting one that hangs.

 

[eXorikos]

I've got a small one that I keep on my fridge and use it often. I'm thinking of buying a second really large one, not really for school, but for all my hobby projects. The only downside of having one is when ever my friends come over they always draw inappropriate profanity and parts of the male anatomy all over it.

Or the female anatomy ofcourse. I keep my markers in my desk for that reason. Since then had nog problems with it.

 

[swatmedic05]

Whats a good place to purchase a whiteboard

 

[kbaumen]

My mate bought his whiteboard on e-bay. 40 GBP for a 1800 x 1200 whiteboard which I think is quite big. I've been contemplating this as well, seems like a great idea. Leave a wee corner for schedule and the rest for problem solving. I've also noticed at uni that it's much better to solve problems in large formats when you can walk around and as mentioned "wave frantically" when you're stuck.